It is not that uncommon these days to see male athletes participate in different sports with shaved legs. In particular, soccer fans have probably noticed that there are more soccer players doing this than ever before. Is this the latest style, or is there an actual reason why this happens more than ever?
Why Soccer Players Shave Their Legs
Soccer players are shaving their legs to make their lives a little easier before and after matches. Shaved legs are easier to tape up or bandage if they are trying to prevent injury.
Thick hair can also get in the way of massages after a match, or even wearing high socks all match long.
Finally, some players feel like they can gain a slight advantage by being a bit more aerodynamic, so they run with it.
Handling Soccer Injuries
Play soccer long enough, and every player deals with some level of pain in the leg area. Maybe they sprain an ankle, or they have a sore foot. Whatever the case is, the tape is used a lot for injury treatment. It is easy and cheap to add some extra support, and it is a way to get a player back on the pitch as fast as possible.
Putting tape on hairy skin is going to be very difficult to take off when it comes time. There are ways to get around this, but sometimes it is easier to shave legs and go there. This makes for very easy removal when the time comes. There is less of a chance of bacterial buildup to cause any issues as well. Leaving tape on for too long, coupled with hair, opens up additional opportunities for bacteria.
It is not just about handling injuries that are needing treatment in the beginning. There are a lot of people who will have injuries during the middle of a match, and they need immediate attention. The only way to get that is to put a bandage on almost right away, and an athletic trainer may decide to shave the hair off right then and there.
The good news is that if a person does not want this to be the new look, the hair will grow back pretty quickly. It might look a little weird at first, which is why some will go ahead and shave the entire leg instead of shaving just a certain part. When done this way, it is purely for practical purposes.
Pre/Post Massages
Soccer players at all levels understand that there are a lot of benefits for pre-and post-match massages. Not everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of a massage, but those who do can really feel like they have a much better feeling with their body in general. Massages can either target a specific area, or be done for the entire body.
Too much body hair can lessen the effectiveness of a massage, which is why some players will shave areas that are commonly worked on. Since there is a lot of stress put on the legs every single match, hairless legs might have a more effective experience with a massage then unkept hair.
It might not seem like that much of a difference, but all it takes is a couple of pulls of the hair during a massage for people to be frustrated. They do not want to have to deal with any discomfort they do not have to, and it might just be easier to shave it all off.
Minor Performance Improvements
In swimming, athletes will shave as much hair off their body as possible right before they are looking to push the pace and see what type of time they can put up. Hair makes a much bigger difference in the water than it does on land, but that does not mean that some believe they are genuinely faster without hair on their body.
Players are always looking for an edge, even if it is relatively minor. It can all completely be in a person’s head, but they will stick with it if they play well enough. For some, it almost becomes a lucky charm for players if they feel like they made a slight improvement, and that is just about all anyone can ask for.
Looks
Finally, some players fall in love with the more hairless look for one reason or another. Maybe it started to help with an injury, and they can’t stop shaving their legs.
Maybe they are relatively hairless on other parts of the body, and they want to match their legs with everything else. Whatever the case is, players might not come out and say it, but they do shave their legs for vein reasons occasionally.
Just like a certain hairstyle or wearing certain accessories, there is nothing wrong with shaving the legs and getting out on the pitch. More players do it than ever before, and there are no negative effects doing it whatsoever.
There will always be soccer players who hate the feel and would never attempt to shave their legs, but others have embraced it and can’t go back any other way.
Is Leg Shaving Here To Stay?
It seems like every single year, the art of shaving legs is more prevalent than ever before. Maybe at some point, it will go out of style, but it seems like people are gravitating towards it for a number of reasons. Maybe it takes a little bit more extra time to prepare the body for every day play, but going with how everything feels and looks can impact a player.
Leg shaving is no longer just for women. Other athletes in nearly every sport are starting to embrace shaving legs more and more, and everyone has their own specific reasons. Expect it to only grow more in popularity, not wane off like some of the other trends throughout the history of sports.
