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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHairy woman does not shave
I'm one of those women who loathes hair removal. I don't know if there are many of us out there, but I suspect there are. Since the first day when, as a teenager, I decided to get rid of the hair on my legs and armpits, I have spent my waking hours in hair removal torture. It's a waste of time that caused me suffering. Nonsense, really. But I didn't question it, either. At the end of the day, I'm a woman, and we have to get rid of our body hair, right?
Did I have another option? For a long time, I felt I didn't, so I merely tried to fully minimize my periods of suffering. I chose not to shave in the winter. After all, I was covered up, and nobody was looking at me... That's when I began to realize I was shaving unnecessarily, and only doing so because it was expected of me as a woman. I enjoyed my hairy legs in winter, yet coninuted to submit to near-weekly shaving torture in summer.
Yes, I am a hairy woman. I have very white skin and very black hair. My legs and armpits are veritable jungles. I know there are smooth-skinned women who shave very rarely and have fine, blonde body hair. But that's not the case with me, so trying to camouflage and pretend that hair is not there doesn't work for me. Besides, I live in Málaga, the weather is warm most of the year and the beach is there for enjoying...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paloma-goni/i-dont-shave_b_3568790.html
When I asked my boyfriend to shoot these pictures, he refused. I think he didn't want my hairy legs to be made public. He had enough with having to endure the plan (ha!). We had an interesting conversation and a few seconds later, he admitted he was wrong and agreed to take the pictures. He told me the pictures were an assault against aesthetics. I agree. They're an assault against an aesthetic, against an image of female beauty that we have ingrained in our culture and in our society. That same image I want to change, simply because it's not real. Women have hair on their legs. We have hair on our armpits. And on our pubis. And in a thousand other places. We're hairy, the same as men. And that's real. A reality that women, pressured by one another, insist on hiding.
I still don't know if this year I will succumb to the pressure, if I will shave again. I've not decided yet, but I'm very conscious that if I finally do it, it will be for others, and that drives me apart from my true self.
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msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)societal standards so much a tweaking them a little. So she doesn't shave. So what?
eShirl
(20,212 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)eShirl
(20,212 posts)That's all. No biggie.
Egnever
(21,506 posts)that I find utterly ridiculous. Having said that you chose the things you want to conform to yourself.
She doesnt want to shave, That's fine with me.
Expecting people to change what they find attractive is a battle she will not win. Sounds to me like she found someone that is fine with it. Lucky girl!
Quantess
(27,630 posts)Most people are capable of saying "yea so what, we've seen that before." Just like we've all seen slightly overweight women in bikinis at the beach with rolls hanging out (who cares), or people who choose not to get their teeth fixed (fine, whatever).
Maybe this young woman feels brave to be showing the world that she accepts herself this way. That is the only interesting aspect about the whole thing. It's like a navel-gazing, look-at-me! blog.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)brave so much as marketong.
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)Sorry. Just not 'getting' your POV.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)I do that on occasion. Sometimes I reply to people just because I agree with them, which may seem strange for a discussion board, which is naturally more conducive to arguing and bickering.
masanthrope probably should have just hit the "hide thread" button but since she couldn't resist commenting and said pretty much what my opinion is on the topic, I felt like chiming in just to say that I agree with her.
Everybody else is spouting their opinions, so how about a round of Choosing not to shave does not make you inherently fascinating.
Somebody had to say it!
whttevrr
(2,347 posts)Can we pillory someone now?
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)finding her niche. I salute her.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)And you said such a thing, you'd be lucky to get out alive.
Welcome to the 21st century. Where women are now allowed to express their discontent with systemic sexual oppression in public forum.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)she wishes, as am I to comment on it.
Women's Studies??
allin99
(894 posts)
narnian60
(3,510 posts)
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)robinlynne
(15,481 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)
Skittles
(171,229 posts)JUST SAY THE WORD!!!
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)strongly. That women do this, more often than men, is disconcerting.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)
robinlynne
(15,481 posts)robinlynne
(15,481 posts)
Ms. Toad
(38,533 posts)Which, in my experience as someone who only sporadically shaves and doesn't talk about it, is a very common response.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)You'd prefer to put a brand on her than discuss the issue she brings up.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)
whopis01
(3,915 posts)To tell someone that their thoughts and feelings about bucking what (current) society demands are "too much information" is a thinly veiled attempt to curtail any discussion that makes you feel uncomfortable.
You may not find it interesting, and that is fine. You may not agree with it, and that is fine.
Not everything put out in the world is meant for everyone to consume. If you don't like it, just move on. Why try to silence others? Just because you don't agree with them?
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Tutonic
(2,522 posts)NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Let's be real.
K/R
FarCenter
(19,429 posts)Nylons started to be produced in 1939. Silk, nylon and rayon stockings were not very sheer at first.
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)Dated a girl in college who didn't shave.
Since I have 12" head hair and hair all over my body except my palms and feet have at it.
To me the worst feeling was when a woman shaves and then let just enough to grow back and then toss their arm around me in bed, well, that's a little put offing since it scratches like crazy.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)Who cares what others think?
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Sorry if that is not the politically correct response.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)
thereismore
(13,326 posts)sad-cafe
(1,277 posts)no thanks
JI7
(93,506 posts)is that gross also ?
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)
Bonobo
(29,257 posts)"Back hair, ewwww!"
"Ear hair, ewww!"
"Hairy white stomach, ewww!"
""Filthy, unkempt beard!"
"You need a shave!"
Etc.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)
Maine-ah
(9,902 posts)he actually has a hair suit. Chest, back, shoulders, legs....good lord he is one hairy man - and I like it. I shave. Maybe TMI, but I love the feeling of his hair against my shaved bod. Plus, he keeps me warm in the winters.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)all of those areas even when no one calls the hair gross. Women are expected to shave their pits and legs even when they have only sparse, light colored hair in those areas.
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)Men w/long (head) hair are often viewed along a certain sterotype... (at least back in my day)
I'll never forget how in the late eighties/early-nineties my SO got called out by the local police constantly, for like... nothing. 
One time, I got pulled over for an improper lane change, but HE had to come out of the car w/his hands on his head! (He had said and/or done nothing to warrant this btw)...
He grew up in a very poor home w/a tar-paper shack, and an outhouse until he was 17...hauling wood w/ponies, and also working his ass off at a local Sawmill from the time he was about 15 yrs old-on. Meanwhile, I got the old, "what is a nice girl like you"...?-thing)
In addition to that, my landlord treated him entirely different once he got a buzz-cut in the early 90's just before our move. (It was hot that summer). This is another reason why I truly believe that much of the BS had something to do w/the hair... People profile others, and it isn't pretty.
There is not a lot of racial diversity here where I live, so I guess cops go by other things? Classicism seems to be rampant here. After all, authoritarian types always need a 'bad guy', and at the time 'long hair' on a guy worked for them.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)but those are not exclusive to men. Women have broader latitude on hair length and style but are still judged based on cultural expectations on length and styling just as men are on hair length and facial hair.
In our culture there is no expectation that all men shave or remove body hair elsewhere while there are long standing cultural expectations for women.
I remember when long hair on a man got him unwanted attention from others -- from mostly other men, oddly enough.
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)Cultural expectations for women regarding these issues are indeed unfair. Though I personally am not about to make waves over it, I have absolutely no problems w/others who do... or even just women who quietly go about bucking the trend. That too is fine imho. Whatever works for them is fine w/me!
-I was just piggy-backing off of your post, even though I clearly got a bit off topic. Sorry about that! 
Beacool
(30,513 posts)Too much hair is not sexy. Guys should also groom their privates a bit.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)There are many others who like or even prefer hirsute guys. That's not what I'm talking about.
Little boys aren't raised to believe that they have to shave their visible body hair just to be considered presentable in public. No one tsks over men with hairy arm pits or legs exposing same in public. Girls and women are.
Beacool
(30,513 posts)Guys that look like gorillas are not sexy. Women groom themselves, men need to do it too. I hate a hairy back and shoulders, take thee to a salon and get it waxed.
noamnety
(20,234 posts)Don't take beacool's response as representative of all women, please!
I'd much rather be with a guy who is comfortable with their normal body hair than someone who is so high maintenance and concerned with his own self-image that he spends time and money to go to a salon to get waxed.
uppityperson
(116,012 posts)Beacool
(30,513 posts)You like hairy men? That's your choice. I don't.
noamnety
(20,234 posts)Not that it was a personal preference of yours, but that "men need to do it too."
Really? They "NEED" to?
handmade34
(23,996 posts)"I'd much rather be with a guy who is comfortable with their normal body hair" and I respect both men and women who love and respect themselves and who do not try to fit some standard of a shallow society
Freddie
(10,095 posts)As a boomer female, we never expected our men to shave/wax anything below the neck. Of course WE had to shave pits and legs! FYI to you young'uns out there, menopause solves the problem the natural way, I have no hair on my legs and very little pit hair (which I shave when needed).
Chan790
(20,176 posts)...but I'm biased. My own body hair disgusts me. Other people's body hair disgusts me no-more-or-less than my own.
Other than that which I don't get rid of because would look too silly (elbows to wrists, knees to ankles, neck up) I don't have any. I used to shave it, then I decided that permanent eradication was preferable. I get touch-ups yearly. The hair on my head is 1/4" long, I crop it up daily when I get out of the shower with a hand-mirror and trimmers. I even maintain the length of my eyebrows.
I find nothing at all attractive about mens hairy legs. Do you?
JI7
(93,506 posts)
Starry Messenger
(32,380 posts)Thanks in advance.
burnodo
(2,017 posts)AllINeedIsCoffee
(772 posts)Walking on eggshells is ridiculous. If one finds something aesthetically displeasing, they have as much of a right to express that as she does to not shave.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Not politically incorrect at all. Superficial, maybe, but hardly rising to the dramatic level of political incorrect.
Warpy
(114,552 posts)Mind your own business.
opiate69
(10,129 posts)The minute this self-important dipshit got on her soapbox and published her unsolicited manifesto on her personal grooming habits, on one of the most-read sites online no less, it kind of became the business of anyone with an internet connection and a desire to spend a few minutes reading about someone they'll never meet. It's kinda how the whole "publishing" thing works.
Warpy
(114,552 posts)opiate69
(10,129 posts)You familiarize yourself with the etymology of the word "publish"?
bamacrat
(3,867 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)
backscatter712
(26,357 posts)Sorry, Nye Bevan, if that's not a politically correct response.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)
Javaman
(65,613 posts)
hunter
(40,635 posts)I'm a guy, sure, but hey, people are mammals. Most of us have hair.
I don't "get" shaving by men or women, I find the sensation of shaving very unpleasant (scrrch, sccrrrch, screch 
) and usually end up with rash.
She looks great!
Warpy
(114,552 posts)and stopped bothering to shave, use depilatories, or roast my arms and legs in the sun to bleach the fur out so it wouldn't be so noticeable.
A lot of cultures don't bother to shave. We are stuck with it because we're stuck with fashion mags that use barely pubescent girls made up to look 40 for their photo shoots and that's the ridiculous standard of beauty, grown even more ridiculous with the crotch waxing or shaving. Other cultures find dripping hot wax all over yourself so the hair can be pulled out by the roots is weird and I have to agree with them.
I wish the industry would change gears but I doubt they ever will.
Poll_Blind
(23,864 posts)PB
Skittles
(171,229 posts)yes INDEED
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Skittles
(171,229 posts)my legs can be so hairy but on one can really see
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)"And I shaved my legs for this?" Any woman who has ever gone out on a date, gotten all dolled up and ended up with Mr. Loser for the evening, wondering why the hell she didn't stay home with a good book can relate to that song.
Btw, the joke around my house is that I shave every June whether I need to or not.
Skittles
(171,229 posts) 
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)and the feeling.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)
alittlelark
(19,130 posts) 
Tree-Hugger
(3,379 posts)I'm blonde. On my head. My legs, pits and the kitten are black as night. Dammit.
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)and blonde on my body.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)yes INDEED
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)On the rare occasions I bother with makeup, I'm more likely to "paint" the tips of my eyelashes with liquid eyeliner than glop on mascara.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)hey - I might try that tip - I don't really care for makeup but if I wear nothing on my eyes people tell me I look tired 
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)a felt-tip pen than a brush. And you should tell people you are tired from all the ass-kicking you do, but you're always willing to fit in one more.
on edit: dark brown is dark enough. Black eyeliner is too effing stark.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)true story
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)I never get it right.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)Skittles
(171,229 posts)I think I looked a bit steamed, wondering how a guy dressing up as a gal had the nerve to be such a pro at makeup (as opposed to someone like me, who has always been a gal and always sucked at it).........so of course I had to confess - I could not have her think I was judging HER
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)but I have very light and scant body hair.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)you know I had to try that!
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)
I have very little body hair and what I have is nearly invisible.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)Sorry, but that is what I think about that. Yuck.
RiffRandell
(5,909 posts)Eeek.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)But the legs are a huge turnoff.
They're her legs and she can do what she wants with them... except attract men.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)That's too bad.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Few men are completely indiscriminate.
I am confident that the heterosexual men who are turned on by the legs they see in the locker room are a distinct minority.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)if such men are more interested in meaningful things, like her intellect and personality, rather than her leg hair (which begs the question of whether her purpose is to attract men in the first place, but that's a whole 'nother matter).
And what does the locker room have to do with a woman's legs? Why would she be in a men's locker room? Or do you really think that she looks like a man?
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Were the leg photo posted by itself without the context of the rest of the article, I would have assumed it was a young man in a skirt.
If my wife had shown me legs like these on our first meeting, there probably wouldn't have been a second. That said, if I saw them on the third date, it would no longer have been a deal killer.
Knowing nothing other than a) the photos and b) the fact that she considered it important that DU and the rest of the internet melt down over it... first impressions are not favorable.
The core thing about this argument is the idea that she should be entitled to the guy of her choosing without the need to do anything to attract him, and that he is shallow if he instead chooses a partner who doesn't mind basic grooming.
She is, of course, perfectly entitled to actively alienate men, but the result is hardly their fault.
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)There are actually men who prefer body hair.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)So you are undoubtedly correct. There's a fetish for everyone... but I think it's a narrow market.
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)cyberswede
(26,117 posts)which is hardly a fetish.
Some might even say that the aversion to body hair is actually the fetish. 
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Sleeping with her hairy legs must feel like being with a man. There are just certain grooming standards where social pressure is a good thing.
Her poor boyfriend 
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)Response to Mnemosyne (Reply #65)
Post removed
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)Ter
(4,281 posts)n/t
Response to Ter (Reply #164)
seaglass This message was self-deleted by its author.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)" If I had to bet, I'd bet she smells too..."
What specifically leads you to believe that?
bamacrat
(3,867 posts)Response to LanternWaste (Reply #169)
Post removed
Kali
(56,809 posts)
bloom
(11,638 posts)It's more like if society expected you to paint your face blue every day and you decided you would rather look like your normal self. That decision would have nothing to do with not showering. It's actually more of matter of self-respect - respecting one's self enough not to just do what the group is doing / expecting (whether that expectation actually makes sense or not).
hunter
(40,635 posts)The predators get one whiff of human and say "No way, I ain't eating that, let's go find an antelope!!!"
Having lived in the field as a biology and paleontology student I soon learned that not showering daily wasn't much of an issue.
Human skin and hair becomes a whole 'nother stable ecology and it's not intolerable.
No matter how long you don't bathe, weeks even, you never end up smelling worse than those you are sleeping with.
uppityperson
(116,012 posts)good grief
City Lights
(25,716 posts)Do you have hairy pits and legs, and if so, do you smell?
Ter
(4,281 posts)Makeup is not for males either, unless you are in an 80's hair band. Some things are for specific sexes. Deal with it, we're different.
handmade34
(23,996 posts)yes, as dictated by a shallow society...
HangOnKids
(4,291 posts)BTW I bet she gets laid more than you.
Response to HangOnKids (Reply #179)
Post removed
backscatter712
(26,357 posts)LittleBlue has some growing up to do.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Homophobia because I think hairy legs and pits are masculine traits!? 
Sounds legit
backscatter712
(26,357 posts)What, are you afraid they're contagious?
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Just hairy legs and pits on women, that's a bit too masculine. Beards too. Which puts me in the same group as 90% of other men.
We must all be homophobic.
mysuzuki2
(3,580 posts)
donco
(1,548 posts)someone braid that pit hair.
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)If she was a right winger..THAT would matter.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Barbies, boobies, makeup and nails really send the wrong message.
Sorry to see that it offends some folks, it really shows how powerful conditioning is.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)uppityperson
(116,012 posts)
get the red out
(14,026 posts)Conditioning! It's really made our society terribly artificial.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)smooth skin. It doesn't matter if I'm not going outside of the house for a month - I shave to please myself.
Tree-Hugger
(3,379 posts)I go longer between shaving my legs in the winter, but I cannot stand hair in the pits. It just feels gross to me. I don't care what anyone else does, though. It should be a personal choice, not something to please others.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)I do kind of resent the attitude that women who shave are only doing it to please someone else.
Tree-Hugger
(3,379 posts)I have had that conversation with many of my friends. They don't feel like shaving, but they do it because he thinks it's yucky.
joeglow3
(6,228 posts)Do I really need a sarcasm tag? With attitudes like this, is it any surprise we have such a high divorce rate? I shave my face, chest, back and crotch for my wife. It most certainly is NOT a hard or time consuming task.
God forbid people do something their significant other likes. We would all be much better off if people said "fuck off" to their significant others more often.
Tree-Hugger
(3,379 posts)That's a stretch. Not shaving automatically means a woman can't do something nice for her significant other and that she's telling him to "Fuck off?" Really?
Relationship tip - there are other things people can do for their SOs other than shaving. It's a big world out there.
Scout
(8,625 posts)so much for loving you just as you are!
joeglow3
(6,228 posts)If the biggest thing your SO wants is for you to shave, consider yourself damn lucky. If course, the cop out is we should all demand our SO not desire ANYTHING we don't want.
Scout
(8,625 posts)that's why i was surprised that since you seem to be otherwise her perfect mate she couldn't overlook at least SOME of your body hair. Wow.
you go right ahead and DEMAND that our SOs not desire ANYTHING we don't want, cuz i'm not doing that, 'k?
my first husband had a hairy back, which i didn't like that much, but i certainly didn't demand, or even request, that he shave his back to please me.
joeglow3
(6,228 posts)I don't live in Lala land and think I am perfect. I am always more than happy to accommodate my wife.
Scout
(8,625 posts)feeling your armpits?
I like the way my legs feel against the sheets when they are shaved. I don't need to caress my armpits, my arms can feel my armpits if they are hairy. Why do you care? Isn't shaving is much a choice as not shaving?
Scout
(8,625 posts)i find it funny to think about shaving because you like the way your legs feel, thus my question of caressing your own legs.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)that indicated there was some snark going on.
If you've never experienced the feel of freshly shaved legs against cool, freshly laundered sheets, you are missing a tactile treat.
tallahasseedem
(6,716 posts)I absolutely hate the time in between waxes! I like my skin smooth as well.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)I mean all of it, from the neck down.
She was outdoors for most of about 30 days. Camping in hot jungle and beach conditions.
She was thankful she took the advice to do it.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)more comfortable in the jungle.
or why leaving her head hair would keep her cool, since the head is the source of the most body heat.
Ter
(4,281 posts)And so were you. 
Solly Mack
(96,831 posts)
Hydra
(14,459 posts)
We're really into peer pressure as a species. I say: her body, her choice.
adirondacker
(2,921 posts)sad-cafe
(1,277 posts)permanent hair removal system
Chan790
(20,176 posts)You'd need a yearly touch up but that's minor. It's excruciating though. You'd have to do it over the span of a few months.
UV is less permanent and you'd need to get touched up every few months but is comparatively painless.
struggle4progress
(126,011 posts)I know social pressure is real
joeglow3
(6,228 posts)I do it because my wife likes it. Certainly not the huge time killer or pain that some people like to make it out to be. Do I have to do it? Of course not. But if she likes it, why would I not want to so it for her?
Fearless
(18,458 posts)Its just hair. Not all that important either way.
LeftofObama
(4,243 posts)Hairless from the neck down.
ismnotwasm
(42,674 posts)400 Years of Women Removing Their Body Hair
In other words, are those pictures just "representations" of the female form of the time, or is that what women really looked like? Like most of us, Burke, too assumed the recent trend of extreme hair removal was just that — recent. She cites a study of UK women from 2005 that found some 90% of lasses mowed off the hair from underarms and legs, while 80% tamed their brows and bushes, figures which mimic those of the U.S. and Australia. Femininity, as any woman can tell you, involves doing a shit-fuck-ton of alterations to the natural to arrive at this softer, less hairy, and therefore more alluring, self, a paradox feminists have typically argued is a distinctly modern problem. Or is it?
If you look more closely at the premodern period, however, these assumptions are hard to sustain. It is a commonplace in today's psychological literature that body image and the desire for body modification of all kinds is profoundly affected by an unconscious assimilation of images taken from a variety of media sources. It is impossible to conduct psychological experiments, of course, on long-dead subjects, but my question is – can the proliferation of images of the female nude from the early sixteenth century onwards have affected women's notions of their own bodies?
This part---good God.
Boil together a solution of one pint of arsenic and eighth of a pint of quicklime. Go to a baths or a hot room and smear medicine over the area to be depilated. When the skin feels hot, wash quickly with hot water so the flesh doesn't come off.
More;
http://jezebel.com/5969490/400-years-of-women-removing-their-body-hair
Ms. Toad
(38,533 posts)especially on a sunburn!
(And no, I wouldn't possibly know that from personal experience)
ismnotwasm
(42,674 posts)Who used Nair to remove hair from his chest. He accidentally got a bit on his nipple. It sounded very, very painful.
(he said "but it so smooth afterwords"--in sarcastic disgust)
Ms. Toad
(38,533 posts)is a very bad combination.
Apophis
(1,407 posts)
Quixote1818
(31,154 posts)I think it's just as attractive as women who are shaved. And when it comes to private parts I prefer them un-shaved. Sorry if that is too much info.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)I personally prefer smooth skin in some areas, but that's just my preference.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)...no more hair to shave. Of course, it messed with my eyebrows, too, but small price to pay.
petronius
(26,695 posts)without being shamed or pressured...
Canuckistanian
(42,290 posts)I don't judge a woman by her follicles.
I judge her by her cuddliness in bed.
No Vested Interest
(5,295 posts)get older.
I didn't notice exactly when it happened, menopause or later, but for some time now I haven't had any hair on my legs and just a little underarms, which I take off a few times a year.
Yes, I qualify for senior discounts.
On the other hand, a woman tends to get some hairs on her upper lip and chin as she ages.
So, I'm not sure it's a good trade-off.
spooky3
(38,548 posts)Wish the hair on my head weren't also thinning!
OTOH, some hair loss is due to meds. or disease rather than aging so concerned women should check it out.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)I don't have to shave my legs and pits nearly as often and the hair on my arms is nearly gone.
Response to Liberal_in_LA (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
undergroundpanther
(11,925 posts)my pits and legs,3 times.I thought it was stupid,waste of time,like mowing grass, So I stopped at 14.I dunno how much had to with me being a Transman,but shaving creates an effect like a grown woman has skin like a child.When you think of it that way it's just horrible,Shaving, in effect,like being very thin,worrying about facial wrinkles,etc.keeping women looking like little girls.Grown adults grow hair.Little kids don't,so why is shaving such an issue and to whom?
love_katz
(3,244 posts)Contrary to what some here seem to think, it does take courage to buck social norms.
Come on, women are under a lot more pressure than men to conform to society's standards of appearance.
If that wasn't true, women collectively could quit spending billions of our less-than-men-earn income, and we could put it into donating to the election of candidates who would make women's rights a priority.
I know from personal experience that if I don't shave off the hair from my arm pits and legs, and then go out in public in clothing which reveals that fact, I get horrified looks from complete strangers. They look at me as if I haven't bathed in the last month.
I have trouble feeling o.k. about being hairy in places that are not socially approved of, mainly due to the constant bombardment of what is acceptable in terms of standards of appearance for a woman, and the ridicule I have experienced because I don't look like the women in the magazines, on t.v., in movies, etc.
Expecting adult women to look like we have not gone through puberty is sick and incredibly sexist.
Most people don't realize that our current standard of removing all hair from women's bodies began as part of the Inquisition. The 'judges' were afraid that the accused woman could hide a spell in her body hair, which would overcome the will of the 'judge'.
Removing one's body hair is about fashion, not about cleanliness (except possibly, as one poster above pointed out, if one has to journey to the tropics.).
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)Assuming that's where she lives.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)
SwissTony
(2,560 posts)Lots of hairy armpits there of both sexes.
I'm male and never had any problems with pit or pubic hair. Why would it be different for women.
Jamastiene
(38,206 posts)they might encounter ticks and other parasitic creatures that would be harder to find in hair. That's just a guess.
Women do also have internal plumbing. If it stays too incredibly moist there, it can lead to yeast and urinary tract infections. Neither of those are something you want to put up with if you are busy doing stuff in a jungle. A yeast infection is annoying as hell. A urinary tract infection makes you feel like you are dying and zaps all of your strength. Those are just guesses and general answers to your question though. I would think the woman mentioned in the other post should be the one to ask to find out her reasons.
SwissTony
(2,560 posts)Yes, in certain environments, ticks and other parasites are more likely than in other environments. But you're more likely to get them on your head and upper body than on your pubes. I had to check my dog on a frequent basis for ticks in Darwin and the only ones I found were on head and neck.
I agree that women's plumbing is rather more intricate than that of us guys. But a relative humidity of essentially 100% is the same whether you're in a jungle or not. I don't see that shaving your pubes is going to help. Of course, it could be that the jungle adventure involved wading across rivers, although even then I don't see how a lack or presence of pubes would help. I can't cite any Darwin data on this as you only get to wade in a river once (we have big fellas swimming up and down).
mopinko
(73,618 posts)in over 30 years.
no, i don't give them many chances any more. that's the kind of bullying i can get on any street corner in chicago. don't need them.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)You will find a lot of comrades here!
quakerboy
(14,832 posts)I live in Portland. Not seeing the society bucking here. Perhaps its different other places, but I seem to recall seeing hipsters having spread everywhere I've been recently
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)All the hip who are usually hidden in the woods somewhere suddenly appear all together, and women who shave are probably in the minority.
http://www.jqjacobs.net/photos/fair/
Jamastiene
(38,206 posts)Try to visit Oregon Country Fair one day. That looks like a very interesting group of people. It looks like it would be a lot of fun to get to know them . Where I live, anyone who dressed or looked like that would be immediately ostracized, sadly. I was born in hell but belong in heaven. That's the way I look at where I live as compared to places with interesting open minded people.
I love that stick that guy has. It is beautiful and would make for a great looking decoration in the house.
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)Other than those DIRECTLY involved who on earth would care? Whatever you or you and your partner prefer is fine by me.
What a sad statement that some people would still judge you based on such an insignificant criteria. Its your body-screw anyone who gives you shit.
Northerner
(24 posts)who have a forest of fuzz on their faces...for some reason that kind of gives me the willies.
I am a guy who has very little body hair, what I do have looks odd so I shave everything. This girl however looks fine to me, Having spent time in Europe I see that many women there do not shave. It didn't bother me one way or the other.
joshcryer
(62,536 posts)Is she waxing it off or is it just not very noticeable?
MADem
(135,425 posts)were either very wealthy, or prostitutes.
In the middle east and some parts of southwest asia, it's common for men as well as women to remove the hair from armpits and privates. Sometimes, a rather painful practice known as "threading" is used to accomplish this. Some people also take down the arm/leg hair a notch using this method as well. It's basically using two pieces of thread to trap the hairs and rip them from one's body...OWCH!
obama2terms
(563 posts)And I don't even have the "My hair is darker than hers" excuse. I would feel weird going two days without shaving, because I've been doing it for so long, plus it's sooo hot here.
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)
- Do what makes [font size=3 color=red]YOU[/font] happy! And your boyfriend?, he sounds like a keeper......
K&R
Frytruk33
(19 posts)You did post this thread solely for my personal opinion right ? Seriously though if you're more comfortable au natural then that's what matters. Your boyfriend is a lucky man.
cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)Shaving of one thing or another (including men's faces) is a fashion.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)It helps to wick away heat from sweat. It prevents chafing.
quakerboy
(14,832 posts)Hair does have a purpose, but I suspect that those are not it, evolutionarily. I believe its functions are more for heat retention and maybe protection from the sun.
From personal experience, I have worse chafing with hair in certain areas than without. And again by personal experience, it traps heat and sweat quite effectively when allowed to flourish. And I assure you in my natural state, my coat is quite plentiful enough to provide copious personal experience in the arena.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Hairs (or pili; pilus in the singular) are characteristic of mammals. The functions of hair include protection, regulation of body temperature, and facilitation of evaporation of perspiration; hairs also act as sense organs.
Democracyinkind
(4,015 posts)Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Unfavorable characteristics die out as the species procreates. It was unfavorable to have full body hair for our species so the characteristic was reduced to the point where it was no longer unfavorable.
In other words, the amount of body hair we have right now is a favorable characteristic.
Scout
(8,625 posts)where most of us have the most hair as opposed to legs and arms, if for LUBRICATION between moving parts. (also a little bit of X marks the spot for the crotch hair.)
i can't stand that feeling after i shave my pits, where my arm "sticks" as i move it around ... then of course the red rash and the bumps and potential ingrown hairs make it entirely NOT worth it to shave my pits.
quakerboy
(14,832 posts)I was taught in biology that hair was for temperature regulation and protection. Both of these functions seem to be fairly well duplicated, sometimes improved, by clothing. And that it occasionally takes on other functions, such as adding a sense, coloration for attracting a mate or camouflage, etc, but that the first two were its main function. And despite the link the other poster provided, everything I can find in my old a&p book, as well as in most places online, continue to indicate that those are its main functions.
I'm not big on shaving. Or nair. I tend to end up with way to many ingrown hairs for those to be pleasant options. But a good shearing is usually beneficial to my existence. Mainly to lower my naturally excellent heat retention abilities, but also to avoid trapping as much sweat. But implying that retaining hair is biologically important at this point in our culture seems misleading. In my mind it ranks up there with being afraid of tomatoes because they are from the nightshade family.
Scout
(8,625 posts)but since we only have those "little" patches at crotch and pits, they have remained for lubrication since we don't need the hair that much for temperature regulation. who really knows though?
quakerboy
(14,832 posts)lol.
Javaman
(65,613 posts)and mine takes the form of universalis.
That means I don't have a single hair on my entire body.
I have never had a problem with "chafing" or "wicking away sweat".
I have no eyebrows, but I have never had an issue with the sun.
I have no eyelashes and never had an issue with getting things in my eyes more so than anyone else.
I have been this way since age 5, so I know a bit of what I'm talking about.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)
MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)a. People who scream EW YUCK
But moreover
b. People who say more women (or men, or kids, or old people, or whatever) should do this.
No. People should be free to do whatever the fuck they want with their bodies. Me personally? I wouldn't get rid of my razor and shaving routine for anything - and I ain't doing for a lady (I like girls, ok?) other than the lady I see in the mirror every morning. And I ain't doing it because of peer pressure either. I like silky smooth skin. I'd shave even if I was single and living on a deserted arctic island.
The hairy girl in this thread though? If that's how she rolls, I'm cool with it. It might be a deal breaker for a relationship, but as a friend or colleague or stranger I don't give a fuck.
cliffordu
(30,994 posts)But them fucking toenails are really fucking terrifying.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)I hadn't noticed, but your right, yuck!
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)
bobclark86
(1,415 posts)1) Is this me? No.
Therefor, my opinion doesn't matter.
Since she put herself out there, though... not my particular taste, but I honestly don't give two shits from a flying monkey. Don't know her, I'm not dating her, I'll probably never see her again besides those pictures.
Therefor, my opinion doesn't matter. Like, at all.
Emelina
(188 posts)Just a reminder that prior to ww2 in the USA that is what a woman looked like. As for southern Europe it was considered a sign of being a prostitute to shave until the 1970s.
allin99
(894 posts)
kiva
(4,373 posts)There is a rumor going around that women have only been removing hair from their legs for the last hundred years or so. Well that is true for American and European women. The fact that removal of body hair for Europeans wasn’t popular gives sense to the fact that American women didn’t shave, because most of the immigrants were European. However in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Middle Eastern countries, removing body hair was important. In fact these women removed most of their body hair, except for t the eyebrows. Egyptian women removed their head hair. Having hair down under was considered uncivilized. Now any men reading this should know the women were not the only ones to remove their pubic hair…
It was also considered uncivilized for men to have hair on their face. Having a scruffy face meant you were a slave or servant, definitely of lower class. Is that why corporate guys and politicians always have clean shaven faces? Do we associate a clean shaven face with someone powerful?
http://www.historyundressed.com/2008/03/ladies-have-you-ever-forgotten-to-shave.html
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)PopeOxycontinI
(176 posts)A woman that doesn't shave her legs or pits is a deal breaker for dating(not for a friend, though).
However, excessive makeup-ick.
Shaved bush-creepy, pedophily. I don't understand shaving pubes(beyond a little trimming).
RandiFan1290
(6,709 posts)I guess that makes you pedophily
PopeOxycontinI
(176 posts) sir pball
(5,336 posts)Lack of facial hair is a sign of male prepubescence. Women who prefer clean-shaven men are secret pedophiles. QED
I'll respect just about any argument for the hirsute ladies (even though I think it's gross...I don't mind, ah, well-trimmed topiary, but the wild jungle is just nasty IMO) but the whole "prepubescent" thing drives me nuts. Not like adult women don't have other, way more obvious, secondary sexual characteristics like BREASTS AND HIPS. Now, a guy who likes flat-chested, straight-hipped, "boy-assed", hairless women might make me wonder...but frankly a shaved pubis by itself is no more pedo than a shaved face.
opiate69
(10,129 posts)
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Pubic lice, crab-shaped insects which suck on the blood of hosts that most often make their home in pubic hair, have been with humans for thousands of years. But an increased focus on hair removal has curbed cases of lice dramatically. In Australia, Sydney's largest sexual health clinic has not seen a case of pubic lice among women since 2008, according to Bloomberg.
"It used to be extremely common; it's now rarely seen," Basil Donovan, head of sexual health at the University of New South Wales and a physician at the Sydney Sexual Health Centre, told Bloomberg. "Without doubt, it's better grooming."
"Pubic grooming has led to a severe depletion of the crab louse populations," added Ian F. Burgess, a medical entomologist with Insect Research & Development in England. "Add to that other aspects of body hair depilation, and you can see an environmental disaster in the making for this species."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57563803/brazilian-bikini-wax-making-crab-lice-endangered/
leeroysphitz
(10,462 posts)Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)Screw society and their stupid, and mostly unrealistic, expectations of women.
UserNSAv32
(54 posts)Surprised at the number of negative comments but then again I am not.
More people need to mind their own business in this country and stop worrying about what other adults do, eat, drink, smoke, wear, love, cut off, fold, spindle and mutilate their body if they so choose.
If one is not harming or threating to harm other people or animals there is absolutely no f-ing reason to worry about what another person is or is not doing.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)He worked loading frozen goods onto tractor-trailers and the travel in and out of the freezer killed all his hair follicles on his legs. To each his own no matter how they get there (safe and legal, of course)
If all the busy bodies didn't have a some weird hang ups about how everybody else looked the world could be a much saner place
Ilsa
(64,269 posts)hair I wish I could be permanently rid of is pubic hair, and that is mostly for hygiene reasons. Hair tends to absorb odors easily, etc I wish the was a cheap, painless way to get rid of it.
You look absolutely lovely, BTW.
vankuria
(965 posts)I happened to like shaving, I love when my legs feel silky smooth...my husband likes it too. We're all different and she's seems confident in her choices, I just wonder why she has to make such a big deal about it on this website?
LisaLynne
(14,554 posts)Plus, this is political in many ways. It's challenging beauty standards which are much harsher for women than for men and I think acknowledging that and exploring that is always a good thing. When I was in college, a classmate of mine did a remarkable video for a project about women's body hair. She had a bunch of women calculate the amount of time they spend getting rid of it. Just that alone gave me pause. We women give up too much of our time due to societal mores as it is.
So, it's just about making people stop and think once in a while about stuff we do all the time. That's always a good thing, imho.
vankuria
(965 posts)Thank-you for your insight. I agree beauty standards are much harsher for woman than for men although I never thought shaving my legs and underarms was cumbersome or time consuming. For me, I love the differences between men and women, I don't want to look or feel like a man, I love being a woman. I guess it's just a matter of what is right for the individual.
datasuspect
(26,591 posts)lurves me some furry womenfolk.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)The unchallenged life is pretty boring.
Blue_Tires
(57,596 posts)"specialty" websites catering to a unique clientele where a young lady with a webcam might augment her income? 
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)
Dash87
(3,220 posts)Slow day in GD.
Blue_Tires
(57,596 posts)
Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)No, I do not find it attractive. But that's my deal, I'm sure she could give a shit. I shave my body hair and I'm a male. It makes my tats look better and I like smooth skin.
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)I just ate breakfest, Wtf
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)what ever floats your boat is good with me.
blueamy66
(6,795 posts)Without reading any other responses....YUCK!!!!! It takes 5 minutes...about the amount of time it will take me to bleach my eyeballs after seeing those pictures
mstinamotorcity2
(1,451 posts)In my community of women there are some who shave and some who don't. For black women, it really matters on skin type if you shave or not. Since we have extremely curly hair or coarse as some people call it, shaving may or may not be suitable. Our hair has a tendency to revert under the skin when growing back. We also suffer from more skin irritations from constant hair removal techniques. I believe in being well groomed but I also believe in health. I think no one should do anything just for cosmetic reasons. It should be because of personal choice and health. There is no reason to shave other than for appearance and personal choice. And if that floats your boat than its okay. You chose not to shave its okay. I cannot shave. My skin condition won't allow it. Underarms are not hairy. Had surgery where portions of my armpits were removed because of cysts and hair no longer grows. The surgery also made the need for deodorant obsolete. The need for my legs is not necessary. Though I am black most of the hair on my body is from light brown to blonde. Which make it barely noticeable. You go Girl!!!!!!
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)If that's what she wants to do - who cares.
I do find her references to "suffering" and "torture" way over the top. Tell it to Malala, dearie.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)Last edited Thu Jul 18, 2013, 10:09 AM - Edit history (1)
Variety is the spice of life.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)to be with someone who either does or doesn't shave.
For me, the choice became easy once I saw a program on the biological/functional purpose that hair in underarms and pubic areas serves. The hair is supposed to hold odor for recognition by friends and potential mates.
Once I heard that, the decision was easy.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)we do things because we are expected to do them else face consequences such as people calling you gross or saying eww or just staring at you.
these choices are not equally freely made
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)I think it should be everyone's choice and should be free of the kinds of pressures you note.
SwissTony
(2,560 posts)We just have skinny models being PHOTOSHOPPED so that they are even skinnier and various "imperfections" are also photoshopped away.
I applaud this young woman. She makes her own choices.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)SwissTony
(2,560 posts)I did not express myself very well. I actually agree with you 100%.
There is enormous social pressure on (young) women these days.
My apologies for my clumsy statement.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)there is enormous pressure to take hair off and in my experience women contribute disproportionately to this pressure. i feel like its a rationalizing process, "if i had to take it all off, why should't you"
cbdo2007
(9,213 posts)Hell Hath No Fury
(16,327 posts)illustrate exactly why it's important for the author and MORE women to "come out" and share their expression of "woman". "Ewww, gross!" What are you guys, 12?
Tree-Hugger
(3,379 posts)We're all attracted to certain things and that's fine. Shaming people because they don't shave and you think it's yucky is lame.
I also thinks it's funny that we're all about women choosing what to do with their bodies when it comes to reproduction, but when it comes to shaving we're all the cause of the high divorce rate because we choose not to shave and it's not nice for our partners.
handmade34
(23,996 posts)for your post (and tree-hugging )
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)these days very few people stare when lisa and i walk in public or hold hands or whatever BUT if i dont shave my underars for even a few days, i totally see people STARING/GLARING at my pits. SO WEIRD
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)noamnety
(20,234 posts)Last edited Thu Jul 18, 2013, 12:43 AM - Edit history (1)
to look attractive for people they aren't even interested in?
Other than that, I can't think of anything pants would help her with.
galileoreloaded
(2,571 posts)Response to Liberal_in_LA (Original post)
Post removed
noamnety
(20,234 posts)At times when I shave, I'm certainly not thinking "I ought to do this in case creepers are imagining how my genitals look."
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)with men much hairier than that.
SO FUCKING WEIRD.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)when they are so enthusiastic about boobs on females.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)which is kinda different than body hair. it maybe anti-fat bias, but its not a gender based appearance bias.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)
shanti
(21,797 posts)I don't shave anything either, but i have sparse, light hair, so you wouldn't even notice. I have to commend the woman for taking flack for it, but if I had dark, thick body hair like that, I probably would shave.
And I do think its political, similar to not wearing a bra. Be yourself!
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If nothing else, this thread has illustrated to me that many more people who pretend individual expression is important have been conquered by irrelevant social constructs than I had expected.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Orrex
(66,995 posts)She apparently lives indoors, too, and she probably bathes. Shocking!
Honestly, I don't care how a person expresses a preference in this regard. Her particular expression doesn't match up with my preference, but I imagine that she wouldn't give a shit, nor should she, because who the hell am I?
If someone opts to shave or not shave, I say good for them. If it's an aesthetic (rather than medical or hygienic) choice, then one option is no more enlightened than another.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)Sissyk
(12,665 posts)What an hilarious, crazy, weird, and sick thread all in one!! lol!
opiate69
(10,129 posts)
Lex
(34,108 posts)
War Horse
(931 posts)So as a counter response she sort of takes it to the other extreme. As reasonable enough statement on her part, it would seem.
naturallyselected
(84 posts)Maybe it's because I came of age in the sixties, but I don't understand the revulsion that many seem to feel. I have been married nearly 40 years, and I don't think my wife has worn make-up more than three times in those 40 years. She leaves her armpits au naturel most of the year, but feels the pressure to shave them in the summer, for sleeveless shirts, and bathing suits. Yes, it does take bravery for a woman to buck this norm, but it shouldn't.
Any heterosexual man who hasn't experienced the sensual thrill of nuzzling a clean, unshaven female armpit, has missed out. This is the source of pheromones - the scent of your mate, much of which doesn't even register consciously, is a huge part of the sexual bond. I'll often smell my wife's back and neck in the night - I don't really notice a smell, but the comfort and happiness it brings as I drift off to sleep is undeniable. When did humans become so afraid of nature's subtle signals?
But if you want to shave, anything, everything, go ahead. It's up to you and your spouse, and no one else should bat an eye however you choose to deal with body hair. Why the judgment? I don't get it.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)etc is very special to me. The impact of pheromones is incredibly important. The essential scent of a man calms me and makes me comfortable, just as your wife's pheromones do for you.
And I agree with you, why should anyone pass judgment on another for a decision like this? Its so very personal and really shouldn't be up for discussion-you should do exactly what makes you happy. Freedom to be who you want to be is what matters most What else is really important ?
Evasporque
(2,133 posts)too sour...
discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,757 posts)Shave how you want. If your chosen style looks better to you without hair, then shave. If time and pain dictate otherwise, choose a compatible style, one you're comfortable with. I personally think she's cute with out without the hair.
FWIW, high heals are not a turn on for me. If I were single, I'd suggest to anyone that I dated to dress and groom for themselves and not me. Dating should be the process of getting to know a person. Better to know that person rather than the person they think you might like them to be.
olddots
(10,237 posts)we shave our pet plomferts and they walk us on leashes .
athena
(4,187 posts)I admire and applaud this young woman.
If you think shaving is no big deal, consider those of us with curly hair. Whenever I shave, I get ingrown hairs. If I shave daily or even every other day, my legs get covered with dark-pink bumps within a week. I've tried electrolysis, but it's expensive and time-consuming. Worse yet, some electrologists are frauds, and it's often too hard to tell until it's too late: one woman, who was a certified electrologist, gave me large purple bruises. I stopped after several months' worth of treatments, but all the hair she removed grew back. I think she poked randomly. I try not to think about all the skin and tissue she burned.
I have finally resorted to shaving with the grain. This seems to prevent ingrown hairs, but the stubble is visible if you look closely. Worse yet, my legs are always scratchy. I would love to have the nerve to leave my body hair alone and walk around without having to worry about stares or comments.
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)I have naturally curly hair (everywhere) and I don't have a problem with bumps, or scratchy skin and I shave just about every day. As long as I use a good lotion after my shower, I'm good. Maybe you have a skin problem?
And, you are brave to even go to an electrologist in my book! lol.
athena
(4,187 posts)I don't have a skin problem. Perhaps your hair is softer than mine. Curly hair is known to be a risk factor for ingrown hairs. According to WebMD:
Anyway, my point was that people should not assume that hair removal is easy for everyone just because it's easy for them. It is definitely a major problem for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
ETA: I thought all curly haired people got ingrown hairs; thanks for pointing out that this is not the case.
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)Maybe it's because I shave every day. No time for them to get "grown". lol! My hubby has silky, fine, soft hair and gets ingrowns more than any person I know. Yes, everyone is different. There is no right or wrong for this, in my opinion.
I wish everyone had the courage and conviction to be able to do (or not do) anything they wanted with their own bodies. That's why I said that even though I don't like the way she looks, it's her decision to make. She looks happy with her decision and that's what counts, right?
athena
(4,187 posts)The hair can't break through the surface of the skin and bends backwards. Shaving every day can't solve this problem. Consider yourself extremely lucky that you don't get ingrown hairs.
I don't like the way hairy legs look, either, but that's only because we're so used to seeing hairless legs on women. If it were OK for women to walk around with hairy armpits and legs, our definition of what looks good might change. Beauty standards do evolve over time.
ETA: I found this forum, where other curly-haired women report having this problem. So it's definitely not just me.
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/general-discussion-about-curly-hair/127596-curly-leg-hair.html
I didn't think it was just you, or wasn't trying to tell you that you were doing it wrong! lol
I just caught the curly hair part and shared my experience.
Speaking of curly hair, for years and years I blow dried and straightened the hell out of my hair. About five years ago I said "Sissyk, the hell with this" and stopped. I now wear my hair loose and curly and really don't care if most of the world has straight hair.
It's much more healthy, lighter, and less split ends. I'm happy being the only one in a crowd with curly, too!
Take care, and good talking to you!
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)top of the lines razors, but get decent quality ones. I also use shave cream sometimes. Again, you don't have to use the pricey ladies versions. Barbasol works good, and Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion afterward.
athena
(4,187 posts)It's a little strange, after posting about my situation, to be told by people who don't have my hair and skin and can't possibly know my situation better than I do, that I'm just not shaving correctly. I have tried all kinds of razors, shaving creams, lotions, loofahs, and scrubs over the decades. I have scoured the internet repeatedly for tips on how to deal with this. Nothing works. I simply get ingrown hairs when I shave. Waxing gives me even more ingrown hairs. And I don't like the smell of depilatories.
It's nice to know that shaving is not as difficult for everyone else as it is for me. I'm a little surprised that some people want to think it's easy for everybody.
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)I was trying to be helpful.
It sounds to me as if you shouldn't bother shaving then. I hadn't really ever thought about the ease or difficulty of shaving for others, since I don't much care about other people's grooming habits.
noamnety
(20,234 posts)is that whether or not shaving causes you harm or pain, we need to have social pressure on you to do better, so you can appease random strangers on the internet who have creeped themselves out imagining what it would hypothetically be like to see you undressed.
That's what I learned from the thread so far.
athena
(4,187 posts)
nolabear
(43,850 posts)I don't think it's attractive but if it was all that was out there I expect I'd get used to it and not give it a second thought.
Shallowly, I keep thinking her feet are enormous.
Skittles
(171,229 posts)noamnety
(20,234 posts)The Comment Section for Every Article Ever Written About Intimate Grooming
1. It makes me feel cleaner.
2. Are you saying I’m dirtier than you are, because my vagina has naturally occurring hair? Hair that wicks bacteria and odors out of my vagina?
3. If you have hair in your vagina, you should see a doctor. The word is “vulva.”
4. Stop trying to make “vulva” happen. “Vulva” is never going to happen.
more: http://the-toast.net/2013/07/02/all-you-can-say-about-pubes-online/
progressoid
(53,089 posts)GlashFordan
(216 posts)But i like the hairless girls too... I likem all i guess lol
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)But since I was a kid I liked hair. I don't know about the legs though.
galileoreloaded
(2,571 posts)so, do what you want and get what you get.
different strokes! (but not of a razor)
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)I have no other body hair that is long or even noticeable. I am grateful for my genetics. I can see the woman not shaving because it takes time, but I don't see any other reason than it is her right to not shave.
bloom
(11,638 posts)I shave as little as I feel I can get away with - my daughter does not shave at all.
Yes - we are out there (which I suppose could have a double meaning).
leftstreet
(40,253 posts)well, 5281
backscatter712
(26,357 posts)Don't let the net.douchebags tell you how you should and shouldn't look.
Beacool
(30,513 posts)Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead with all that hair. I don't think that it looks aesthetically pleasing and the underarm arm hair makes you smell worse when you sweat.
To each his/her own.
tarheelsunc
(2,117 posts)Society leads us to feel that body hair is a manly quality, but if that were the case, then why does body hair naturally grow on typical women also? Hair distribution on the forearms, underams, lower legs, and pubic area really doesn't differ all that much between men and women (on average I'm sure it's thicker for men, but it's not nearly as huge a difference as it seems). It's more of a (possible) sign of physical maturity than a sign of masculinity. Everyone has their own preferences but I've always preferred women who are comfortable with how they look naturally, who don't feel they have to shave anything or wear makeup to be impressive.
Cal Carpenter
(4,959 posts)and to be a woman with that much hair who doesn't shave represents a shitload of self-confidence. Extra sexy!
Honestly, it is a choice in theory, but in reality there is a ton of social pressure on girls/women about this stuff, and so the 'choice' *not* to participate (eg not shaving, not wearing make-up etc) is an extra difficult one. It's not as simple as some make it out to be.
The saddest thing about this thread is the number of females who are 'grossed out' by this. It is likely projection, imo. They have spent time and money trying to deny that they are, in fact, human mammals, and they may even wish they had the courage to say 'fuck that shit' to the time and money spent on shaving, razors, creams, whatever. I expect that reaction from a lot of men, but not so many women.
Sad.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)in fact to me the pressure to shave is stronger than the pressure to be straight or even to be skinny.
Phentex
(16,699 posts)I find it odd that people would be grossed out by this.
MrSlayer
(22,143 posts)I personally don't like it but if that's what you want to do then by all means, go for it. Life's too short to be worried about what others think.
ejpoeta
(8,933 posts)Men don't do it. I say screw it. I shave my legs sometimes. I do shave my armpits because otherwise they itch. But I still don't get why women are supposed to do it. How did that start. Only thing I can think of is prepubescent girls have no hair on their legs or their pits. And women are always supposed to look like young women. But I don't know.
noamnety
(20,234 posts)They teamed with the US military to give their razors to men fighting the war to build customers (because that's the job of corporations - to exploit war for profit in whatever way they could). Then they came up with a strategy to expand their customer base to women.
By 1915 we started getting print ads informing us that underarm hair was now "objectionable" - I assume only on women, because they already had men as customers.
ejpoeta
(8,933 posts)for razors and refill cartridges.... they have sure done good for themselves
allin99
(894 posts)women went were hairy before that? (i mean, it makes sense, women were never bald in the chocha before quite recently).
Now probably 1/2 of women under 25 get brazilan waxes.
[edit: found a pretty good answer: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070228195109AAMoFX9]
noamnety
(20,234 posts)I think people are clueless that hair was the norm because photos don't show it - women wore long dresses and sleeves.
The idea that body hair is gross was something that had to be deliberately taught in order to create the market.
I don't see people going back on the idea that genitals should be shaved - I don't see it as a temporary fashion, not because it is inherently better, but because anything natural doesn't generate corporate profits.
Freddie
(10,095 posts)(So I've read) were the inspiration for women to start shaving armpits 90-100 years ago; these "beauties" were shaven and it caught on. Makes sense, prior to that women's armpits were rarely if ever seen in public.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Let's talk about those toenails now...
Boyfriend should get to cutting!
Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)‘Anti-pervert’ hairy stockings apparently popular in China
A picture of what appears to be leggings designed to make your legs look hairy to repel potential attackers has gone viral after being posted on China’s version of Twitter.
A hairy fashion accessory reportedly sold in China is said to be an unconventional tool to help ward off unwanted attention.
"Super sexy, summertime anti-pervert full-leg-of-hair stockings, essential for all young girls going out," HappyZhangJiang posted on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging site.
The picture of what appears to be a woman wearing said hairy stockings has since gone viral, but it is unclear where exactly one can purchase the leggings.
Shanghai-based blog ChinaSMACK offered a series of other Sina Weibo posts about the tights, and one user said that emulating Sasquatch could have its drawbacks.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/hairy-stocking-rage-girls-china-article-1.1375987#ixzz2ZPIN483y
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)noamnety
(20,234 posts)1. Women understand that if they look attractive, they will get unwanted attention or harassment. This isn't exactly a big secret - it's pretty much common knowledge.
2. Despite this, there are a lot of people voicing their opinion that women shouldn't go out in public unless they first spend time and money (and sometimes pain, in the case of waxing) to make themselves look sexually attractive. The reason they should do this, apparently, is so that creepy random strangers who are imagining seeing, smelling, or touching their genitals should have a more pleasant experience.
leeroysphitz
(10,462 posts)So sick of the tiresome snowden zimmerman pissing contests.
BTW this woman is an attractive person with or without the hair.
MineralMan
(151,107 posts)I'm a man who thinks everyone should decide such things individually. I don't shave my face, so I have a beard. I wouldn't dream of insisting that anyone do anything they didn't want to do.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)That being said, I think it's gross. I really don't like hair. I manscape many parts of my body because I personally don't like the hair. I would permanently remove all the hair on my body if I can afford it.
BainsBane
(57,740 posts)tastes differ. To each his or her own.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts) 
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)I have hairy hippie legs myself 
B Calm
(28,762 posts)
LWolf
(46,179 posts)how many "liberals" here are slaves to modern fashion mores.
This thread is a great read. I'm wondering if the split between "it's fine" and "eww" is age related; is it the younger people who don't like body hair?
I'm fine with either. Having spent a lifetime removing leg and pit hair to "fit" the norm, and hating it, it simply goes beyond my comprehension that there are males who remove hair when there is no social pressure to do so.
Freddie
(10,095 posts)I'm a boomer female, in my age group it seems only "all-natural hippie" types did not shave legs and pits. Men were under no pressure to remove any hair below the neck. Certainly never occurred to my DH, not that I want him to.
My 27 yo daughter has scrupulously removed ever hair south of her head since she was a young teen.
I'm at the tail end of the boomers. Legs and pits...yes, at least periodically. Less now than when I was young.
I can't imagine spending all the time to remove all that hair and keep it removed. Of course, I only get my hair cut once a year. I sometimes cut it myself at the 6 month mark.
I had sons. They are fully haired below the neck. The oldest wears a buzz and shaves. The youngest grows his hair long and wears a goatee. I've never asked them about their preference for haired or bare females, lol.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)models, actors in beach/pool scenes, reality "stars" walking around shirtless. The current "style" is hairless for males also.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)And I do understand the pressures to bow to current "style." I teach middle school, and they keep that anxiety and obsession in front of me.
Once I moved beyond high school, I also moved beyond caring about "style," and my personal grooming and wardrobe reflected what I liked, what I was comfortable with, and what I thought was appropriate for the setting and expectation of activity.
I did bow to expectations for "professional dress" at interviews, and, more moderately, at work. I need to make a living.
I understand social pressure. I just don't like to let it dictate to me when it comes to fashion.
Which leads me to wonder what my girls will be wearing when we start school in September, lol.
Javaman
(65,613 posts)And have it since the age of 5. I first lost it all at age 3, it sort of came back for a year, but then, poof! gone virtually overnight at age 5.
I have almost no concept of hair other than my last haircut given to me by my dad at age four on our porch.
I find the entire concept of hair fascinating and also ridiculous.
I am truly amazed at the ends to which humans will go to either remove hair or keep it. Not only that, the whole concept of paying a gigantic premium to some stranger to "cut it just" right is just plain weird.
While I do find hair aesthetically interesting, I find the entire process by which some people obsess over it bizarre.
Yes, I don't get it. I readily admit it. But you know what? In our seemingly hair obsessed society, I'm very glad I don't get "it".
And I also find it interesting that people identify themselves via their haircut. As if the style they choose allows the to play a roll.
So if this young woman wants to let it grow, good for her, but her position of letting it grow is just as equally correct as someone who would want to shave everything off.
Hair or it's absence, plays a much bigger role in peoples lives then then they could ever possibly imagine.
Jamastiene
(38,206 posts)She shouldn't be forced to shave if she does not want to. No woman should be forced to shave if she doesn't want to. If a woman does want to shave, that should be her right too. Same with men. If they want to shave, fine. If not, fine. Why women are expected to shave or be called gross is something I have never understood.
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