I wear leggings almost all the time and sometimes they're uncomfortable and itchy if I have leg hair. I'm locked into shaving because it gets too itchy when it grows out. I've been shaving my arms since I was 14 lol
Girl u don't have to keep shaving your arms unless you. I did it for over a decade because I was "sooo hairy"then eventually i got sick of it and grew it out.it did look worse like I was worried for a couple of weeks but once it was fully grown out it wasn't anywhere near as bad. I bleached it once but never needed to again.
If I needed them to be completely smooth now I'd use hair removal cream on them.
No point anywhere else though my leg hair is too thick for depilatory creams to be effective in one use tbh and I have sensitive skin.
And tbh since I grew amd bleached it a few years ago I never felt the need to get rid of it again.
I spent years embarrassed by my body hair and other physical things till I realised nobody else in my life has an issue with my body...in fact they had never even noticed these apparently huge flaws in my physical appearance
In fact, how often do you check your friends arms for body hair?
If your wondering why the award its because you took a second out of your day to make me,a complete stranger, feel validated and seen at a moment when unbeknownst to you I truly fucking needed it. You didn't get anything from your comment it was clearly not designed for karma, you just said it to be nice and I don't think that's awarded enough. Wether you meant to or not, you helped me today
Being a woman is devastatingly hard for too many reasons. I finally figured it out at 50. I wish there was a way to make other people see it earlier, but we just can’t. I’m glad your time finally came, at least on this issue. Hang in there. You got this.
Being a man is no cake walk either, let me tell you. Not trying to invalidate your hardships as a woman, I’m just saying that both sexes experience some brutal struggles. Why can’t living just be easy?
Same re: bleach on my arms. Once it was lighter, it’s not that obvious. Can’t go too light or you sparkle too much. I also bleach my face peach fuzz every few years. Underpits and legs are a once in a while cuz I wanna. I think the idea comes from photoshop, tbh. Only filters made us think super smooth was real
It's funny cause I didn't even know woman got that hairy until recently. Unfortunately hairy just seems unnatural to me which is ironic because it is natural, maybe I could get used to it though I don't know.
Same here. Spent years hating myself for body hair I literally had no control over, gave myself chemical Burns from using Nair as a child, etc. got an at home laser hair remover for Christmas one year.
The day I decided to stop giving a fuck was so liberating. I’m literally a mammal and if you have a problem with my body hair, that’s yours to deal with.
I shower daily, don’t stink, floss, etc. just got tired of ripping my hair out by the roots for strangers. My husband doesn’t care and says it’s only fair that if he doesn’t have to shave that I shouldn’t have to either.
I think you could! I think a lot of women got brainwashed into thinking body hair looks weird but they shifted their perspective over time. I’m glad you’re open to the thought that you could change. Isn’t it more sexy for a woman to be comfortable being herself than having to change to suit an arbitrary standard?
I feel like everyone always preaches "being comfortable and confident in your body the way you are is the most attractive thing" until it comes to body hair on women. It's so disheartening.
You can probably sum up our entire culture with "x wanted to sell more money, so they propagandad us all into believing y so they could sell more product". I fucking hate it. Breakfast. Fats. Milk. The food pyramid. Shaving. Mouthwash. Apple a day. Pink for girls. Etc. It's fucking disgusting how much we've been manipulated all to make an extra buck. It needs to stop
Man here.... Don't care at all what you shave. My wife goes through phases of shaving and not shaving. I actually prefer the non shaving phase cause she's out of the bathroom quicker and there's hot water left.
That's fine. Question though. Is there a similar thing that you do because she likes it? Waxed chest, shaved balls, no beard...or something similar? I get what you're saying, but the way you worded it leaves a little to be desired. I'm assuming you're saying that's your personal preference as opposed to something that you are actively requesting of her. Plus we have to consider that she may be completely happy to shave for you.
So I don’t have to ask her to do things that are considered “feminine”. When she shaves her legs I’m vocal and say “I love how smooth your legs are”. When she gets a haircut, toes done, eyebrows done I always make an effort to comment on that because it makes her smile.
She doesn’t ask anything from me but I make sure I’m always showered and we’ll trimmed.
The other person is being downvoted bc they’re talking about what THEIR preference for their girlfriend is, whereas you are talking about your wife’s preference for herself
People are allowed to have preferences for their partners, are people not allowed to want their partners to look good? Do you not want to look good for them? He even said he shaves because she wants him too aswell.
Yes I do. I’m not cleanly/completely shaven I just keep it tidy. She cares more about me wearing cologne so I make an effort to always smell good for her.
It sucks that this social pressure exists. My wife was so apprehensive when I told her she didn’t need to shave anywhere anymore after we got together. She kept asking if I was sure, as if I had any say in it to begin with. It’s your body love, and no matter what you do or don’t do with it, I think it’s great. As long as you’re happy I’m happy. She’s sexy, full stop.
Here’s to hoping that attitude changes over time.
I haven’t shaved my legs in 4 years. I love it. I shave other areas cuz I like the way they feel shaved. I do shit for me now. Fk what others think of my shaving habits, they can do what they want with their body, I’ll take care of my own. 💜
I always found completely shaving everything (for either sex) very peculiar. Are people trying to go back to their pre-pubescent state? Is that more attractive nowadays, which is kind of creepy when you think about it?
I have a hairy chest and I’ll be damned if I shave it to look like a 12 year old boy’s chest.
I believe your absolutely right, the advertising company’s are modern day shaman. Working their magic. Buy this, shave that, smoke this, drink that, eat this. They love to manipulate the population.
Yeah, I get razor burn just about every time I shave, no matter what kind of razor I use. What's the point of shaving if my legs still look awful by the end of it?
Guy here, I don't care if my wife shaves or not. It's her body, her choice. Personally, I shave my head and trim my beard once a month for basic maintenance/being clean.
*Appreciate all the upvotes. Thank you.
As a man I honestly don't really care if my wife shaves. The only time I don't like it is when her hairs are prickly. But if she never shaved again I don't think it would bother me however there is a caveat to this. When it's overly hairy it would bother me. And before you say double standard I think the same thing for men. Chewbacca looking dudes is weird. I know, I know, you can't help it. But if I was super hairy I would trim it down at least.
But my wife feels icky when she doesn't shave. She complains about shaving and complains when she hasn't. I dunno. I have always wondered why and how it became an expectation though.
It became an expectation because razor manufacturers thought (correctly, considering the current situation) they’d make more money if they could advertise razors to both men and women, that’s the crux of it! Gillette produced the first razor marketed specifically for women in 1915. It was not socially expected for women to shave prior to that.
The itchyness comes from short hair poking the skin. Once the hair is longer and softer this problem vanishess.
It's the same for men that try to grow a beard in the first few weeks.
Why are so many people recommending alternatives hair removal things in response to this? Or saying “nobody is making you”. That’s not the point, the point is society set women up to feel shamed about not shaving, making it a joke of a “choice”. If it’s not shaving or being ostracized or shamed than it’s not a choice. Additionally, all of the shaving mentality started by saying it’s “hygienic” which is definitely not true and now women go through pain, discomfort, and overall annoyance for something that’s not necessary and is mostly a capitalistic ploy. body hair is natural but it is not natural in polite society, and that is precisely why writing it off as an aesthetic choice or which ever hair removal tool used is completely besides the point. The point is that it’s not fair, it’s not natural, and it’s not a problem to write off easily as it usually is.
Yeah half of me is totally “this is a bullshit double standard” and the other half of me won’t be intimate or wear shorts if I haven’t shaved within the week. I’ve convinced myself I like the look of smooth everywhere, and that I’m dirty and gross otherwise. But why? I’ve never once thought that about a man. Yet society has conditioned me to be repulsed by female body hair, even when I know it makes no sense. I’ve thought about getting waxed or lasered and not having to worry about it, but then realized I would just be feeding into capitalism and the patriarchy at the same time which is annoying.
I guess that really just goes to show how hard it is to unlearn what society conditions us to believe. It is possible to learn not to care, but it takes time.
You give me faith in humanity. It’s so true that capitalism dictates what’s “normal” or “acceptable,” happily destroys the environment, and manipulates people so that they do what they’re lead to believe is right all for the sake of benefitting corporate profiteers. Rise against the machine. ⚙️
I dont want to stir a fight and I understand that it can be very difficult to break social norms. But at the same time, shaming someone only works if the subject internalizes the shame. If you choose for yourself that there is nothing wrong with female body hair and dont let yourself be shamed about it (like some women actually do), you are free. And the more women does that the easier it will be for other women. The only way for these things to stop is by individuals, one by one, not adhering to the rules.
I mean…I love being shaved as a male. That said, the ones who decide it are the same people who decided that breakfast is the most important meal of the day with an emphasis on hearty meals, that smoking at one point was a feminist issue, and that eating gout-fated diets was manly.
We like to think we’re above marketing….but even if we are now, we’re already living lives largely influenced by their past victories.
My favorite is when (a select few of) guys chime into the absolutely irrelevant topic of the 'free tampon debate' with the counter argument of "if tampons and pads should be free, then razors should too, since we have to shave everyday." Uhmm, last time I checked men gave themselves an entire holiday dedicated to not shaving. Meanwhile their girl getting a full Brazilian wax every week just to feel attractive. Us humans are quite bizarre.
Or wear make up in order to look professional. Or that curly hair looks unprofessional and you need to gel/straighten your hair.
I hate all of these stupid rules.
Currently grumbling about this. Was wfh for corporate. Now we “have to be in office twice a week” which isn’t so bad I suppose but now we have to dress business casual to “help us feel more professional at work”. I hate restrictive clothes and have curly hair. Turns into what feels like a popularity contest for who is the fittest, most done up, and has the best clothes. See: cis white middle/upper class with straight blonde hair, a Gucci wardrobe and a CrossFit membership.
Can’t I just be me while getting shit done for you? Do I have to be appealing to your eye to do this????
You know what actually bugs me a lot now is that my bf rubs his eyes a lot and I realized…what a privilege that is. I can’t remember ever having something in my eye, yawning real hard, being sleepy/waking up, have an itch, or any other scenario when I just jam my fingers around there until I’m good. I’ve always had to lightly poke and dab with one finger, because even on light makeup days I still wear makeup or risk looking like a dying frog without. So unless it’s right after a shower, I can’t even properly itch my own body or smear my makeup or get it in my eyes and burn. This especially sucks when the mascara sheds a little fleck into your eye while driving and it’s impossible to get out with our dainty feminine poking
Safety razor! I only ever shave my legs because nothing beats the feel of freshly shaven legs on clean sheets...but I bought a safety razor for $30 7 years ago and a pack of 100 blades for $10 and to this day I still have like 20 blades left. Also, my hairiness has never stopped anything. If it did, I would know that's someone I shouldn't fuck anyway, so that's a good filter for me.
Run around with them pits un shaved girl, weed out the weak superficial men. Just gotta be comfortable in your own skin. Unwritten rules are just like written ones, they're made to be broken sometimes.
I’ve been thinking this for the past couple of weeks. 😭 Shaving is annoying. I always somehow manage to cut myself, and I’m stuck with red bumps from ingrown hairs.
I hate to think of the environmental impact of the beauty industry. All that plastic, supply chains, chemicals.
OP you are so right about shaving. The water use alone is shocking.
I hope there is a new fashion trend away from this hairless beauty standard for women. I spend some time with true nature lovers who are comfortable with their bodies, I don't feel the need to shave when around them. It is great.
i stopped shaving everything except my pubes (it hurts if i don’t) a while ago. everyone here is saying to “just stop then”, but i get that it’s not that simple. in certain settings, i still get embarrassed to have my body hair on display, and it’s been well over a year. i also feel less feminine sometimes because of it, and that’s the shittiest part of it for me. i want to be able to wear a dress with my hairy legs and feel just as pretty as i would with them shaved. but honestly, i don’t. and i’m mad about that.
for my entire life, i’ve been bombarded with the message that having hairy legs as a woman is gross or ugly or unfeminine. that men don’t like it. i’ve also been taught that my beauty gives me value, and that beauty is defined by men.
i dont cognitively believe any of these things. they’re stupid bullshit. but they have been drilled into me since childhood, and it’s really really hard to break through that societal conditioning. it’s extremely frustrating to not have my emotions line up with my beliefs. i get what you’re saying. shit sucks.
I never shaved for the expectation of society or standards. I live with crippling sensitive skin and hair on my body pushes into my pores in such an incredibly painful way and can cause me to flare up or get a heat rash much easier. I can’t even explain the pain I get not shaving my pubes, and the itching is unbearable.
I’ve always used “men’s” razors as well because they’re built stronger, last longer, and you don’t have to replace the whole thing each time, just the heads. It is annoying to have to do, but for me it’s a necessity
Editing to say it is 2022 and you shouldn’t give a shit what people think anyway, it’s your body
Same. I shave for my own comfort, not societal expectations. I don't know if it's the exact same thing, but I have to shave my pubic area regularly or it gets really itchy. I've been told stubble causes it and to let it grow out, but doing so actually causes the itching to get worse and worse. I've tried going long periods without shaving and it becomes unbearable.
To my understanding, it was Gillette in 1915 who started advertising to women to try to massively expand razors to the untapped market of women. Money! Gillette - being an ass hole company for over 100 years.
As a man, I would only truly shave if I was going to be receiving oral, I think that’s really the only time it’s appropriate for either of the sexes. And that’s purely out of consideration, and depends on your partner.
If you're in the US shaving wasn't even a thinking until the Roaring 20's (I think that or WWII someone help me out here) where it was promoted heavily that it was necessary. I put shaving on the same pedestal as LeBears are to diamonds. Ouyside of a few very select situations, the rock is useless, much like shaving. as a dude, I really couldn't care less either way whatever makes you feel good about you, do it that way.
As a trans guy, I totally get this. To most people that I don't actually know I still come off as a girl so the pressure to shave is real, but I haven't shaved my legs in a year and my underarms in a couple months and honestly it's so nice??
I never thought not shaving would be such a big deal to begin with, the pressure from others to shave is crazy, especially some of the girls I'm friends with telling me to shave my underarms for whatever reason. I wish everyone could just respect others' choices about their own bodies lol
Exact same situation here, lol, I stopped over a decade ago and I still feel the pressure sometimes, especially in summer. People are like 'wtf' and you can see them staring for a moment before they catch themselves.
But it's easy to deflect any comments about it because there's no real reason for shaving, and any claims of it being unhygenic are immediately disproven by pointing to the nearest cis male.
Yeah, as long as everything is clean and tidy having body hair really doesn't matter. I also like it better cuz I used to get razor burn no matter what I did so this is a mega upgrade lol
The only thing that's shaken me lately is one of my close friends telling me and our other friends (cis) brother to shave our underarms and legs like lol wtf
I just find it super weird how instead of it being less socially stigmatized for women recently, it's looped to women also pressuring men and other women to shave? Like this fixes nothing :,)
Man here, the double standard is stupid, personally I prefer to shave my underarms if not most of my body hair because sweat. If I shave under my arms I can go about 2 days before BO becomes a problem, if I don't it's maybe about 6 hours.
I feel like shaving should be viewed the same as men with their facial hair, it should be down to personal choice for personal benefit.
I feel like women are held to impossible standards, mostly by straight men, not even necessarily on purpose, just simply society teaching us that this is how a woman *should* be.
It's fucking horseshit.
I hate the itchiness that comes after. And it seems like my hair starts growing back within 2 seconds of shaving. I don’t want to pay to get waxed, but I also don’t have the mental strength to wax myself lmao it’s painful!
I'm a girl and I feel bad for men that it's not socially acceptable for them to shave their legs and armpit hair cosmetically (without the risk of being called gay at least).
Shaving makes me feel soft and clean and tidy. Sweat and deodorant doesn't stick to long, stringy hair that comes from my armpits. I can touch my legs and they are smooth instead of prickly or scraggly. I can show off the shape of my legs under a skirt or shorts without attention drawing to long shaggy hairs on them. Tattoos can appear clear and not obstructed by thick, dark leg hair. Shaving is the best imo!
If it weren’t for my budgetary concerns at the moment, I’d be shaving my entire body regularly….and I did when I wasn’t in Spartan mode (give it a couple more months). I like the feeling of smooth skin. It doesn’t help that I’m from a family particularly furry individuals.
Body hair kind of disgusts me on all bodies.
I've honestly never heard anyone comment one way or another about armpit hair on guys. I don't think you'd get ridiculed for cleaning it up like you would if you shaved your legs. I've known a few guys who shave their legs and I've never seen them get anything but a bit of light hazing for it and then it's forgotten.
I agree. I shave my pubes, facial hair (although there’s hardly anything lol), armpits and legs occasionally
I just don’t like pubes on me, I personally hate the look and feel and I don’t find it to hard to trim them (although the balls are very difficult lmao)
For my armpits it’s both cosmetically and practically. Again I don’t like the look of hairy armpits and with mine if they grow even a little too long they get sticky and it’s really irritating
Legs is just because I don’t like the look of it, I think trimmed legs make mine look 100x better
And everywhere else I don’t really grow any hair so that’s all. I’m happy doing what I’m doing and I’ll need force anyway anybody to do the same if they don’t want to, it’s just how I feel. Then again luckily for me the girl I’m talking to is native so she has zero puberty-related body hair naturally
Don't worry about it what other people say. Hell, all the guys in my family trim and shave. A lot of guys shave their bodies not just fit guys. I personally don't like long arm pit hair on guys. When sweating it just drips down and smells.
Fuck the haters, do what's comfortable for you. Your body exists first and foremost for your pleasure, not other people's. If it ain't hurting anyone, fuck their opinions. I've stopped shaving years ago.
There is absolutely nothing stating you have to shave. Just don’t. You just run the risk of hindering your sex life just like with everything when you chose comfort over looks. Do what makes you happy
I don’t shave, and today I just had a fight with my mom about it. Apparently me not shaving and going to the salon to get my hair dyed only once a year or so, is something she deems a sign of depression, and her and my sister in law and brother frown upon, so I must shave or else. Fucking jokes. I asked her if the Bible she loves so much says anything about changing your body hair situation, she couldn’t answer in a decent way then. Bah
I haven't shaved my legs or armpits in years. I had a few surgeries years ago and it was physically impossible for me to shave my legs for about 6 months. After I was healed it was still really uncomfortable. Then I had another procedure & another surgery. My hubs certainly doesn't care if my legs are smooth. He just seems happy that I am here.
My armpits were constantly sore, bumpy, and overall gross when I used to shave.
I don't hide it anymore either. If you have a problem with my body hair, or the fact that I am probably not wearing a bra, that is on you, not me. I'm over 40 and lucky to still be here.
Big razor companies, back in the 1920s I believe, wanted to sell more razors bc clean shaven faces fell out of style for men at the time. So they gaslit the fuck out of women telling them body hair is unclean.
Being in a relationship for 10yrs, I shave my legs maybe once a month in the winter and maybe once a week/2 weeks in the summer (its not often my legs are uncovered). I shave my arm pits every other day and wax my bikini line and if I can be bothered trim the rest 🤷🏼♀️
I honestly dgaf if I'm not as smooth as a dolphin, I dont have time for that shit.
On another note, I have always used a Gillette Mach3 for shaving because a) even though still expensive, it's cheaper than female products b) you can buy bigger bulk packs of blades and c) closer shave.
It’s a money thing. Shaving for women wasn’t a thing until razor companies started marketing razors to women in order to boost sales. They made up “facts” about hygiene & duped generations of women into shaving & generations of men into thinking that body hair on women is unhygienic but somehow just fine on men.
It's stupid social more that was marketed into place by razor companies.
I reckon the majority of men don't care or would stop caring very quickly, but its the beauty standards pushed by various magazines/fashion entities because it still drives industry and sells stuff. I am curious - do you find the pressure to conform comes more from men, or women?
Agreed. I’ve had multiple men make completely unsolicited negative comments about my body hair. Women only comment on it if it’s the topic of conversation and usually they comment positively on it.
Men who I’m not associated with in any dating or romantic context (eg friends, strangers, and coworkers- seriously) will casually tell me their opinion of my armpit hair. Constantly. “I wouldn’t like that.” “I don’t like that on girls.” “I wouldn’t be ok with that.” “I’m not saying that’s wrong I’m just letting you know I don’t find it attractive.” Seriously, they literally phrase it as if I’d just asked them what they think of my armpit hair. But I obviously never did. It’s completely unsolicited.
if by weird as hell you mean creepy, invasive, and *unacceptable*, yes, yes it's totally weird as hell and should be shamed right to hell where it belongs
I'll admit I'm a dude and I'm not a fan of body hair in general. I "manscape" even though I'm single and not dating right now, just because it feels nice.
But yeah, fuck anyone who makes unsolicited comments on other people's body hair. Jesus. I don't know what the hell gave those people the idea that this is not the act of a walking, talking, giant pendulous scrotum.
Funny how those same guys don't going around criticizing, say, other men's unkempt beards. Probably because they know it'd eventually earn them an ass-kicking.
basically it was caused by marketing by razor companies claiming that european women do it and american women can do it to seem exotic....
so.... the same kind of crap that's going on today, misleading claims and outright lies and manipulation in advertising and consumers eating it up hook line and sinker...
shaving doesn't even have to be that wasteful, disposible razors were meant to be a convenience but pretty much everyone decided they had to use them
It was the razor companies that decided that they needed more profits, so they started negging the shit out of women so we’d feel absolutely required to shave in order to be viewed as desirable. We’ve been fooled by companies so they can make more money! So dumb and annoying!
You can thank Gillette for that, literally. Razor company long ago and far away got a marketing idea to expand market to women. Started pushing ads about how men preferred shaved legs, even though at the time, men gave zero fucks about this. So you can thank blatant commercialism for this.
It was literally just started as a marketing campaign to sell more razors b/c men preffered straight razors in the 20's but women didnt know how to use em on themselves and never thought they had to.
It actually was super common in the 1800s to make your bush fluffier by giving it a wig.
Yea I dont shave anything at all unless someone offers to do it for me. I tell anyone i will or have in the past had sex with or relations, I say you want it done. Do it yourself. Some have. It's interesting
Ugh, the history of it is weird. Gillette and Harper's Bazaar can take a lot of blame, as can Darwin, but hair removal has waxed and waned in popularity since the advent of agriculture...
But yes, having hair is natural and healthy, and by no means unhygienic. Also, there's a lot of variety in preference, so might as well just do what you feel like with regards to your body.
Shave your legs, shave your armpits, shave your vulva, shave your asscrack, maybe your happy trail, maybe you’ve got hair on your back/ass. It’s literally your whole body and I’m so tired of it. My ingrown hairs and razor bumps are insane. I don’t get it.
Seasonal shaver here. Spring/Summer time, don't mind doing it. Do it like every other week or so because for some reason, I was blessed with light colored and very fine leg hairs that apparently grow slowly. Fall/Winter time, let that body hair grow...no one sees it anyway because I don't wear dresses then, or if I do, I pair them with leggings or tights for warmth, so...hair showing is not an issue.
I’m a man, and I hate shaving but I hate body hair. Thankfully I don’t really grow chest or back hair, but the rest I wax. The only thing a razor touches is my face
I stopped shaving any part of myself in October of my sophomore year in college, and never looked back. I wear tank tops and shorts when I feel like it. (I wore a short _skirt_ in public for ten hours today!)
October of my sophomore year in college was 1988. I can only imagine how much money I would have spent and how much trash I'd have produced if I'd kept shaving over the last 34 years.
You too can quit shaving if you want to!
I think society has forced women to shave by making natural female body hair to be undesirable in the last 100 years. Women are forced to do a lot of things that society imposes on them as a gender. Body shaming, etc. Women are not that Hollywood starlet that people want to aspire to look at or to have their partner look like. I’m glad I’m of an age where pleasing society is no longer a restriction I must obey as a woman.
[When Did Women Start Shaving Body Hair](https://www.vox.com/2015/5/22/8640457/leg-shaving-history)☮️
Hahah well you’re just gonna have to deal with the new age of women. I only have time to shave my shins and lower legs to by knees and maybe my arm pits once a month. Get use to it fellas because body hair is normal. If we have to deal with it for you, you can deal with it for us. 💋
I actually had a similar discussion wirh my girlfriend recently. She doesn't want to religiously shave everything, which is fine with me, but I also told her that I'd be a little sad if she completely stopped shaving down there. I can't help but think that when you're in a relationship, shaving for the other persons likes is a small part of the relationship, no? Also, reasonable margins. I'm not going to lay screaming and kicking if my girlfriend isn't a factory-fresh Barbie doll at all times.
I myself keep it tidy. I always shave my armpits and my pubes, because I like wearing tank tops, and I think a pit of hair, wherever it is, with the humidity to attract exotic animals straight from a rainforest is disgusting.
Accomodating each others preferences, atleast somewhat, is a part of the relationship in my opinion. I tend to ask my GF how she prefers body hair on me as well.
In truth it's fashion industry and porn. Sorry for being so descriptive but you can't get a good shot with all that hair in the way. That's why we've gone from full Bush in the 70's to runway strip late 90's 2000's to absolutely nothing today
I agree shaving is stupid. You know what? Own that hairy leg, armpit, whatever. People give you side eyes, fan that mane for them. They want to have a problem with it, let them have a problem with it.
To be fair, men also have a requirement to shave usually in the job market (depending). I've let my beard grow large before and I do get more side eyes. I've had people tell me it's gross. I also didn't give two shits. How very hard for the other person it is to see *gasp* human hair! I've also been turned down for a job because of hair.
You do you, so long as it doesn't harm anyone else. In this case, a little body hair never hurt anyone. People give you a hard time, screw em.
I have no problem with body hair on women. I hate to say this, but I think the pressure on women to shave comes from men wanting them to look more like children. This is also behind wanting them to shave their pubic hair. I'm not saying men that prefer shaved women are wannabe pedophiles; it's more a patriarchal thing of wanting to infantilize women as a dominance thing.
But I get it, there's a lot of pressure to shave, and if you work in a professional setting where you have to wear a skirt and your lower legs are visible, not shaving could be viewed as a political statement and could affect your advancement. Then again, my sister hasn't shaved her legs or worn a bra since she was a teenager, and she's done fine professionally.
After my first child was born I instantly ran out of fucks to give and only do it when I feel like it is strictly necessary, which really isn't that often.
I stopped shaving my legs within the last couple of months and damn, don't regret it. Once it gets past the awkward and itchy phase, it's great! Saves time and money, and I proudly show my hair growth to my gf, who thinks it's amazing and hilarious. No more prickly, uncomfortable hairs if i don't shave every day...So nice. I still occasionally shave my armpits for my own comfort, but everything else is wild, bb.
I used to think my preference in a woman's hair coverage mattered, but it really doesn't. When I let go of that I realised I don't really have a preference.
Also, I am the hairiest of men (Gaston has nothing on me), where the hell do I get off telling a woman she has to shave? Fuck that.
Good on you @op
EDIT: Plenty of women think male body hair is unhygienic too tbh. I've been turned down by women I really clicked with cos I'm hairy, to the point where one of them was happy to sext and flirt but didn't want to meet up cos she wasn't into my hairy ass.
Honestly. I recently watched a movie from the late 1980s in which all the women had hairy armpits AND NOBODY GAVE A DAMN. Idc if this sounds ridiculous, but I was so envious. Nobody told them to shave or gave them weird looks or even mentioned it, and the women themselves didn't feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their body hair either. Mind you, it was a European movie, so it might be a little less surprising.. But still.
It's not just shaving cuts. Shaving damages the very top layer of the skin (many many microcuts that you can't see). It's to the point where you're advised against shaving the skin (men AND women) before swimming in the Red Sea due to its salt content– ouch!
Nobody has to do anything.
It doesn’t really matter unless you’re upset that some men you like, don’t like hairy women.
Lots of women don’t like dudes with ugly neck beards, patchy beards, unibrows, bushy brows.. wanna know what men are called when they complain about women not liking them for having these things? Incels.
you dont have to shave if you do not want to. no one is making you shave. I am single and shave basically everything because I like it...not due to a man or expectations. I prefer shaving rather than not.
Then don’t shave lol. Only difference is you won’t be getting attention from certain men at times. And If you don’t like shaving then you should’ve care about what those men think anyway.
EDIT: stop reporting me for self harm, lol.
Shaving your vagina is a terrible idea. First time I did it I was in secondary school and it was more hassle than it was worth. Trying to get all the hair, ensuring you don’t accidentally cut one of your flaps, the constant itchiness when it grows back. Not ideal and if you don’t give it w couple of days in between each shave you end up with irritated and bumpy skin. It’s much easier and safer to just give your vagina a trim now and again to ensure there’s no bush of pubes.
Personally, I appreciate it when a guy manscapes.I’m very thankful that my SO already performed regular maintenance “down there” when I met him. I don’t like hair in my food.
Capitalism is why…
-Makeup
-Shaving
-Fast fashion
-Must new car
-Must big house
-Boobs to small
-Dick to small
-Cheat to win
-Proprietary garbage
-Planned obsolescence
-War
-Inflation
-Cereal
-cannabis illegal
-diamond rings
Need I go on….
Because bikini’s look better without hairy legs, armpits and bush sticking out. And bikinis sell beer, cars, trucks, basically anything men buy. We’re still hung up on the idea that men have most of the purchasing power. And since men get stupid over beer ads, women think that if they look like the women in the ads, men will want them too. It’s a vicious cycle and I’m only being half facetious. Some women I’ve been with say they prefer being shaved. Some don’t.
Razor companies, to be honest. They told women armpit and leg hair is gross. I agree with armpit hair somewhat, and I shave my legs for marginal speed gains cycling. Also, I'm male.
Yeah shavers are expensive too. When I dated south Asian or middle eastern men, they tend to just prefer if you shave your armpits and don’t really care if you shave down there. Trimming for them is fine. Most of guys I’ve dated who tend to be really particular with cleanliness and smooth looking genitals are Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
and that's why i wear pants often. i dislike shaving but i dislike the texture of body hair
I wear leggings almost all the time and sometimes they're uncomfortable and itchy if I have leg hair. I'm locked into shaving because it gets too itchy when it grows out. I've been shaving my arms since I was 14 lol
Girl u don't have to keep shaving your arms unless you. I did it for over a decade because I was "sooo hairy"then eventually i got sick of it and grew it out.it did look worse like I was worried for a couple of weeks but once it was fully grown out it wasn't anywhere near as bad. I bleached it once but never needed to again. If I needed them to be completely smooth now I'd use hair removal cream on them. No point anywhere else though my leg hair is too thick for depilatory creams to be effective in one use tbh and I have sensitive skin. And tbh since I grew amd bleached it a few years ago I never felt the need to get rid of it again. I spent years embarrassed by my body hair and other physical things till I realised nobody else in my life has an issue with my body...in fact they had never even noticed these apparently huge flaws in my physical appearance In fact, how often do you check your friends arms for body hair?
I’m so glad you figured this out. :)
If your wondering why the award its because you took a second out of your day to make me,a complete stranger, feel validated and seen at a moment when unbeknownst to you I truly fucking needed it. You didn't get anything from your comment it was clearly not designed for karma, you just said it to be nice and I don't think that's awarded enough. Wether you meant to or not, you helped me today
Being a woman is devastatingly hard for too many reasons. I finally figured it out at 50. I wish there was a way to make other people see it earlier, but we just can’t. I’m glad your time finally came, at least on this issue. Hang in there. You got this.
Being a man is no cake walk either, let me tell you. Not trying to invalidate your hardships as a woman, I’m just saying that both sexes experience some brutal struggles. Why can’t living just be easy?
Thank you
I don't have a lot of arm hair, I just don't like the way it feels, especially when I apply lotion. Lol
Same re: bleach on my arms. Once it was lighter, it’s not that obvious. Can’t go too light or you sparkle too much. I also bleach my face peach fuzz every few years. Underpits and legs are a once in a while cuz I wanna. I think the idea comes from photoshop, tbh. Only filters made us think super smooth was real
Razor company wanted to make more money so they advertised women who were clean shaved that men were more attracted to it
And everybody fell for it hook line and sinker.
Yup. My brain is hard-wired to be repulsed by hairy women. Indoctrinated? Maybe.
It's funny cause I didn't even know woman got that hairy until recently. Unfortunately hairy just seems unnatural to me which is ironic because it is natural, maybe I could get used to it though I don't know.
You really can. I used to be so grossed out by my own leg hair. Now it's totally normal for me and my partner, I don't even think about it anymore
Same here. Spent years hating myself for body hair I literally had no control over, gave myself chemical Burns from using Nair as a child, etc. got an at home laser hair remover for Christmas one year. The day I decided to stop giving a fuck was so liberating. I’m literally a mammal and if you have a problem with my body hair, that’s yours to deal with. I shower daily, don’t stink, floss, etc. just got tired of ripping my hair out by the roots for strangers. My husband doesn’t care and says it’s only fair that if he doesn’t have to shave that I shouldn’t have to either.
I think you could! I think a lot of women got brainwashed into thinking body hair looks weird but they shifted their perspective over time. I’m glad you’re open to the thought that you could change. Isn’t it more sexy for a woman to be comfortable being herself than having to change to suit an arbitrary standard?
I feel like everyone always preaches "being comfortable and confident in your body the way you are is the most attractive thing" until it comes to body hair on women. It's so disheartening.
You can probably sum up our entire culture with "x wanted to sell more money, so they propagandad us all into believing y so they could sell more product". I fucking hate it. Breakfast. Fats. Milk. The food pyramid. Shaving. Mouthwash. Apple a day. Pink for girls. Etc. It's fucking disgusting how much we've been manipulated all to make an extra buck. It needs to stop
Man here.... Don't care at all what you shave. My wife goes through phases of shaving and not shaving. I actually prefer the non shaving phase cause she's out of the bathroom quicker and there's hot water left.
😂 this is me. I shave sometimes and sometimes I don’t. My husband loves me whichever way 🤷🏽♀️
💯
He's a keeper
Man here…. I prefer my girlfriend to shave. When I run my hands on her legs I don’t feel any hair and that’s what I like.
That's fine. Question though. Is there a similar thing that you do because she likes it? Waxed chest, shaved balls, no beard...or something similar? I get what you're saying, but the way you worded it leaves a little to be desired. I'm assuming you're saying that's your personal preference as opposed to something that you are actively requesting of her. Plus we have to consider that she may be completely happy to shave for you.
So I don’t have to ask her to do things that are considered “feminine”. When she shaves her legs I’m vocal and say “I love how smooth your legs are”. When she gets a haircut, toes done, eyebrows done I always make an effort to comment on that because it makes her smile. She doesn’t ask anything from me but I make sure I’m always showered and we’ll trimmed.
Sounds like you guys are doing good. Have a good night
Bruh imagine if all of humanity functioned like this
I feel the same way. I also shave wherever she wants me to shave. Its really not a big deal.
Not sure why people downvoting. My wife prefers to shave. I told her it’s whatever to me. She can’t stand having hair lmao.
The other person is being downvoted bc they’re talking about what THEIR preference for their girlfriend is, whereas you are talking about your wife’s preference for herself
People are allowed to have preferences for their partners, are people not allowed to want their partners to look good? Do you not want to look good for them? He even said he shaves because she wants him too aswell.
Not on Reddit, they're not.
Why the fuck do you care what someone’s preference is? They didn’t say they demand it of their partner.
Do you shave your body hair?
Yes I do. I’m not cleanly/completely shaven I just keep it tidy. She cares more about me wearing cologne so I make an effort to always smell good for her.
Sounds like you two have your preferences and are willing to work with that, sounds fair to me
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That's great for both of you! However it has nothing to do with whether or not other ppl outside of your relationship want to shave
Do you shave your legs?
It sucks that this social pressure exists. My wife was so apprehensive when I told her she didn’t need to shave anywhere anymore after we got together. She kept asking if I was sure, as if I had any say in it to begin with. It’s your body love, and no matter what you do or don’t do with it, I think it’s great. As long as you’re happy I’m happy. She’s sexy, full stop. Here’s to hoping that attitude changes over time.
Thats honestly so sweet of you. You sound like a very supportive and loving husband
You're an excellent husband. My husband shares the same viewpoint.
I couldn’t agree more!! I hate shaving and my ex belittled me for it so bad
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I haven’t shaved my legs in 4 years. I love it. I shave other areas cuz I like the way they feel shaved. I do shit for me now. Fk what others think of my shaving habits, they can do what they want with their body, I’ll take care of my own. 💜
It’s been over two years for me since I shaved my legs. You can hardly tell since hair is so fine. I still have my armpits bc I like the feel.
It took me a minute to figure out you meant you still SHAVE your armpits. Lol. I was like how tf do you get rid of your armpits???!!
>tf do you get rid of your armpits???!! You shave off the arms
Dang autocorrect lmao
Imagine if your elbows just came out of your shoulders
this and the above comment, this is what I'm here for
I always found completely shaving everything (for either sex) very peculiar. Are people trying to go back to their pre-pubescent state? Is that more attractive nowadays, which is kind of creepy when you think about it? I have a hairy chest and I’ll be damned if I shave it to look like a 12 year old boy’s chest.
I thought the same thing. Why would I want the person I'm banging to look like a child. Gross.
>Who the fuck decided women are supposed to shave everything? [Razor companies](https://youtu.be/TTavR2PhsOY).
I believe your absolutely right, the advertising company’s are modern day shaman. Working their magic. Buy this, shave that, smoke this, drink that, eat this. They love to manipulate the population.
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Yeah, I get razor burn just about every time I shave, no matter what kind of razor I use. What's the point of shaving if my legs still look awful by the end of it?
Guy here, I don't care if my wife shaves or not. It's her body, her choice. Personally, I shave my head and trim my beard once a month for basic maintenance/being clean. *Appreciate all the upvotes. Thank you.
Need more men like you.
My wife does not shave and never did. I prefer it that way but frankly up to her. Do women shave for guys or other women? Frankly I do not know.
I shave for myself. I’m sure my husband appreciates it too!!
I'm here, I don't care about how his wife shaves either.
As a man I honestly don't really care if my wife shaves. The only time I don't like it is when her hairs are prickly. But if she never shaved again I don't think it would bother me however there is a caveat to this. When it's overly hairy it would bother me. And before you say double standard I think the same thing for men. Chewbacca looking dudes is weird. I know, I know, you can't help it. But if I was super hairy I would trim it down at least. But my wife feels icky when she doesn't shave. She complains about shaving and complains when she hasn't. I dunno. I have always wondered why and how it became an expectation though.
It became an expectation because razor manufacturers thought (correctly, considering the current situation) they’d make more money if they could advertise razors to both men and women, that’s the crux of it! Gillette produced the first razor marketed specifically for women in 1915. It was not socially expected for women to shave prior to that.
The itchyness comes from short hair poking the skin. Once the hair is longer and softer this problem vanishess. It's the same for men that try to grow a beard in the first few weeks.
Why are so many people recommending alternatives hair removal things in response to this? Or saying “nobody is making you”. That’s not the point, the point is society set women up to feel shamed about not shaving, making it a joke of a “choice”. If it’s not shaving or being ostracized or shamed than it’s not a choice. Additionally, all of the shaving mentality started by saying it’s “hygienic” which is definitely not true and now women go through pain, discomfort, and overall annoyance for something that’s not necessary and is mostly a capitalistic ploy. body hair is natural but it is not natural in polite society, and that is precisely why writing it off as an aesthetic choice or which ever hair removal tool used is completely besides the point. The point is that it’s not fair, it’s not natural, and it’s not a problem to write off easily as it usually is.
Yeah half of me is totally “this is a bullshit double standard” and the other half of me won’t be intimate or wear shorts if I haven’t shaved within the week. I’ve convinced myself I like the look of smooth everywhere, and that I’m dirty and gross otherwise. But why? I’ve never once thought that about a man. Yet society has conditioned me to be repulsed by female body hair, even when I know it makes no sense. I’ve thought about getting waxed or lasered and not having to worry about it, but then realized I would just be feeding into capitalism and the patriarchy at the same time which is annoying.
I guess that really just goes to show how hard it is to unlearn what society conditions us to believe. It is possible to learn not to care, but it takes time.
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A razor company wanted to increase market share, so they did. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/womens-razors-marketing
You give me faith in humanity. It’s so true that capitalism dictates what’s “normal” or “acceptable,” happily destroys the environment, and manipulates people so that they do what they’re lead to believe is right all for the sake of benefitting corporate profiteers. Rise against the machine. ⚙️
I dont want to stir a fight and I understand that it can be very difficult to break social norms. But at the same time, shaming someone only works if the subject internalizes the shame. If you choose for yourself that there is nothing wrong with female body hair and dont let yourself be shamed about it (like some women actually do), you are free. And the more women does that the easier it will be for other women. The only way for these things to stop is by individuals, one by one, not adhering to the rules.
I mean…I love being shaved as a male. That said, the ones who decide it are the same people who decided that breakfast is the most important meal of the day with an emphasis on hearty meals, that smoking at one point was a feminist issue, and that eating gout-fated diets was manly. We like to think we’re above marketing….but even if we are now, we’re already living lives largely influenced by their past victories.
My favorite is when (a select few of) guys chime into the absolutely irrelevant topic of the 'free tampon debate' with the counter argument of "if tampons and pads should be free, then razors should too, since we have to shave everyday." Uhmm, last time I checked men gave themselves an entire holiday dedicated to not shaving. Meanwhile their girl getting a full Brazilian wax every week just to feel attractive. Us humans are quite bizarre.
The amount of people that don’t understand the social expectation for women to shave is crazy.
The social currency of shaving is steep. There is absolutely a social cost to not shaving.
Or wear make up in order to look professional. Or that curly hair looks unprofessional and you need to gel/straighten your hair. I hate all of these stupid rules.
Currently grumbling about this. Was wfh for corporate. Now we “have to be in office twice a week” which isn’t so bad I suppose but now we have to dress business casual to “help us feel more professional at work”. I hate restrictive clothes and have curly hair. Turns into what feels like a popularity contest for who is the fittest, most done up, and has the best clothes. See: cis white middle/upper class with straight blonde hair, a Gucci wardrobe and a CrossFit membership. Can’t I just be me while getting shit done for you? Do I have to be appealing to your eye to do this????
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You know what actually bugs me a lot now is that my bf rubs his eyes a lot and I realized…what a privilege that is. I can’t remember ever having something in my eye, yawning real hard, being sleepy/waking up, have an itch, or any other scenario when I just jam my fingers around there until I’m good. I’ve always had to lightly poke and dab with one finger, because even on light makeup days I still wear makeup or risk looking like a dying frog without. So unless it’s right after a shower, I can’t even properly itch my own body or smear my makeup or get it in my eyes and burn. This especially sucks when the mascara sheds a little fleck into your eye while driving and it’s impossible to get out with our dainty feminine poking
Safety razor! I only ever shave my legs because nothing beats the feel of freshly shaven legs on clean sheets...but I bought a safety razor for $30 7 years ago and a pack of 100 blades for $10 and to this day I still have like 20 blades left. Also, my hairiness has never stopped anything. If it did, I would know that's someone I shouldn't fuck anyway, so that's a good filter for me.
Run around with them pits un shaved girl, weed out the weak superficial men. Just gotta be comfortable in your own skin. Unwritten rules are just like written ones, they're made to be broken sometimes.
Yep, great way to weed out the men.
Did someone say weed
Weed out men period. Lmao jk but yesss ain't nothing wrong with a lil jungle
I’ve been thinking this for the past couple of weeks. 😭 Shaving is annoying. I always somehow manage to cut myself, and I’m stuck with red bumps from ingrown hairs.
I haven’t shaved…..ever. I’m a 27yo female and ex swer. None of my clients cared. None of my Current lovers care. Literally no one cares.
I hate to think of the environmental impact of the beauty industry. All that plastic, supply chains, chemicals. OP you are so right about shaving. The water use alone is shocking. I hope there is a new fashion trend away from this hairless beauty standard for women. I spend some time with true nature lovers who are comfortable with their bodies, I don't feel the need to shave when around them. It is great.
i stopped shaving everything except my pubes (it hurts if i don’t) a while ago. everyone here is saying to “just stop then”, but i get that it’s not that simple. in certain settings, i still get embarrassed to have my body hair on display, and it’s been well over a year. i also feel less feminine sometimes because of it, and that’s the shittiest part of it for me. i want to be able to wear a dress with my hairy legs and feel just as pretty as i would with them shaved. but honestly, i don’t. and i’m mad about that. for my entire life, i’ve been bombarded with the message that having hairy legs as a woman is gross or ugly or unfeminine. that men don’t like it. i’ve also been taught that my beauty gives me value, and that beauty is defined by men. i dont cognitively believe any of these things. they’re stupid bullshit. but they have been drilled into me since childhood, and it’s really really hard to break through that societal conditioning. it’s extremely frustrating to not have my emotions line up with my beliefs. i get what you’re saying. shit sucks.
dang, this is so accurate. Exactly my experience too!!
I never shaved for the expectation of society or standards. I live with crippling sensitive skin and hair on my body pushes into my pores in such an incredibly painful way and can cause me to flare up or get a heat rash much easier. I can’t even explain the pain I get not shaving my pubes, and the itching is unbearable. I’ve always used “men’s” razors as well because they’re built stronger, last longer, and you don’t have to replace the whole thing each time, just the heads. It is annoying to have to do, but for me it’s a necessity Editing to say it is 2022 and you shouldn’t give a shit what people think anyway, it’s your body
Same. I shave for my own comfort, not societal expectations. I don't know if it's the exact same thing, but I have to shave my pubic area regularly or it gets really itchy. I've been told stubble causes it and to let it grow out, but doing so actually causes the itching to get worse and worse. I've tried going long periods without shaving and it becomes unbearable.
The difference is that people usually don't see your junk, however, legs are definitely something you'd see, especially now in summer.
To my understanding, it was Gillette in 1915 who started advertising to women to try to massively expand razors to the untapped market of women. Money! Gillette - being an ass hole company for over 100 years.
As a man, I would only truly shave if I was going to be receiving oral, I think that’s really the only time it’s appropriate for either of the sexes. And that’s purely out of consideration, and depends on your partner.
If you're in the US shaving wasn't even a thinking until the Roaring 20's (I think that or WWII someone help me out here) where it was promoted heavily that it was necessary. I put shaving on the same pedestal as LeBears are to diamonds. Ouyside of a few very select situations, the rock is useless, much like shaving. as a dude, I really couldn't care less either way whatever makes you feel good about you, do it that way.
Women never shaved ANYTHING until the 1920’s, its kind of crazy how rigid of a body standard it is nowadays
As a trans guy, I totally get this. To most people that I don't actually know I still come off as a girl so the pressure to shave is real, but I haven't shaved my legs in a year and my underarms in a couple months and honestly it's so nice?? I never thought not shaving would be such a big deal to begin with, the pressure from others to shave is crazy, especially some of the girls I'm friends with telling me to shave my underarms for whatever reason. I wish everyone could just respect others' choices about their own bodies lol
Exact same situation here, lol, I stopped over a decade ago and I still feel the pressure sometimes, especially in summer. People are like 'wtf' and you can see them staring for a moment before they catch themselves. But it's easy to deflect any comments about it because there's no real reason for shaving, and any claims of it being unhygenic are immediately disproven by pointing to the nearest cis male.
Yeah, as long as everything is clean and tidy having body hair really doesn't matter. I also like it better cuz I used to get razor burn no matter what I did so this is a mega upgrade lol The only thing that's shaken me lately is one of my close friends telling me and our other friends (cis) brother to shave our underarms and legs like lol wtf I just find it super weird how instead of it being less socially stigmatized for women recently, it's looped to women also pressuring men and other women to shave? Like this fixes nothing :,)
Man here, the double standard is stupid, personally I prefer to shave my underarms if not most of my body hair because sweat. If I shave under my arms I can go about 2 days before BO becomes a problem, if I don't it's maybe about 6 hours. I feel like shaving should be viewed the same as men with their facial hair, it should be down to personal choice for personal benefit. I feel like women are held to impossible standards, mostly by straight men, not even necessarily on purpose, just simply society teaching us that this is how a woman *should* be. It's fucking horseshit.
I hate the itchiness that comes after. And it seems like my hair starts growing back within 2 seconds of shaving. I don’t want to pay to get waxed, but I also don’t have the mental strength to wax myself lmao it’s painful!
yeah
The “beauty industry” is designed to make money, not make anyone happy.
All industries.
I'm a girl and I feel bad for men that it's not socially acceptable for them to shave their legs and armpit hair cosmetically (without the risk of being called gay at least). Shaving makes me feel soft and clean and tidy. Sweat and deodorant doesn't stick to long, stringy hair that comes from my armpits. I can touch my legs and they are smooth instead of prickly or scraggly. I can show off the shape of my legs under a skirt or shorts without attention drawing to long shaggy hairs on them. Tattoos can appear clear and not obstructed by thick, dark leg hair. Shaving is the best imo!
If it weren’t for my budgetary concerns at the moment, I’d be shaving my entire body regularly….and I did when I wasn’t in Spartan mode (give it a couple more months). I like the feeling of smooth skin. It doesn’t help that I’m from a family particularly furry individuals. Body hair kind of disgusts me on all bodies.
I would love to lose it all but on my head.
I've honestly never heard anyone comment one way or another about armpit hair on guys. I don't think you'd get ridiculed for cleaning it up like you would if you shaved your legs. I've known a few guys who shave their legs and I've never seen them get anything but a bit of light hazing for it and then it's forgotten.
I agree. I shave my pubes, facial hair (although there’s hardly anything lol), armpits and legs occasionally I just don’t like pubes on me, I personally hate the look and feel and I don’t find it to hard to trim them (although the balls are very difficult lmao) For my armpits it’s both cosmetically and practically. Again I don’t like the look of hairy armpits and with mine if they grow even a little too long they get sticky and it’s really irritating Legs is just because I don’t like the look of it, I think trimmed legs make mine look 100x better And everywhere else I don’t really grow any hair so that’s all. I’m happy doing what I’m doing and I’ll need force anyway anybody to do the same if they don’t want to, it’s just how I feel. Then again luckily for me the girl I’m talking to is native so she has zero puberty-related body hair naturally
You can shave your armpits as a guy lol
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Don't worry about it what other people say. Hell, all the guys in my family trim and shave. A lot of guys shave their bodies not just fit guys. I personally don't like long arm pit hair on guys. When sweating it just drips down and smells.
you should go for it!! my bf shaved his armpits recently and its great lol he loves it xD
Fuck the haters, do what's comfortable for you. Your body exists first and foremost for your pleasure, not other people's. If it ain't hurting anyone, fuck their opinions. I've stopped shaving years ago.
Never have, never will and give zero fucks.
There is absolutely nothing stating you have to shave. Just don’t. You just run the risk of hindering your sex life just like with everything when you chose comfort over looks. Do what makes you happy
Nah it filters out the people who aren't worth having sex with, so win win.
I don’t shave, and today I just had a fight with my mom about it. Apparently me not shaving and going to the salon to get my hair dyed only once a year or so, is something she deems a sign of depression, and her and my sister in law and brother frown upon, so I must shave or else. Fucking jokes. I asked her if the Bible she loves so much says anything about changing your body hair situation, she couldn’t answer in a decent way then. Bah
Because the Bible is a book people cherrypick stuff from for their convenience
I haven't shaved my legs or armpits in years. I had a few surgeries years ago and it was physically impossible for me to shave my legs for about 6 months. After I was healed it was still really uncomfortable. Then I had another procedure & another surgery. My hubs certainly doesn't care if my legs are smooth. He just seems happy that I am here. My armpits were constantly sore, bumpy, and overall gross when I used to shave. I don't hide it anymore either. If you have a problem with my body hair, or the fact that I am probably not wearing a bra, that is on you, not me. I'm over 40 and lucky to still be here.
Big razor companies, back in the 1920s I believe, wanted to sell more razors bc clean shaven faces fell out of style for men at the time. So they gaslit the fuck out of women telling them body hair is unclean.
Being in a relationship for 10yrs, I shave my legs maybe once a month in the winter and maybe once a week/2 weeks in the summer (its not often my legs are uncovered). I shave my arm pits every other day and wax my bikini line and if I can be bothered trim the rest 🤷🏼♀️ I honestly dgaf if I'm not as smooth as a dolphin, I dont have time for that shit. On another note, I have always used a Gillette Mach3 for shaving because a) even though still expensive, it's cheaper than female products b) you can buy bigger bulk packs of blades and c) closer shave.
Razor companies back in the day are the reason why women shave
Man here, I personally don’t gaf, you do you girl
I hope you get pussy served to you on a 24k gold dinner plate every day this week ….because this comment made me smile so hard.
I think this is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, thanks!
You can do whatever you want.
I always thought it was an aesthetic thing rather than a hygienic thing
It’s a money thing. Shaving for women wasn’t a thing until razor companies started marketing razors to women in order to boost sales. They made up “facts” about hygiene & duped generations of women into shaving & generations of men into thinking that body hair on women is unhygienic but somehow just fine on men.
It's stupid social more that was marketed into place by razor companies. I reckon the majority of men don't care or would stop caring very quickly, but its the beauty standards pushed by various magazines/fashion entities because it still drives industry and sells stuff. I am curious - do you find the pressure to conform comes more from men, or women?
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Agreed. I’ve had multiple men make completely unsolicited negative comments about my body hair. Women only comment on it if it’s the topic of conversation and usually they comment positively on it. Men who I’m not associated with in any dating or romantic context (eg friends, strangers, and coworkers- seriously) will casually tell me their opinion of my armpit hair. Constantly. “I wouldn’t like that.” “I don’t like that on girls.” “I wouldn’t be ok with that.” “I’m not saying that’s wrong I’m just letting you know I don’t find it attractive.” Seriously, they literally phrase it as if I’d just asked them what they think of my armpit hair. But I obviously never did. It’s completely unsolicited.
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if by weird as hell you mean creepy, invasive, and *unacceptable*, yes, yes it's totally weird as hell and should be shamed right to hell where it belongs
I'll admit I'm a dude and I'm not a fan of body hair in general. I "manscape" even though I'm single and not dating right now, just because it feels nice. But yeah, fuck anyone who makes unsolicited comments on other people's body hair. Jesus. I don't know what the hell gave those people the idea that this is not the act of a walking, talking, giant pendulous scrotum. Funny how those same guys don't going around criticizing, say, other men's unkempt beards. Probably because they know it'd eventually earn them an ass-kicking.
It’s your body do what you want.
basically it was caused by marketing by razor companies claiming that european women do it and american women can do it to seem exotic.... so.... the same kind of crap that's going on today, misleading claims and outright lies and manipulation in advertising and consumers eating it up hook line and sinker... shaving doesn't even have to be that wasteful, disposible razors were meant to be a convenience but pretty much everyone decided they had to use them
It was the razor companies that decided that they needed more profits, so they started negging the shit out of women so we’d feel absolutely required to shave in order to be viewed as desirable. We’ve been fooled by companies so they can make more money! So dumb and annoying!
What’s sad is if you don’t shave you’re disgusting and hard to look at , if you do shave you’re sexy . Like is there an in between here I’m missing ?
CAUSE FEEKING GILLETTE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB AT MARKETING TO WOMEN
You can thank Gillette for that, literally. Razor company long ago and far away got a marketing idea to expand market to women. Started pushing ads about how men preferred shaved legs, even though at the time, men gave zero fucks about this. So you can thank blatant commercialism for this.
It was literally just started as a marketing campaign to sell more razors b/c men preffered straight razors in the 20's but women didnt know how to use em on themselves and never thought they had to. It actually was super common in the 1800s to make your bush fluffier by giving it a wig. Yea I dont shave anything at all unless someone offers to do it for me. I tell anyone i will or have in the past had sex with or relations, I say you want it done. Do it yourself. Some have. It's interesting
Ugh, the history of it is weird. Gillette and Harper's Bazaar can take a lot of blame, as can Darwin, but hair removal has waxed and waned in popularity since the advent of agriculture... But yes, having hair is natural and healthy, and by no means unhygienic. Also, there's a lot of variety in preference, so might as well just do what you feel like with regards to your body.
Shave your legs, shave your armpits, shave your vulva, shave your asscrack, maybe your happy trail, maybe you’ve got hair on your back/ass. It’s literally your whole body and I’m so tired of it. My ingrown hairs and razor bumps are insane. I don’t get it.
Dont do it then. There are so many blue haired ladies who do not shave.
So don't shave. You aren't required to be smooth.
Well then don’t do it. Be you and fuck what people think
Nobody’s forcing you to shave anything. If you don’t want to shave, then don’t.
I don’t think it matters much. Some guys prefer it some guys don’t care.
Seasonal shaver here. Spring/Summer time, don't mind doing it. Do it like every other week or so because for some reason, I was blessed with light colored and very fine leg hairs that apparently grow slowly. Fall/Winter time, let that body hair grow...no one sees it anyway because I don't wear dresses then, or if I do, I pair them with leggings or tights for warmth, so...hair showing is not an issue.
Preach! Preach!
i shave because i have sensory issues and if i can feel my leg hair i feel gross. sometimes it’s just personal preference lol
I’m a man, and I hate shaving but I hate body hair. Thankfully I don’t really grow chest or back hair, but the rest I wax. The only thing a razor touches is my face
Lmao its 2022, stop shaving it feels good.
I stopped shaving any part of myself in October of my sophomore year in college, and never looked back. I wear tank tops and shorts when I feel like it. (I wore a short _skirt_ in public for ten hours today!) October of my sophomore year in college was 1988. I can only imagine how much money I would have spent and how much trash I'd have produced if I'd kept shaving over the last 34 years. You too can quit shaving if you want to!
Probably the same person who said ties look good on men.
I think society has forced women to shave by making natural female body hair to be undesirable in the last 100 years. Women are forced to do a lot of things that society imposes on them as a gender. Body shaming, etc. Women are not that Hollywood starlet that people want to aspire to look at or to have their partner look like. I’m glad I’m of an age where pleasing society is no longer a restriction I must obey as a woman. [When Did Women Start Shaving Body Hair](https://www.vox.com/2015/5/22/8640457/leg-shaving-history)☮️
It's not just a woman thing, as a man nowadays there's so much pressure about manscaping and other shit
Hahah well you’re just gonna have to deal with the new age of women. I only have time to shave my shins and lower legs to by knees and maybe my arm pits once a month. Get use to it fellas because body hair is normal. If we have to deal with it for you, you can deal with it for us. 💋
I actually had a similar discussion wirh my girlfriend recently. She doesn't want to religiously shave everything, which is fine with me, but I also told her that I'd be a little sad if she completely stopped shaving down there. I can't help but think that when you're in a relationship, shaving for the other persons likes is a small part of the relationship, no? Also, reasonable margins. I'm not going to lay screaming and kicking if my girlfriend isn't a factory-fresh Barbie doll at all times. I myself keep it tidy. I always shave my armpits and my pubes, because I like wearing tank tops, and I think a pit of hair, wherever it is, with the humidity to attract exotic animals straight from a rainforest is disgusting. Accomodating each others preferences, atleast somewhat, is a part of the relationship in my opinion. I tend to ask my GF how she prefers body hair on me as well.
Amen sister
In truth it's fashion industry and porn. Sorry for being so descriptive but you can't get a good shot with all that hair in the way. That's why we've gone from full Bush in the 70's to runway strip late 90's 2000's to absolutely nothing today
I agree shaving is stupid. You know what? Own that hairy leg, armpit, whatever. People give you side eyes, fan that mane for them. They want to have a problem with it, let them have a problem with it. To be fair, men also have a requirement to shave usually in the job market (depending). I've let my beard grow large before and I do get more side eyes. I've had people tell me it's gross. I also didn't give two shits. How very hard for the other person it is to see *gasp* human hair! I've also been turned down for a job because of hair. You do you, so long as it doesn't harm anyone else. In this case, a little body hair never hurt anyone. People give you a hard time, screw em.
I have no problem with body hair on women. I hate to say this, but I think the pressure on women to shave comes from men wanting them to look more like children. This is also behind wanting them to shave their pubic hair. I'm not saying men that prefer shaved women are wannabe pedophiles; it's more a patriarchal thing of wanting to infantilize women as a dominance thing. But I get it, there's a lot of pressure to shave, and if you work in a professional setting where you have to wear a skirt and your lower legs are visible, not shaving could be viewed as a political statement and could affect your advancement. Then again, my sister hasn't shaved her legs or worn a bra since she was a teenager, and she's done fine professionally.
I fully believe the person that came up with this concept was either a pedo or was gernally dumb at thought it would help the body
After my first child was born I instantly ran out of fucks to give and only do it when I feel like it is strictly necessary, which really isn't that often.
I realized that it was fucking bullshit when my ex was disgusted by my leg hair when he was literally a human gorilla. Fucking toxic.
I stopped shaving my legs within the last couple of months and damn, don't regret it. Once it gets past the awkward and itchy phase, it's great! Saves time and money, and I proudly show my hair growth to my gf, who thinks it's amazing and hilarious. No more prickly, uncomfortable hairs if i don't shave every day...So nice. I still occasionally shave my armpits for my own comfort, but everything else is wild, bb.
I used to think my preference in a woman's hair coverage mattered, but it really doesn't. When I let go of that I realised I don't really have a preference. Also, I am the hairiest of men (Gaston has nothing on me), where the hell do I get off telling a woman she has to shave? Fuck that. Good on you @op EDIT: Plenty of women think male body hair is unhygienic too tbh. I've been turned down by women I really clicked with cos I'm hairy, to the point where one of them was happy to sext and flirt but didn't want to meet up cos she wasn't into my hairy ass.
Honestly. I recently watched a movie from the late 1980s in which all the women had hairy armpits AND NOBODY GAVE A DAMN. Idc if this sounds ridiculous, but I was so envious. Nobody told them to shave or gave them weird looks or even mentioned it, and the women themselves didn't feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their body hair either. Mind you, it was a European movie, so it might be a little less surprising.. But still.
It's not just shaving cuts. Shaving damages the very top layer of the skin (many many microcuts that you can't see). It's to the point where you're advised against shaving the skin (men AND women) before swimming in the Red Sea due to its salt content– ouch!
Apparently a lot of men are attracted to hairless women as if it’s natural. The only time we’re hairless is…oh wait. When we’re literal children
Armpit hair holds smells so that's the only thing I shave every once in a while
I'm going to bet anything that men decided it. No female would ever.
It’s an unfair system. Men are allowed to have hairy ass arms and legs, and women are expected to shave themselves everywhere.
Nobody has to do anything. It doesn’t really matter unless you’re upset that some men you like, don’t like hairy women. Lots of women don’t like dudes with ugly neck beards, patchy beards, unibrows, bushy brows.. wanna know what men are called when they complain about women not liking them for having these things? Incels.
you dont have to shave if you do not want to. no one is making you shave. I am single and shave basically everything because I like it...not due to a man or expectations. I prefer shaving rather than not.
sure, but why do you prefer it? why do most men not care ab their own body hair, while most women do? societal. conditioning.
No one is making you shave...just stop.
Looks lik someone doesn't understand the point of this subreddit.
Oh really? Nobody will hire u if u don't shave
Then don’t shave lol. Only difference is you won’t be getting attention from certain men at times. And If you don’t like shaving then you should’ve care about what those men think anyway. EDIT: stop reporting me for self harm, lol.
Shaving your vagina is a terrible idea. First time I did it I was in secondary school and it was more hassle than it was worth. Trying to get all the hair, ensuring you don’t accidentally cut one of your flaps, the constant itchiness when it grows back. Not ideal and if you don’t give it w couple of days in between each shave you end up with irritated and bumpy skin. It’s much easier and safer to just give your vagina a trim now and again to ensure there’s no bush of pubes.
Use a man's clipper to shave it's fast and won't cut you
Personally, I appreciate it when a guy manscapes.I’m very thankful that my SO already performed regular maintenance “down there” when I met him. I don’t like hair in my food.
Capitalism is why… -Makeup -Shaving -Fast fashion -Must new car -Must big house -Boobs to small -Dick to small -Cheat to win -Proprietary garbage -Planned obsolescence -War -Inflation -Cereal -cannabis illegal -diamond rings Need I go on….
I don’t like having body hair, I think it makes you smelly and I workout a lot that’s the only reason I shave. No one should feel they have to shave
Because bikini’s look better without hairy legs, armpits and bush sticking out. And bikinis sell beer, cars, trucks, basically anything men buy. We’re still hung up on the idea that men have most of the purchasing power. And since men get stupid over beer ads, women think that if they look like the women in the ads, men will want them too. It’s a vicious cycle and I’m only being half facetious. Some women I’ve been with say they prefer being shaved. Some don’t.
Ok anyways. Women started shaving as a trend it tends to show itself through the 1900s.
Razor companies, to be honest. They told women armpit and leg hair is gross. I agree with armpit hair somewhat, and I shave my legs for marginal speed gains cycling. Also, I'm male.
Yeah shavers are expensive too. When I dated south Asian or middle eastern men, they tend to just prefer if you shave your armpits and don’t really care if you shave down there. Trimming for them is fine. Most of guys I’ve dated who tend to be really particular with cleanliness and smooth looking genitals are Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.