Hairy legs

Its hundreds of years ideas and cultural view hairyness is seen as a male thing and if you as a woman hairy may have testesterone hormonal issues. A lot of beauty ideals go back to what is seen as fertile, so young skin, thick head hair, small waist to hip ratio, perky breasts, red lips and flushed cheeks all to look healthy for breeding. Media made targeting women ten folds easier but i suspect women were always subject to painful and biologically unnecessary treatments like corsets and plucking hairline to make the forehead higher.
Body hair is associated with cleanliness and my armpits smell better when they are shaved.
If i saw a woman with hairy armpits i feel queasy i dont know why.
If i saw hairy legs out i would think she is unkempt, depressed or has some mental illness or maybe queer. I am flinching from my own words because i see how ignorant and brainwashed i am.. its quite sad, i know my reactions and assumptions are a product and part of this issue. Sorry op.

DonutMan loads of blokes these days have very busy beards. It's totally fashionable.

My personal theory is that removing body hair emphasises femininity - men being in general hairier than women - and removing armpit and pubic hair gives an impression of youth.

The societal pressure to bleach mousy brown hair and to disguise grey hair is similar. Subtle, insidious, and difficult to break away from.

Do elaborate, DonutMan.

My legs were like that in my 20s and I definitely got stared and pointed at and talked about. I used to swim a lot. I've also heard women making nasty comments about other women's body hair. It's crap.

I'd imagine it's for the same reason that it wouldn't be deemed acceptable for me to rock up in the office looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway.

I'm 31 and for the moment can't be bothered to shave my legs. I haven't shaved for weeks and my body hair is long and dark.
I am also in a long-term relationship and I feel selfconcious if he touches me when I haven't shaved for weeks. My dp doesn't make a issue of it but as I said it makes me feel selfconcious when we are intimate.

I'm 44 , I think it was a growing up thing for me.
Who was I doing it for ? Not myself

After you stop shaving and a little time goes by you stop thinking about it.
That was my experience.

That's an interesting question, OP. Personally, I've shaved when I've been single but not bothered when in a committed relationship. My partners haven't cared less if I shave or not. Saying that, I'm single now and haven't shaved in about three years.

Could it be an age thing? Could it be being more comfortable with our bodies as we get older? I'm 48 now and really couldn't give a toss. I'm more worried about other body things like SI joint pain that stops me walking instead of whether or not I have a furry layer!

I'll be watching this post with interest! I'd also be fascinated to know the ages of women who don't bother versus those who do.

Must get my hairy legs into bed, night all

Pinkbonbon "Sometimes I don't even bother to run a comb through my hair if I'm going out either - and end up looking like Einstein." Bloody hell me too!

WatchingTheMoon
"Images of women with hair on their bodies are out there!"

"If you look for them.

I'm talking about mainstream media."

I agree, I did go looking for those images. However, I feel as their presence increases, and I have seen incidental bloody hair images, it becomes more the norm.

"That perception doesn't change as we age." I will disagree with that, I think. I think as we get older our tastes about what is beautiful can change and we can become more open and see beauty in a variety of places. Just as we change our eating habits and think different tastes and smells are good. Obviously, not all people but some.

"Small 4 year old children are not looking up youtube videos of unshaven women." I wouldn't want them to be, but as their mums relax and feel it is a chocie to shave or not, so those children may see (when hey grow up) that they too can have a choice.

"No choice exists in a vacuum" yes, I agree.

In the 80s I traveled in in Continental Europe and it was very normal for young women not to shave their legs. I was travelling with some American women and the other European women found it quite funny that the Americans did shave their legs.

That may have changed as they may have been influenced by the USA. I do hope people can have choice in these matters.

"Images of women with hair on their bodies are out there!"

If you look for them.

I'm talking about mainstream media.

The idea of what is pretty or attractive is formed very early. Small children (from age 4 or so) will pick out white blonde haired dolls and declare anything that differs from that as "ugly". That perception doesn't change as we age.

Small 4 year old children are not looking up youtube videos of unshaven women.

They're seeing Anna and Elsa and Katy Perry and whoever.

No choice exists in a vacuum.

What does it matter if you look 'unkempt' anyway though?

Sometimes I don't even bother to run a comb through my hair if I'm going out either - and end up looking like Einstein. Couldn't really give a feck. As long as it's not work or a date I really don't care what strangers think.

As long as it isn't offending anyone, have at it I say.

shiveringsparklingtimber Well, I don't think men look unkempt when they don't shave their legs. So I also don't think women look unkempt when they don't shave their legs either. But that's just my opinion.

@Italiangreyhound I don't know, you tell me.

"People who say it's a choice are deluding themselves, when was the last time you even saw leg hair on a woman in the media?" I just linked to it.

It is a choice.

Images of women with hair on their bodies are out there!

My armpits and bush can grow and thrive though!

Time40 there's definitely a vibe amongst pornified young men and teenagers that women should be completely hairless, because that's all they've ever seen.

I strongly resent the societal pressure to be so weirdly hairless. Especially the implication that it is gross/dirty to let everything grow. Nevertheless, one of the only things that is comforting me right now with the horrible insomnia is that I shaved my lower legs this evening and the smoothy smoothness is very nice.

I was self concious swimming with my little one without having shaved my pits or legs. I judged myself! No one maybe even looked or cared but I felt in a way dirty

It's sad that you say "dirty", OP. No one should have to feel like that.

I am absolutely convinced that hardly anyone either looks or cares. Where is this "pressure" to remove hair that so many women talk about? Apart from in hair-removal ads, I mean? It's not something that you see written anywhere, is it? Or is it, and I've just missed it all these years? I honestly think that this "pressure" is something that women impose on themselves.

That mildly annoying Stacey Solomon is a hairy girl and loves to show her body ( and facial hair ) to the world.
I had no idea who she was until my friend showed me a story online .
Her DP loves her hairy.
I'm going to say I think that although she is very bloody loud , she's a breathe of fresh air.
She has no fucks to give.

I don't bother with my armpit hair, I like it and think it's cute. Also I sweat more if I shave it.

Leg hair looks disgusting to me and I wish it didn't. It's such bs that's been drummed into us that it's ugly.

People who say it's a choice are deluding themselves, when was the last time you even saw leg hair on a woman in the media?

I can't imagine not having a full bush! I think it's brilliant and best and turns out it is healthier too!

www.insider.com/health-benefits-not-shaving-2018-5

I got hairy legs, hairy armpits and a full bush

Dh loves every bit of it.

I’m glad I don’t have to shave

shiveringsparklingtimber just curious but do men look unkempt when they do not shave their legs?