Are people shaving their arms now are they?!

[qwertyskirty]

Just seen the venus shaving advert. A woman was shaving her whole arm?! Why?!

Also I haven't seen anyone judging women for shaving whatever.

Questioning beauty standards in general is not personal.

I would say its more the ones who suggest that shaved Arms are lovelier than unshaved ones are judging, whether they mean to or not.

It's not hard to say I do x but i understand its not a feminist choice /is a submission to ever more extreme female beauty standards, surely?

MenuPlant

Where has anyone said that shaved arms ate better than unshaved? All I've seen is people saying that they do it for themselves, not they their choice is the better choice.

And you have been saying that this is a feminist issue and that the message is that 8 year olds need dipping in veet to remove all body hair because it is the responsibility of every individual to consider the impact of their own personal choices (apart from you when you shave your legs. So more of a "do as I say, not as I do" message then?)

i understand that not everyone can be arsed talking over historical context, the origins of something or the prevalence of something - yup that might be dull

what i cant begin to understand is those people who think their age, generation, sex, class, nationality or education has no influence on the choices they make. ime, the only people who do genuinely believe their choices are made in a vacuum are right thickos.

Used to have mine waxed. I was very conscious in my 20 s of my hairy arms. Tan looked better too.

Now in my 50s and not bothered. Not that hairy anymore anyway.

It’s very common in some cultures and has been for years to shave your arms. I think it’s a shame its gone mainstream though because it’s just created yet another thing for women to have to worry about. Like all male and female grooming trends it’s just a way to make people money by making you think your body isn’t good enough as it is.
People can do what they like with their bodies but I resent these types of adverts because inevitably it’ll change from ‘shave your arms if you’d like to’ and become ‘you are ugly unless you shave your arms’.

Decomposing a PP did describe her freshly shaved arms as "lovely and smooth"

I am sure she did not mean anything

But clearly that indicates that hair on womens arms is less than lovely.

None of us make these choices in a vacuum.

Plenty of threads on here with parents asking how best to broach hair removal with their DDs, what they should advise them to do
How do they get them to remove hair before event eg wedding without making them feel that it's compulsory (but it is)
On this thread, women saying their parents gave them the talk about what hair to remove and how to remove it

In stating that I shave my own legs I am saying that we are none of us islands and it is very hard to go against societal norms. This is even more the case for children and young adults. The desire to fit in is strong. Plus women on here have mentioned unkind remarks / etc.

I don't understand why women get so defensive with all of this. And have to pretend that each individual woman is making her own individual choice free of outside influence. It's demonstrably not true.

Decomposing a PP did describe her freshly shaved arms as "lovely and smooth"

But that isn't a judgement on non shaven arms. And it certainly isn't saying that arms with hair are less than lovely.

I find it very odd that you say that you shave your own legs whilst saying that in effect you are contributing to the culture that you don't agree with.

That's a strange double standard isn't it? You can do what you choose as long as you acknowledge the harm that the choice makes whilst simultaneously judging others who do the same?

I find that hypocritical. As far as I am concerned everyone can have free will over their own bodies. I am not influenced by what anyone else does and I won't judge what anyone else chooses to do.

My naturally hairy arms are also "smooth and lovely " because I don't shave them and as such the hair is not spiky. They don't have to be hair free to look or feel nice!

Everyone is a hypocrite.

No-one adheres to perfect standards meeting all their moral and ethical preferences.

You are a fool if you think that they do.

As we are all hypocrites, there are two choices to feel comfortable. Lie to ourselves or accept it.

To lambast a woman for honesty is pathetic TBH.

Of course saying something is lovely, means that otherwise is less than lovely. Same as women who say they remove all their pubic hair for hygiene reasons as an explanation to themselves, give an implication that women who do not are unclean. Same as women who say they remove leg hair for how it looks, for themselves, are ignoring a subtext that unshaven legs do not look as nice...

" As far as I am concerned everyone can have free will over their own bodies. I am not influenced by what anyone else does and I won't judge what anyone else chooses to do."

This is a lie.

Many many people do not have free will over their own bodies (is that what you meant?).
Of course humans as social animals are impacted by group standards peer pressure etc do you really believe we are not, none of us, not even children?
You have never ever been influenced by anyone else? You have never followed fashion? You look at yourself in pics in the 80s 90s 2000s and can see no difference in your appearance that was the fashion at the time? I have never seen a pic of someone in the 80s that I couldn't see give-aways in their appearance - especially girls and women!

And you never judge anyone for anything ever. BUT you have judged me and judged me hard, so that's not true is it. In fact, you say anyone can do whatever and you will not judge, yet you judge me for shaving my legs... So, um.

All of the men aged 20-30 in my workplace have pretty much the same haircut. It is one that has become v popular in last few years.

They obviously have all arrived at this choice independently, it's just a mad mad coincidence they have all gone for the same style at the same time. Freaky innit.

I shave my forearms as I have tattoos and think they look odd with hair.

Funnily enough I don't shave my legs and armpits except for very rare occasions.

MenuPlant

I said as far as I am concerned everyone has free choice what to do with their body - you said this was a lie. How am I lying about my opinion?

And no, I do not and have never followed fashion trends or anything else. I wear only what I want to wear. Not interested in fashion or trends or anything else.

As for me judging you, yes I am. I am judging your attitudes of trying to control what others do with their body. I'm not judging what you do with your body.

Just find it hypocritical that you seek to tell others not to do something when you do something very similar.

You criticised people who shave their arms by saying that we might as well dip 8 year olds into veet. Yet you shave your legs. So by your reckoning, leg shaving has no effect but arm shaving causes 8 year olds to need to be hairless? Bizarre.

Other than you want to do what you want but seek to control others from doing what they want.

It was my post at 11.11 that said that I had just shaved my arms and that they were indeed "lovely and smooth" and I meant no malice from that at all.

On reflection, it could be said that I'm implying that hairy arms are not lovely or smooth but that wasn't my intention at all.

Like I said in the post before that one, I don't often shave my legs, I actively hate doing it so only tend to bother when going swimming or going on holiday and I'm really dark haired but I give no fucks

Sorry if my comment has offended anyone. I just prefer that my arms are shaved and don't judge others for not doing so.

This really escalated between pages 1 and 6! I use Veet because shaving makes me stubbly and I don't like how it feels against my sleeves. Have done so for probably... 5 years or so? Maybe longer? Am 28 and blonde, but hairy. Much prefer being smooth, I personally find it more attractive, comfortable and feel more confident. I wear 1/2 or 3/4 length sleeves a lot. Can't be arsed with my legs usually though, that's what tights are for.

I agree with Decomposing and icantremember.

I have only pale , thin body hair but yesarm hair I shave it off

Decomposing you haven't actually read my posts, you are replying to what you think you are saying.

I am v interested in the fact that you are immune to outside influence via society, friends, advertising, media etc and always have been. I have never met anyone like that before.

How do you personally feel about people who do follow social norms? When you read of young people doing dangerous things because they are the norm in their group, how do you feel about that? Do you agree with any restrictions on adversiting at all? What about things like caution in news reporting on certain topics are they are worried about social contagion/copying?

When you were a child, how did this manifest? You were always aware of any and all outside pressures, however subtle?

This is really interesting. I must admit I find it hard to believe but, it takes all sorts etc.

What you think I have said

Apologies am on phone.

I can’t actually believe some women take this shit

An ex tried it with me years ago and I fucked him off.

Decomposing I'd also be interested in hearing more about this, I don't understand what you are getting at:

'Yet feminists demand that women be allowed to choose abortion because a woman should have ultimate choice over their own bodies? Despite that the availability of abortion makes it more difficult for some women to continue with pregnancies.'

Also would be interested to hear why you think this is the' ultimate' choice as opposed to other areas where women /people want bodily autonomy.

Interesting discussion on body hair removal on the World Service this morning:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csynj4

People have been doing that since I was 15 at least (2010) all my friends did it in secondary. I couldn't be arsed and shan't be arsed as I refuse to get a shaving rash on ones forearms

MenuPlant

How people behave ie following dangerous trends is entirely different. Yes, clearly there should be regulation around that. I don't think hairstyles, arm or leg shaving etc falls into that category and I think you are being a hypocrite by saying that women shaving their arms has an adverse affect on other women and girls whilst happily shaving your legs!!

My comment about abortion was that feminists agree that abortion should be easily available because it is a woman's choice as to what she does with her own body. The downside to easily available abortions is that some women may be pressured into having one because it is seen as an easy option. When a screening test during my pregnancy showed a high risk for downs syndrome I was told by the dr that the process was to have an amnio and if the diagnosis was confirmed I would have a termination. When I refused I was subject to a campaign of how bad it would be, how difficult my life would be etc etc.

So my point is in some instances we say "my body, my choice" end of story regardless of the negative impacts that may have on other women.

Then on other occasions we judge choices that women make about their own bodies arguing that those choices affect other women.

In my view it is wrong to judge what another person does with their own body.

And I don't much care whether you believe me or don't about following trends. I don't and never have. My parents didn't and my kids don't either. I buy things that we need. I don't go to high fashion shops, wear minimal make up, hair in a style that suits me. I don't follow the fashion around here which is fake tan, fillers, botox, typical "Towie" look because I personally don't want to. I don't judge those that do though. Entirely up to them what they do.

I shave my arms and have done since I can remember. I also shave my hands, fingers, toes and pretty much every other part of my body 🤷‍♀️ I'm not particularly hairy but I love the feeling of moisturized skin after its been fully exfoliated and shaved. Its just my preference for my own body and I couldn't care less about what anyone else does with theirs

Decomposed

You blame feminists for societal attitudes towards people with disabilities?

You don't see increasingly onerous beauty standards for women and girls (and on the rise for men and boys too) as an issue in any way, got that.

You now maintain that not only are you totally immune to outside influence (not just fashion and trends but everything, was what you said earlier), but your family is too?

You don't judge anyone for anything, except for women who believe the pressure on girls and women to look certain ways is too much / worry about girls and the massive levels of mental ill health which has been linked to all this, if those women do anything to comply with certain standards expected of them by society/ work etc? You judge them and them only.

It's really interesting.