Are people shaving their arms now are they?!

[qwertyskirty]

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

It's a bit of a chicken and an egg situation though isn't it?

I said I do what I want to do. Menu told me that I didn't and that I am naive to think that my choices aren't influenced by society. So that's basically saying that I don't know my own mind.

It feels like as well as pressure for women to conform, there is also pressure for women not to conform. So wear make up and do your hair and you are judged as letting down womankind. Don't and you have let yourself go etc.

I feel the same intolerance to both sides.

Fab post at 19.59 Lying

Im sorry you went through that Lying That is horrendous and assault.

I can see what you mean, Decomposing but going back to my car-buying analogy, it wasn't a coincidence that Thierry Henry was advertising Renault Clio (before he was a cheating twat) and I misguidedly bought one... or that Audi did an amazing advert 'Coming Home' (I won't link it, I promise!) and I bought one.

If DeLoreans had been readily available in the UK, I know that as soon as the credits from 'Back To The Future' had rolled up, I would have been off to the dealership.

Because of that, in view of the inadequate research that I didn't even bother to do, I realise that actually, whilst I think I'm extremely definite in everything I think and do... I'm not immune to advertising pressure. So having actually thought about it (and going from the same standpoint as you have), I think that it's not beyond the bounds of probability that these shaving adverts either convince me that this is the way women should look or validate me for hair removal as I wax not shave.

Why do Gillette or whoever it is, not have a man with his sleeve? Why is it always women in a shower with their thing of Veet? It is always women. Always. That concerns me.

I've always hit back really hard on this type of thread but I've had a bit of a 'red pill/blue pill' moment from what MenuPlant said about the influencing of children - and that it ties up with what HelenaDove has said about bullying. As adults, we are able to fend off comments that we don't like, don't want to give credence to (rightly or wrongly) but can children do that? I don't think they can... and that's where it's starting. Not for partnered women, but before girls (and boys) are sexually active, when they're vulnerable going through puberty and having to cope with bodily changes. They have to cope with what their peers think and heaven help them if they don't comply. Helmet has said the same - one of her daughter's (at 10 years old) has asked about hair removal.

As I said, it feels more palatable to me if this is a 'protect the children' issue and perhaps that's the way forward because it encompasses everything that we as parents, want for our own children.

... now there's an Audi ad on the tv...

Thank you, HelenaDove, it was a really awful time and I wish that I hadn't felt pressurised to do it. It didn't really change a thing but it changed me and I left school soon after.

The bullying epidemic needs stamping on - really, really hard.

Some of you might also find this thread an interesting read About how normalized plastic surgery botox and fillers have become.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3577315-WTF-has-Simon-Cowell-done-to-his-face

With me it really affected my trust in people. For a long time it made me think that most people are like that.

I think that's where we have to inoculate our kids though. It isn't a coincidence that me, my husband, our kids, our friends don't follow trends, don't follow fashions, don't follow the latest whatever. We've all got varied tastes and our children have never grown up around the latest anything and haven't been around adults with that view either.

Yes some of their friends are like it and some aren't but they are proud of being a bit different and liking different music or clothes than their friends and their friends celebrate that too.

'Id much rather carry on spending my time fighting for disability rights and housing/tenant rights than worrying about leg/arm hair.

its just hair'

^^ no arguments here 👏👏👏

Just so, Decomposing but it's not that easy. I've been embroiled in some very silly threads today - one about outward -v- inward-facing pushchairs. You'd think that would be a simple matter of personal choice but, not so. According to the OP, their way was the only way. That's the way it often is here, on this forum and any other. We follow.

We're quite tribal really. We like to see that we're in 'good company' and that's generally that we think like some kind of monstrous 'borg'. Free-thinking is only permitted within certain parameters and it takes some doing to not follow, to go against waves. And that's on a chat-board. Where it doesn't actually matter.

You seem to have the ideal Valhalla in your circle and I'm really pleased for you because it makes the job easier. We don't all have that though. For some, it's a struggle because mobile phones, iPads, latest trainers blah-di-blah. You can rail against them, explain to your children why not... but you know, you just know that you're setting them up to deal with your own stance at the cost of their 'fitting in' with their peers. It's really not that easy.

If you're all swimming in the same direction then that's much to be celebrated, I agree and hats off to you.

I do, because it is necessary. Posts like these are totally uncalled for.

If you don't need to shave your arms, wonderful. Live your life and don't worry about those who do.

Just don't pretend it's an outrageous concept. It's disingenous and mean.

Is this the current rage? I too was shocked at the advert. Makes me sad. Hope young teenage girls don't think it's the norm.

Totally get it if you are very dark or very hairy, but I don't like to think all girls thinking this is standard.

i do it, because it is necessary
Is it though, or has some twat being mean about your hairy arms made you think it is.
If you like shaving your arms then of course that’s ok but it’s never necessary, you shouldn’t have to do it unless you want to.

I have always bleached the hair on my arms with Jolene so I keep the hair, it's just a lot less noticeable. I don't what I would do if I could no longer use Jolene.

Word of warning. Don't bleach the hair on your arms then use fake tan. Orange hair! Looked really good...