Why is shaving your arms seen so differently to shaving your legs or armpits?

[ThatCyanSheep]

(Not looking for a debate on why I shave or if I should, I shave my legs and arms because it helps my fake tan apply better and I shave my armpits because it’s personal preference, I feel like I get less sweaty)

when I was a young teenager and first wanted to start shaving, my mum always told me I could do my legs, but not my arms - because it makes your arm hair grow back faster. But that’s obviously not true. Ever since I started shaving my arms everyone looks at me like I’m bonkers but I don’t get why it’s seen any differently?

It’s not, actually.

I didn't know that people did shave their arms (before reading this thread).

I get mine waxed! I love it when they’ve just been done!

I’ve not had hairy arms in years because I shave them, if you shave your legs why wouldn’t you shave your arms?

I avoided shaving my arms for years and faffed about bleaching it or being self-conscious. Now I shave them about once a week and it's great,.lovely and smooth. Quick and easy.

I’ve never shaved my arms, I’m lucky enough to have fine fair hair on them. I’ve also only ever shaved my legs up to my knees, my hair on my upper legs is very fine and fair also and not much of it.

All 3 dds shave their arms, 2 of them are dark haired though and they are paranoid about their body hair.

I’ve always routinely shaved my arms and legs in the shower, I didn’t realise it was weird! I must be a weirdo because I love my smooth arms and legs 😂

I’ve never shaved my arms but I have several Italian friends and they all do. Each to their own!

I got bullied at school by a girl who went on and on about my arms having hair "as thick as a forest". I had lots of very blonde hair.

I've shaved my arms daily since I was 12 as a result. I hate the stupid girl still has a hold over me 30 years later but there we have it.

Been shaving mine since about 2000 as then bf remarked that they were hairy. Don't think they were particularly hairy, and light blonde anyway so you probably wouldn't notice unless you were very close. But I like the feeling of smooth arms so carry on.

Hairless arms are weird to me.

I stopped shaving my legs years ago in my late 40s. The hair is sparse for the most part so I don’t really care anymore. And I never wear anything where my underarms show so I don’t have my pits anymore either.

Same here. I am sixty, as a younger woman I saved now and then. Not now. My DD, she does lots of nails, make up stuff but doesn’t shave either.

I shave my arms as I have fair skin and dark hair and I'm a hairy person!
If I had fine blonde hair on my arms I wouldn't bother.
At various times iny life I've cycled between shaving my arms and leaving them hairy but for past few years I've settled on shaving them.
I can remember seeing a photo with my arm in the foreground holding DC and noticing just how very hairy my arm was and on another occasion at a school fete where DD wanted us to have matching tattoos on our arms and the person doing them recoiled when she saw how hairy my arm was-she quickly recovered but there was clearly an element of surprise! , made me realise I did need to do something about my hairy arms!

There’s no difference, except that some women have enough hair on their (lower) legs to want to shave them but only a bit of hair on their forearms which they’re happy to leave (I quite like my fair fuzz). But what each woman does with her hair, be it on her head or elsewhere, is entirely up to her. It’s not weird to shave your arms, and it’s not weird to not shave legs and armpits.

I've never heard of anyone shaving their arms! Since when has that been a thing? The hair on my arms is very fine and blonde. I don't seem to have any on my upper arms so I suppose there's not much to shave off! In contrast, my legs are quite hairy and I do shave those.

Shaving legs and armpits is very normalised. Shaving arms isn’t, and if we start normalising it it adds pressure to those who don’t want to to do it too. Let’s be honest, none of us would be shaving anything if it wasn’t the norm in society, it’s a giant waste of time and you’re hairless for a day max before it starts coming back.

I don’t feel any pressure to do it. I do it because it’s the best form of exfoliation I’ve found for my arms and legs and I want a good fake tan! I do my armpits for personal comfort

I'm a hugger as is most of my family and I wouldn't want a scratchy arm to be in the mix! We tend not to entwine legs so not a problem.

I’m weirdly troubled by the pp referring to their facial hair as ‘bum fluff’

I hardly ever need to shave legs or bikini line or armpits. However I shave my moustache, beard and neck twice a day minimum. It grows black and wiry. I’m so ashamed of it. But legs I could go a tear or more without bothering.

That's what I call it too!🤣