To quite like having hairy armpits?

[WingedPig]

I've always had hair free armpits but have left them to grow free for the last couple of months. I have decided I actually quite like it, I feel quite feminine and liberated. AIBU? Does anyone else feel like this?

I don't like my armpits to be hairy but I love them on other women I find it a massive turn on

YANBU op.

Anyone who thinks you must smell has clearly only been with men who reek (or shave their armpits I guess). Unless people think women smel worse than men?

Sorry my personal hygiene upsets you Mad, but no I do not smell nor do I need to use deodorant because I don't have smelly armpits, whether they are shaved or hairy.

My feet smell when it's hot in the summer and of course I wash them frequently then. I only mentioned that because otherwise I knew I'd get people telling me that of course I am smelly and disgusting because I am blind to it, I'm not, I am perfectly capable of recognising when I have bodily odour, and have plenty of people who would tell me if there was a problem. I shower every other day because otherwise my skin gets quite painfully dry. It's not good for skin to shower too frequently and it wastes a lot of water too.

Some interesting research: www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2013/feb/14/wasting-money-deodorant-ears

But you could wash instead? On the second day. No need to not wssh at all, especially if you don't ever wear deodorant.

I'm pretty sure that you can be a feminist and still be a victim of societal pressure. I am :)

I know personally I smell more when my pits are hairy. I'm pretty active and shower a couple of times a day even with shaven pits.

Like to shave my pubes too (already been flamed for that on another thread!) but don't bother with my legs so it's not about looks for me.

The hair slows down the evaporation process and can I sweat a lot. It also prevents antiperspirant from being applied to the skin where it is most effective which is a double whammy.

If I didn't benefit from shaving, I wouldn't do it, razors are really expensive and it's time consuming and not great for the skin.

I feel sorry for those of you who feel put defensive for not needing to shave (not a good feeling and something I hated when on the public hair thread), you are actually the lucky ones and I'm very envious.

The hair slows down the evaporation process

This is simply the opposite of true.

You may well smell less with shaven armpits (its a big world and everyone is different) but hair improves evaporation. Thats its job.

bryte your experience exactly mirrors mine. I get sweaty in pressure situations and seem to have some sort of reaction to most deodorants that makes me smell even worse.

I stopped shaving on maternity leave and it was SUCH a revelation.

Regarding swimming - I wouldn't worry about it. I have never noticed anyone else's body hair while swimming....too much water and everyone is busy doing their own thing.

I have been swimming for two years now with hairy pits and had only a couple of random comments (and that might have been about the leg hair tbh!) and only in the scummiest of the local pools I tried out.

That's really interesting about the body hair being designed to wick bacteria/moisture, it bears out my own impression that I'm more smelly when I do shave. I don't remove hair from my oxters unless some occasion seems to demand it (e.g. being friend's bridesmaid in sleeveless frock).
I started using salt deodorant when I had a newborn and trying to cut down on chemicals, and it's surprisingly effective, hairy or not, so I still use it five years later :)

oh yes and I go swimming all the time, both doing lengths by myself and splashing about with DSs. I don't expect other people to be peering too closely, or concerning themselves with other people's underarms, and I'm mostly underwater anyway!

Yep, I'm another one who likes her hairy pits. I don't even think about it now, until I see someone looking surprised/horrified at the gym .

However, I can't, for some reason, completely get used to letting my leg hair grow (it's very thick and dark), but I'd like to comfortable with it one day.

what are oxters??

oxters = armpits
www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/oxter

Much nicer word IMO