hairy pits

[HeyKu]

I was on the train the other day in a sleeveless top and had a good stretch. I noticed the lady on the row of seats opposite looking curiously at my pits - I don't shave through personal choice, it doesn't personally bother me hence I see no point, I was just curious to know what people actually thought? I've not had any comments, save for people discussing how disgusting they think hairy armpits on women are in general and then looking horribly embarassed when they realise that I do .

[Writerwannabe83]

I've been grooming my carriage for 14 years and no infections or in grown hairs yet

I think that's a very exaggerated risk to be honest.

Shaving down there isn't any different in terms of difficulty or risk than me shaving my legs or my DH shaving his face - it's just another bit that needs preening

[LynetteScavo]

I've never had hairy pits, as I've shaved them since I hit puberty.

If I had hairy pits, they would be very, very dark and hairy.

I couldn't care less about other peoples curly pube hairy pits, but I'm not going to have them. Even if hairy pits were the fashion, I would have to trim mine, just to look normal.

I think usually the women who celebrate their hairy legs, bikini lines and armpits are those who aren't particular hairy.

[LiDLrichardsPistachioSack]

I'm hairy and I give precisely zero fucks about what people think of it, nor do I care what others choose to do with their very normal adult Mammalian body hair. Go OP!

[ChickenMe]

When I was staying with some Spanish friends (female) I noticed they all had hairy armpits and legs and also none of them wore any make up. Plus they dressed a lot more casual than UK girls. They seemed refreshingly less bothered about what men thought (and they all had adoring boyfriends).
I shave the pits, legs, bikini line but I'm lazy about it. If I was going out with bare legs then I'd shave them but I wouldn't fret over a bit of leg hair showing round the ankle area of trousers.

[LapsedTwentysomething]

I agree that seeing someone having a big stretch on a train would be remarkable as it's an action that takes plenty of space in a cramped environment. I would assume you were attention seeming and wanted people to notice your pits to make a point.

I wouldn't actually care whether you shaved them or MIT.

[MrsKoala]

Alisvola - yes i shave my forearms. My hairiness has been often commented on by friends, acquaintances and strangers. In a 'concerned' way, in a 'hilarious' way and, more usually, in a 'disgusted' way. I have bleached my forearms since i was 12, but that just meant they glistened blonde and were still very noticeable (and commented on), then i saved and had them ipl'd which after 6 sessions removed about 90% but 6 yrs on some more are creeping back. So now i just run a razor over them in the shower once every 4-7 days.

I don't bother with pits as i said upthread because they don't bother me and i rarely have them on show, so don't get lots of horrified reactions. I do have a completely cleared undercarriage and anus at the waxers monthly, because i find the excessive hair uncomfortable and gets caught in knickers/tampons/when wiping etc. I leave the front triangle tho as i like the look of hair.

[Bunbaker]

"Shaving down there isn't any different in terms of difficulty or risk than me shaving my legs or my DH shaving his face - it's just another bit that needs preening"

It doesn't need preening. You want to do it.

[Woozlebear]

Talcum. Ditto - I like spotting women who seem to belong to my tribe in various ways.

Rarely seems to happen though.

I shave a few times in summer ahead of dressy uppy dos esp in company of judgy people or work environment, and never in winter. I resent even that much bowing to expectation and I loathe the week of stubbly itching after.

I do however shave my legs and really resent myself for not being able to get past finding my own hairy legs unattractive.

[Offler]

I shave my pits once a week or so, have a trim at the sides of my bush to stop any strays if I go swimming (don't know why, rarely do, but you could guarantee if I stopped we'd be swimming within 2 weeks . Never shaved my legs, the hairs are very fair and fine!

[LetTheRiverAnswer]

I had to try to explain to my 5 year old why i was shaving my legs recently. The best I could come up with was "because its the societal norm" (obviously I attempted to make it more understandable for him). He absolutel couldn't grasp the idea that it makes women look nice, but men don't have to bother. I guess because it makes no sense.

[PiperRose]

I spent time as a professional dancer from fairly young so all body hair was all very dutifully removed. I'm still very particular about it and do it on a (very) regular basis, I just feel better like that. I wouldn't be arsed to have a judgement on whether others are as bald as a coot or proudly displaying yeti-like locks. BUT I certainly wouldn't grow my body hair because my partner had a preference for it.

[Morloth]

It really doesn't make any sense.

I guess one of the reasons I am so comfortable ignoring this societal norm is DH.

He genuinely doesn't understand why being hairless is more attractive. Just doesn't get it. He understands that people do but he doesn't get why.

I wonder what my boys will be like as adults?

[Sapat]

I don't mind people not shaving, I personally only do it during the summer be cause it looks neater, but then I am not a fan of armpit hair, whether male or female. I think if you wear vests and stretch out, you shouldn't be surprised to be stared at. But are you sure she was staring because they were hairy rather than because they were smelly/it was crowded? As a daily commuter to London I think it is a bit antisocial to do anything that may spread body odour in a busy carriage such as yawning or stretching out.

[CaptChaos]

Offler... I use swimmers with a 'shorts' bottom rather than the high cut whatsits. I shave nothing, ever so am gross and disgusting but I have some awful scarring in the crease of my groin from ingrown hairs, the legacy of when I did wax, to the extent that small children have commented on it. Just in case you should need some emergency-not-trimmed-my-bush swimmers ever

I don't shave because I don't want to. I am a feminist, but it's not a requirement, we don't throw people out of our woman loving club because they feel they must conform to societal norms!

[mrscumberbatch]

Hirsute for happiness over here!

I couldn't give a monkeys what any of my bodily hair looks like. I sometimes leave it, sometimes not... It doesn't really cross my mind.

I was at a beach in the summer- only 5 people on the whole private secluded beach and friend wouldn't get her legs out because she 'hasn't shaved'.

Ffs. Life is for living, not worrying about your hairy knees.

[cerealqueen]

It is all just persona preference as to what degree of hair you like on another person - eg, I don't like this new fashion for big beards, but it isn't extreme, would not make me physically sick, that would be a phobia of some sort.

As for myself, it is my grooming preference, some days I do, some days I don't.

In my 20s though, it bothered me more.

[KoalaDownUnder]

I shave under my arms because a) it takes literally 30 seconds (am not v hairy) and b) I live in a hot climate and exercise a lot. I certainly notice the difference in how quickly I get smelly in summer if I don't shave my pits.

That said, I totally respect women who don't. It's natural, so rock it.

[JapaneseMargaret]

I can't help wondering how the OP knew the woman was looking curiously at her pits, and not just looking curiously at someone having a good old stretch on a train

LOL, I think in this day and age of all-over female body hair taming/removal, out of hairy pits and stretching, it's pretty safe to say that the hirsute pits will be the attention-grabber?!

Having said that, if someone with hairy pits was having a good old, prolonged stretch on a train, I'd be half expecting Dom Joly or someone of his ilk to lep out with a hidden camera.

[Only1scoop]

Yanbu to choose to have hairy pits

Yabu to expose passengers on a train to have to behold the site.

[Only1scoop]

'Sight' agggghhh

[WigglyBraddins]

I've found this so interesting. This is a topic I've been wrestling with myself about so you're going to have to excuse the long post.

So body hair isn't something I'd really thought about until a few months ago. DH is as hairy as a wolf. I am hair-free shaving my arm pits every few days, getting my upper lip, brows, bikini line and legs waxed every month. Costing me about £25 and taking up an hour or so of my life. Every week I do yoga and I swim.

About a month ago I went to yoga in long trousers because my legs were hairy. My completely beautiful, Greek god-like, hair free yoga teacher asked me to roll my trousers up so he could see what I was doing with my ankle. I was mortified and apologised for having hairy legs. I got home afterwards and had a big rant at DH about how this was totally pathetic of me, about how not a single man in the class was bothered about their hair and about how it was completely ridiculous of me to have a) been bothered myself b) to have been bothered about what someone else might think and c) to spend so much time and money removing my body hair. Blokes don't have to do this so why should I?

And then I decided to ignore these feelings and keep doing what I do.

I also think hairy pits are sexy www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/10/hairy-armpits-display-ben-hoppers-natural-beauty-pictures_n_5124432.html

Thank you OP and everyone else who has commented because I'm going to stop shaving my armpits. I can't go cold turkey on all the hair removal but this is going to be a start. Massive respect OP and all the rest of you confident sexy hairy pitted ladies.

[HeyKu]

Can I just point out that the train carriage was empty aside from me and this lady who may or may not have been looking at my pits, I realised I posted this in AIBU instead of chat, so no I wasn't attention seeking or trying to show off my hairy pits, although I'm now very amused at the inference! I'll definitely consider how vigorously I have a stretch on an empty train carriage next time the urge hits me and consider the impact my errant armpit hair may have on the sensitivities of others . Wiggly thanks for your message I also think hairy pits are sexy and also totally appreciate that it is a subject of personal and aesthetic choice so I would never think anything of anybody who removed it because they don't like how it looks/feels just as I would (hope) that some people wouldn't judge me for having it.

[todayisnottheday]

I used to because I found i smelled if I didn't so not out of choice. As i got older i found my natural odours settled down so my pits get as much attention as the rest of me - none unless it's on display. Having said that I'm very blonde and naturally have very little hair so it's an easy option for me (i wear a high leg swimsuit without shaving and have nothing to worry about). I'm not confident enough to not shave if anything is going to be seen though. Personally i think it's a shame because, whilst I honestly believe hair is not a source of embarrassment, i am embarrassed! Definitely a product of social conditioning sadly.

[Writerwannabe83]

There are only two people who I let see my legs when they are fuzzy : my DH and my sister

[Sallystyle]

I went a few weeks without shaving mine recently. I didn't mind them but I admit that I felt quite paranoid in public wearing sleeveless tops so I shaved them off.

I wish I was brave enough to buck social pressure, but I wasn't.