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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

should I shave?

632 replies

TotHappy · 07/05/2018 14:33

This has been niggling at me for a while.

I'm 31. Been with dh nearly 14 years. My shaving routine used to be:
Underarms - most days, might get a bit stubbly if I left it for a few. Probably take care to shave them before baring them to swim/sunbathe.
Legs - only really bothered for a night out, so maybe shaved once a month. More in summer, but def not every day - maybe for an 'event' or a beach day. An event might include a sexy night in, but they certainly weren't smooth at all times and I didn't care.
Vag - never. Or maybe once or twice as an experiment, never liked it, hate the feeling, find it uncomfortable plus too much faff.

Then when I got pregnant (daughter is nearly 2 now), stopped shaving pretty much everything. Initially, morning sickness and generally not leaving house, later size of bump. Sexy times were non existent anyway as dh stopped sexual activity once I was pregnant - which I was very upset about.
Shaving has never resumed post partum - I will still occasionally do it for a night out/special event but not always, and of course nights out are a lot rarer now with DD. My solitary baths when I could quickly do my underarms are long gone, DD baths with me so no razors in the bath, and when I do get the odd solitary bath I cba with how long it would take as underarms now a good inch long.
I just don't care any more, even as much as I used to, about what people think. If I go swimming or to the beach, I dont feel the need to de-hair first. I think this is a lot to do with giving birth in front of five strangers - personal things somehow seem a lot less personal!

My issue is dh has brought up me not shaving a few times and I feel very uncomfortable about him doing that. After an argument once he said, as part of a rang about how I dont care, 'you dont even shave your legs anymore', quickly followed up by 'not that that's important, but it just shows that you dont care', to which I was Confused as I was never in the permanently-hairless-legs crew, ever, and in any case the reason I had reduced the number of leg shaves was because I had reduced the numbers of nights out, end of!

The other day, he was giving me a foot massage and commented 'whoa, how hairy are your legs?!' I think I responded with a Hmm and a 'quite hairy', and he followed up with 'what about your armpits? Have you shaved those lately?' Or similar.

He has also said several times in the past that he prefers a shaven vag. I've said I dont like the feel of it so dont plan to dp that regularly, but have on the very odd occasion got a bikini wax/Californian wax. Last time he didn't even notice as he wasn't up for sex for the whole 6 weeks it was evident, so that was a waste!

I feel really quite miffed that he thinks I should shave because he prefers it. I suppose I have two questions:
A) AIBU to manage my body hair in any way I want without reference to him and
B) what do most people here do? I know most of my friends do shave with some regularity. I know my mum never did. So possibly a generational thing, but as I grew up with my mum as a role model, I feel totally comfortable either way. I feel very uncomfortable with the comments I've sometimes seen on social media about not shaving being 'dirty' or 'unhygienic'.

Thoughts??

OP posts:
Albadross · 07/05/2018 20:28

Total derail but I was just looking at my cat and thinking how odd it is that we love cats who are covered in hair, yet women are deemed less attractive for it.

Hmm
waterlego6064 · 07/05/2018 20:30
somanyfeministsthesedays · 07/05/2018 20:31

Who was the celeb who got shamed in the national newspapers a few years ago for having hairy armpits?

Branleuse · 07/05/2018 20:31

how on earth is it lazy? It hardly makes you busy and productive to shave your fucking pits. Its just personal choice.

Anyway, as someone said upthread, the husband looks for any excuse not to have sex, and last time she waxed her fanjo he didnt come near her for the entire 6 weeks till it grew back anyway, so I really dont think hes worth any extra effort. Im sure his palm is hair free.

SmileEachDay · 07/05/2018 20:32

Alba when trying to imagine how “being hairy” sounded, I was trying to think what a box of kittens would sound like.

Rustley, see?

Yes, water. It’s definitely worth remembering who is happy to call women lazy bitches

waterlego6064 · 07/05/2018 20:34

Somanyfeminists, many years ago Julia Roberts was photographed at a premiere with hairy pits, IIRC.

The lazy, lazy bitch.

SmileEachDay · 07/05/2018 20:36

Lourdes “Madonna’s daughter” is another one, water

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 07/05/2018 20:36

Soooo fucking lazy to prioritize my education and life over shaving my pits.

Uh huh.

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 07/05/2018 20:38

Not sure I sound like a box of kittens though....more like an angry bear tbh.

SmileEachDay · 07/05/2018 20:38

Bloody lazy robobitch, Lana

Olivebrach · 07/05/2018 20:40

I dont shave my armpits or legs and havent done for about 5 years.

I actually think we as women are socially conditioned to think body hair is unattractve and unclean and that we should shave it off. Which is strange.

Hair on your body shouldnt make him any less attracted to you imo. Its not all over you really is it. He has it in the same places?!

You should defo do what you want and if he doesnt like it then thats a shame for him

espresso7 · 07/05/2018 20:40

Does anyone else suddenly have adverts for razors popping up on their phone? Grin. Personally, I had it all lasered off years ago, so wasted advertising here.

OP, unless you have irritated skin or an aversion to blades or something, just shave your legs. Your DH has told you he prefers it - either you want to be attractive to him still or you have stopped caring. He is hardly hassling you to have plastic surgery, is he. How many men would want a hairy wife in all honestly? If he suddenly grew a beard to his toes, I'm sure you might feel the need to comment.

waterlego6064 · 07/05/2018 20:41

Is she smile? Bloody good for her.

waterlego6064 · 07/05/2018 20:43

I find it weird that the OP’s husband’s attraction to her is so dependent on this one thing. Surely not?

waterlego6064 · 07/05/2018 20:44

So we could say ‘just shave’ to the OP, or we could say to the OP’s husband: ‘just learn to accept it’.

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 07/05/2018 20:44

I know right???

God I'm such a lazy fembot.

With my own opinions and everything.

PussGirl · 07/05/2018 20:44

I shave my legs & armpits, also bikini line but let the rest of my pubes grow, with a bit of trimming of length.

Current partner would prefer me to let my pubes, including bikini line, grow as long as they will, but it's not up to him.

Previous partner preferred it all off & would moan if I didn't shave everything - such a drag.

SmileEachDay · 07/05/2018 20:45

espresso

What if that’s the next thing? He doesn’t like her breasts because they’re not as perky? He doesn’t like her wrinkles? Should the OP get them done because her husband prefers it?

LanaKanesTerfyVagina · 07/05/2018 20:46

Cos all our attractiveness is based on tiny superficial things, rather than, like, being a decent person, or being kind?? Hmm

AssassinatedBeauty · 07/05/2018 20:46

Presumably all the people telling the OP to shave because her husband requires it, will also be telling him to lose the paunch and whatever else the OP doesn't find attractive?

Foodylicious · 07/05/2018 20:49

Totally should be up to you.

It is for him to take the time to challenge and explore why his finds shaven so much more attractive than unshaven.

Incidently I shave under my arms mostly for comfort, but also because I would not be brave enough not too as it would be really obvious for work etc.
I shave much less frequently in winter, so maybe every 3-4 days.

I also bath with my LO so no razor in the bath, but I get out first and have a quick shave at the sink when I want one.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 07/05/2018 20:55

OP; your body, your choice. It's that simple.

I have underarms, legs and pubic hair waxed off. I like it that way and whilst I've never been particularly hairy, I prefer the feel of smooth skin (for myself).

I'm not getting into yet another pointless argument with women who seek to police what other women do with their bodies. It's none of their business or anybody else's.

Fuck off to the absurd women who would condemn me as wanting to have the body of a child or suggesting that my husband wants this. You do nothing for the cause of feminism by spouting those insults; you do sound moronic though.

PosyFossilsShoes · 07/05/2018 21:02

I haven't shaved anything for six years now. Conceived, gave birth, been for smears, nobody has ever commented.

When I met DP I did used to do my pits and legs, although my legs got fairly stubbly in winter. But it gave me terrible shaving rash and I had perpetually itchy armpits, and after I while I realised how absurd it was that I was buying all these "sensitive" products for my sensitive skin in terms of laundry tablets, or moisturisers, yet the one thing I could do which would help most was stop shaving. So I did.

My pit hair is like tiny little furry dowsing rods for misogyny. Double benefit.

Juells · 07/05/2018 21:03

you do sound moronic though.

Unlike the women saying anyone who doesn't shave is disgusting and smelly and hairy and lazy and unattractive?

Branleuse · 07/05/2018 21:10

My pit hair is like tiny little furry dowsing rods for misogyny. Double benefit.

Absolutely. Fantastic dickhead repellent

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