Hairy armpits - liberating or gross?

[SausageCrush]

As I'm unable to go swimming at the moment I haven't bothered/been able to keep up with many of my usual beauty/maintenance routines.

For the first time in my life I now sport long underarm hair and am quite fascinated by it! It's very unfashionable in England, but I like it. What are your experiences..?

I'm tempted to keep it and wondering wha

I really hate body hair on myself so remove it all but up to other people what they do

I only shave mine when it's likely to be on show. I get so sore without my layer of floof, though.

I don't shave much in the winter. Not got much hair there anyway really. If i was wearing a strappy top I'd shave, but wouldn't be that bothered if I had a cardie over the top. I use mitchum once a day and shower and wash my hair every 2 days.

I shave my armpits because I always feel sweatier when there is hair there.

I hardly ever shave my legs though. My leg hair is very fine and blonde so you can't really see it unless you get close up.

Can I just ask those who do leave it hairy, what antiperspirant do you use that prevents them from sweating and smelling?

Just the same one I use when I do shave. In my case the Simple unscented stick.

I'm finding the "gross" comments really childish. It's hair, it's natural, humans have had hairy pits for many times longer than the recent trend for shaving.
It's unfortunately why I do occasionally shave mine in hot weather if I'm wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. I know I'll be judged otherwise, and I'm human enough to care a bit.

Can I just ask those who do leave it hairy, what antiperspirant do you use that prevents them from sweating and smelling?

Sanex roll on. Works fine. I think roll ons and sticks are more effective than sprays.

I can't wait for my waxing salon to re-open, I'll be first through the door for everything off. Hair isn't unnatural or gross, I just don't like it.

I don't like hairy armpits at all - on either men or women.

I shaved my armpits from the very first time a hair appeared there, whereas I have always found shaving my legs a bit of a chore and don't care about hairy legs on other people.

I don't understand the 'fingers' analogy? People don't tend to remove them and, if they do, they don't grow back.

I remember years ago a fuss about a Eurovision contestant who hadn't shaved her armpits. French girl I think - Fremchwomen never used to . bother to shave, I don't know if that has changed. Lot of fuss about nothing.

Mine itch like mad if I shave them. I can't bear it. I trim pubes with scissors for the same reason. I tried a razor on my bikini line once and ended up with an infected hair follicle that needed antibiotics. Never again.
I do occasionally do my legs though. Mainly because I get lots of ingrowing hairs if I leave them. Shaving them seems to exfoliate them so the hairs don't grow in.

Your body your choice. I don't think negatively or positively if I see underarm hair on others. Hate it on me though, i find it feels uncomfortable and as other posters have said seems to be more smelly.

I can happily leave my leg hair but I shave my pits every day. I cannot stand hair under arms. It makes me feel so unclean.

@VoodooDonut Yeah lots do.

I shave my armpits, I have raging BO if I don’t use driclor, when I don’t shave my armpits my BO isn’t any different. Boyfriend doesn’t shave his armpits, isn’t particularly sweaty and only gets smelly pits if he has been exercising. Being hairy or not isn’t a hygiene issue.

I know it's probably mainly because of cultural conditioning, but I find it gross and would rather shave it. Leg hair doesn't bother me as much, since it's not as sweaty or thick, but I still prefer to shave that, too.

That said, I don't care what other people do, so long as they're not shoving it in my face and forcing me to look to make some sort of point. I will admit I don't really like looking at it even on other people (men included), but then again, armpits aren't something I like to look at for long, with or without hair.

When I was a teen I hated shaving my pits as I'd get horrible rashes so I left them au natural. The other girls in my class said that they wouldn't speak to me unless I did as I was so disgusting. So I get a bit irked that grown woman are still going "ewwww gross". It's bullying.

Oh seeing a few using crystal I might have to invest. I've tried alot of different ones but if I dont shave within a week I can smell within hours of showering.
Also dont shower daily, psoriasis is a bitch!

@VoodooDonut me and DH are Muslim we are required to shave atleast every 40 days, armpits and pubic area - that applies to both men and women though.

We're only saying gross as that's the question ...liberating or gross ....

My answer is only really for me. I let it grow at the beginning of lockdown but it felt sticky and uncomfortable. I was much happier once I'd shaved it off

I really like the Muslim approach to hygiene for men. So much more pleasant. No pubes, no underarm hair, really really clean. I wish it was more culturally acceptable to follow those grooming habits for non muslim men.

I don’t understand why having hair on your body is seen as not clean. Surely if you shower and wash you are clean. Just shampoo your pubes and perhaps use some nice conditioner if you want to treat yourself

I'd never let mine get long even though thats the result of social conditioning.

The hair wicks the sweat from your skin, taking wet away from the bacteria on your skin and drying everything out. Surely it is cleaner ( assuming similar washing) then having the sweat stuck, wet on the skin and so feeding the bacteria ?

I mean if you prefer it, fine, but don't justify that by pretending it is cleaner and more hygienic

Massively gross

It's the one thing I do shave. Wouldn't stop me swimming if I hadn't though.

Gross.

It looks gross to me. I have a razor in the shower and it takes me about 30 seconds to shave both armpits - hardly a big deal and I've never seen a hair there in 40 years.

I hate it on men too - one of the nice things about my ex was that he had a condition where he had no body hair. Nice and smooth and he liked it too .