Do you shave for you or for men/women?

[Ofashynessthatiscriminallyvulgar]

Hoping this doesn't offend anybody. I'm talking about all over, legs, armpits etc.
I shave my legs and armpits every day as I like the smooth feeling and I get stubble after even one day. I even have to pluck my chin hairs most days and have regular dermaplaning as I seem to have a very hairy face.
However I realise that I'm conditioned to think bodily hair on women is 'gross'. It's expected that women have smooth, hair-free bodies, of course you see the odd woman with full armpit/leg hair in retaliation, but generally not. I remember forgetting to shave once, going out in a dress and feeling so ashamed and 'dirty'.
Men don't have these pressures.

To answer the question, I shave for me. I like to look nice for me, and it feels nice. I might choose to do it on a day when no one at all might see the results!

I do my pits and the top of my big toes regularly as the hair irritates the hell out of me. Everything else is left to do as it will.

I used to shave and now I don't remove any body hair at all. I have thick dark leg/armpit/pube hair and I have no qualms getting it out in summer. It took me a while to get to the point I felt OK doing this but I really don't care what other people think or feel about my hair now.

Very surprised at those who think it’s perceived as dirty or unhygienic. I never knew this or have heard of it.

I do shave , and it’s for both me and others, I prefer the look of cleanly shaved legs if I’m wearing a skirt , dress or shorts, I don’t really want to wear shorts as swimwear or have my pubes poking out in bikini bottoms etc.

as much as I’m saying also for others, honestly I think deep down I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks, so really I suspect it’s just for me. I also don’t care what others do and couldn’t give a shit, so yeah, it’s for me as I prefer the look and feel.

I find it more comfortable and cleaner for going to the toilet, too, if my bumhole is shaved

what? I’ve never heard of that , how the hell do you shave your arsehole?

I like the feel of shaved legs on me so I do it for me. Sometimes I don't shave them, armpits use a trimmer as I can't shave those

I'm fair skinned so only shave legs if I'm going on holiday or wearing posh outfit ( so hardly ever ) otherwise I don't care
Armpits these days get done when I notice they are fuzzy but also don't care
I don't like the assumption you made that women who are hairy are doing it as a retaliation? That's weird way of looking at it .

I am more careful these day with facial hair and my tash as I'm older and it's getting more hairy but not gross just naturally part of ageing

I'm a lesbian and my partner shaves every week religiously but I'd not care if she were stubbly anywhere

I think the modern craze for no pubes is v creepy

Me. Love the smooth feeling and the extra sensitivity.

I live the leg glide too when they’re hairless. I also don’t like hairy arm pits on show for men or women, or pubes over the side of costumes. Just looks a bit messy.

I’m single so no one else sees my body so the fact I shave is for me.
My legs I do leave in winter when they’re covered up much of the time. Armpits every other day and pubic hair probably weekly.

I really hate the feeling of jeans or tights rubbing against leg hair, and I also don't like the feeling of applying body lotion over hairy skin, so I shave my legs primarily for that reason. DP doesn't care whether I have body hair or not, and I don't really show my legs in public - I almost never wear shorts, and if I wear a short skirt it's usually in winter with opaque tights and boots - so I'd have no other reason to shave them.

Armpits I only shave if I'm wearing something sleeveless - that's much more about appearances, for me. I would feel a bit self-conscious with hairy pits on show, simply because it's not something people tend to be used to seeing.

I don't bother with my bikini line. Again, DP doesn't care either way and I probably don swimwear about once every three years, so there's no point. If I was wearing swimwear I'd probably just check there was no pant-moustache poking out at the sides - not because I think women should have to shave their bits, but purely because to me, pubes are a private thing!

I’m delighted to have found a couple of nice bikini sets with mini shorts so I’ll never have to stress about pubes showing or to shave my bikini line again. Every time I do I always get one painful spot from a regrowing hair exactly where it rubs against knicker elastic.

I’ve definitely internalised the ‘bald legs look better on women’ message into my subconscious. But if I felt it was less unusual to have hairy bare legs I might go for it. I’ve never seen any women e.g. on the tube in London with any visible leg hair or stubble so I’m always surprised at how many women there are on these MN threads who say they let it all grow free!

I'm in my 40s and the only hair on my body is on my head! That's my personal choice, possibly with influence of elder sister originally, but these days it's for me, nobody else. There have even been men along the way who have asked me to grow my pubic hair, but it's not me.

I don't shave anything. Really don't like the misconception that it's more 'hygienic' to be hairless. I'm not smelly!

Totally for myself. Same with my makeup, nails etc.. it's for me.
I've had men say they don't like long nails on a woman.. I don't give a shit mate, it's for me.

What really is depressing is the posts from women worrying that doctors and midwives will be disgusted by their pubic hair in the delivery room.....

Really don't like the misconception that it's more 'hygienic' to be hairless. I'm not smelly!

That doesn't mean other people aren't! Humans weren't 'designed' to be covered in layers of clothes, so it's not that surprising that some people find that e.g. trousers on top of underwear on top of hair makes them a bit sweaty in the nether regions! The fact that you don't find it so does not make it a misconception.

Men don't have these pressures.

Women don't have to if they refuse to buy into them. There are enough of us of all ages pushing back (or who never joined in the new hyper-grooming and pornified trends in the first place), you could join in with us today.

Personally I shave my armpits for comfort as I get quite hot and also go to the gym. I prefer the look of my short legs when shaven so I do shave in summer in case I wear a dress or cropped trousers. In winter maybe for a special occasion, I don't wear dresses daily. If I forget I don't stress. And I do a bit of removal of stray hairs elsewhere on the body (I'm over 40, things happen!)

Any man who has any issue with normal natural female body hair can get right out of my bed. Funnily enough, no problem finding partners and no negative comments from partners on body hair, ever, and sometimes actual positive comments. I do like to shower regularly and that sort of thing. But shaving does not equal being clean.

For myself, never did make up, hair or shaved for someone else.

I feel like society reacts differently if your body hair is light in amount or colour and so it's easier to be brave about not shaving than if you have thick course dark hair against lighter skin. I know I will sound incredibly bitter and woke but there is privilege in body hair.

@Fairislefandango -they could always try washing. Just a thought....

@ComtesseDeSpair Thank you. 🙂

That doesn't mean other people aren't! Humans weren't 'designed' to be covered in layers of clothes, so it's not that surprising that some people find that e.g. trousers on top of underwear on top of hair makes them a bit sweaty in the nether regions! The fact that you don't find it so does not make it a misconception.

I found when I did shave everything, I still sweated. It doesn't stop you sweating! Maybe a teeny weeny bit more? But not enough more for me to notice. If anything, especially on my pits, the hair stops it reaching my clothes immediately going to hair instead. Anyway, one days worth of sweat is not going to be noticably smelly on anyone who washes everyday and takes care of their clothes, hairless or not. Its the bacteria in old sweat which causes the BO smell.

I'll say it again, It is a misconception that hair is unhygienic. Otherwise, do you reckon that (almost) all men are defacto unhygienic?

I feel like society reacts differently if your body hair is light in amount or colour and so it's easier to be brave about not shaving than if you have thick course dark hair against lighter skin. I know I will sound incredibly bitter and woke but there is privilege in body hair.

This is so true and just wanted to say I know I've got it easy. I do have this weird thing where the bottom half of my shins are very dark and quite thick, while the rest of my body is a dark blonde and fairly sparse, so I acknowledge the privilege. I hope we get to a point where everyone feels free to truly do what's comfortable for them. You don't sound woke or bitter.

For other people. Which means I only do it if I go swimming or when it's warm enough . I wish I didn't, but I'm not brave or confident enough and the voices in my head are LOUD.