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.

@AngryGreasedSantaCatcus Exactly.. I'd keep doing it because it's for me and I like the physical feeling of wearing makeup/not having hair.

I think there is an element of social conditioning.. I wouldn’t let anyone other than a (hypothetical!) significant other see me with hairy legs. I shave them 2-3 times a week in summer weather (I’m unfortunately blessed with dark hair and pale skin..) but less in winter when they’re covered, probably every couple of weeks or so, when they start to bug me. Similar story with armpits. All I do of a bikini line though is trim / shave enough that it isn’t visible in swimwear if I’m wearing it. I wouldn’t be happy with a man telling me I had to remove more than that.

Legs I do every few months when I’m in the bath and bored. Purely because the razor’s there and I want to feel the smoothness against the sheets. Happy for others to see my hairy legs, doesn’t register.

Underarms I’ll shave once the hair is long enough to pull uncomfortably against my stick deodorant. I do feel noticeably fresher without hair as my sweat seems to linger in it.

I trim the front of my pubic hair so it doesn’t create a little cushion inside my gym leggings - that’s for others because I don’t want to attract any attention in that area. I often will shave all my pubic hair except that on my mons just before a period as I’ve had to wear pads recently and the feeling of blood caught in hair makes me feel nauseous and filthy during the day. Sex also feels better to me with less hair around sensitive areas.

A mixed bag!

Of those saying we are influenced. Of course we are, that applies to everything in life. Most of us aim to look what we consider to be our best. This applies to the hair on our heads as well. There is nothing wrong in that or evil about it.

Some religion advocate removing pubic hair after a period. Personally, I have been removing all my pubic hair since I was 15, I'm in my 40s now and don't remember what I look like in a mirror with pubic hair; hairy is not for me. And as a previous poster implies, it increases sensitivity during sex.

Underarm hair I can imagine would be messy when applying deodorant, so that's a no-no. Increasingly men are opting to remove their underarm (and elsewhere) hair too, it's not just a female thing.

Nice beards are apparently quite a faff to. I am afraid we can't win this one

Argh!! I wonder if I can popularise beard merkins for ladies?

For myself.

I started shaving my legs and armpits more because of girls than boys, didn't want to be judged for being the odd one out. Now I'm not sure, I epilate my legs year round even though I only wear shorts a couple of months a year so most of the year no one is going to see them, so I guess its more because I like the feel. Armpits likewise all year round but that I feel is more to do with societal expectations as I'm not bothered by the feel of hair there but I would not like to be seen with hairy armpits.

I remember getting undressed for the first time in the presence of one individual and he said in a shaken voice "where's your pubes?".

I shave my armpits for me, definitely. In the winter I will sometimes let my legs get a bit hairy and I don't care with jeans on, but even with a coat on I still don't like having underarm hair.

I don't do any shaving anymore. I have very fair hair and since menopause not so much of it. Im not in a relationship and no one has ever noted or commented.

I shave for me. My wife likes me shaved but it's for me. My wife also shaves. I hate the look of body hair on women. If women want to grow their body hair then that's their business and up to them, I just find it unattractive.

Society

I only do it when there is a strong social expectation- a wedding for example

DH just dropped that muslims should shave armpits and pubic hair (both sexes). I had no idea😂
But it makes sense . They are much into hygiene especially around prayer time.

I get your point but I really do think I it for me because ....
legs:I looovve the feeling of sheets on shaved legs. All slide and so pleasing.
pubic: my dh prefers a bush. Since menopause as a little leaking I feel being bare means I'm holding less urine smell. You could say my aversion to smelling of pee is social convention but I think that's a bit of a stretch as even animals groom and try to keep cleanish

But body hair isn't unhygienic?

That's part of the social myth ?

No body would shave if they were living on an island isolated from the rest of the world.

I hope she shaves for her and not you.

I'm curious that people think body hair is unhygienic and unattractive. Does that apply to arm hair, beards, chest hair, eyebrows and hair on the head?

It's just cultural really. Mine is categorically not unhygienic and anyone that thinks it is, is incorrect.
They can have whatever aesthetic preference they like though obviously.

I do mot like much hair on armpits, so I shave them.
Legs I do every week or so for myself, but I will not show unshaven legs, so if I am going out with bare legs I will, for others sake or social convention of my times as a youngster.
Pubes, I do not like shaving but neither the feeling of long ones, so trimming, for my sake.

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

What a snide remark. You think that washing in the morning or the evening somehow magically makes you not sweat during the day? Presumably you wear clothes appropriate to the weather to make you not feel too hot and sweaty during the day, in spite of the fact that I assume you've 'tried washing'?

Rarely shave my legs in the winter, probably once or twice a week in the summer. Underarm hair once a week all year round. Bikini line is generally only in the summer too.
DH doesn't get a say in how often I shave and I don't get a say in how often he shaves.

Bit of a difference between theae and armpit...

🤷
They are also l supposed to keep their nails trimmed as I found out.

Well no because it would be unlikely that there was a bed with sheets that felt nice on my freshly shaved legs. I guess pubic hair would t matter either as I'd end up swimming all day so no yucky buildup!

To be honest, if you were alone anywhere you probably wouldn't wear deodorant either