Shoul I shave my arms or would I regret it?

[RiffyWammal]

I've been tackling my keratosis pilaris this week (see the pimply legs thread for details if anyone's interested) and have been thinking about how my lower legs are less affected than anywhere else. I think this must be because I shave them. When I waxed they were as bad as everywhere else, so I can only put it down to the exfoliating action of the razor.

So, I'm thinking maybe I should shave my forearms too? The KP there bothers me the most because it's always visible and looks just awful.

I have blonde hairs on my arms but they stick out at all angles like a fuzzy caterpillar. Will the hairs grow back thick and dark? Will I have horrible stubbly arms?

Oh hell, no, don't shave them The stubble and ingrowing hairs would be horrid and in full view. Have you tried using flexitol or Eucerin on the keratosis pilaris?

You could veet them and then exfoliate a lot?

I wouldn't shave, it will end up being a massive pita.

For the keratis pilaris i've found a good exfoliation with a stiff body brush and moistuising with neals yard rose body cream has worked wonders, it smells nicer than flexitol too.

I wouldn't shave them if I were you. I don't think lower legs are usually affected by KP, are they? Mine never have been and I have it everywhere else. You don't want arm stubble, do you??

Someone on here recommended the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Anti-Ageing Smoothing lotion with AHAs for KP, and it's working well for me. Smells revolting though! Flexitol and Eucerin didn't work, but the Palmer's is making a difference.

Dove do an AHA body lotion too which helped my skin.

Do not i repeat do not shave your arms!

If your KP is really bad, a few years back I used a lotion from a company called Environ which worked really well. (They still exist, every now & then I get a marketing email from them).

Not sure what it had in it, but it was quite strong (eg advised not to go out in strong sunlight after using) & got rid of it to the point that since then exfoliation & occasional Eucerin / Flexitol have kept it in check. I have some left in the bottle, but haven't needed to use it since then.

Another vote for not shaving your arms!

There's some stuff called Amlactin that's meant to really help with KP, according to a makeup board I'm on.

Do not shave your arm hair. A couple of years ago my daughter decided she felt self conscious about hair on her arms! No idea why as she has fine, fair hair but you know what young teenagers are like!

She asked me about shaving them and I said it wasn't a good idea but I could see she wasn't convinced. Whilst we were out we came across a pack of hair removal mits that you buff your legs with. They look like a super fine emery board.

They were a pound in a pound shop! Ha ha

She used them a few times on her arms and they removed hair gently. She then realised that everyone has arm hair and wasn't self conscious anymore. She uses the mitts on her legs now she is older and they are great for exfoliating a couple of days before a fake tan.

They might be of some good to you as they are gentle but effective.

Don't. It's really feminine, IMHO. And it won't help the KP.

Try the dermaflannel that will sort you out and a really good moisturiser. It's a bloody amazing thing.

Shave them. It's helped my kp no end, and even cleared it up.

My legs never get kp and now for the first time in years I can wear short sleeves, as my arms are clear. No ingrown hair and no KP, it's wonderful.

If I'd known then what I know now about my kp I'd have shaved years ago. I use the same razor for both legs and arms, and shave down towards my wrists. Takes all of five seconds, and no KP!

I've shaved my arms for about 15 years now. I have really dark hair on my arms though. I use an intuition razor on a morning in the shower. Takes less than a minute, can't imagine having hairy arms again now!

Aah now I really am torn. I was leaning towards shaving them, then I read all the 'don't shave' advice and had been put off, and now I'm thinking I want to again after Venus's post...argh!

They look crap now. Surely they can't look any worse? But then I wish I'd left my upper lip alone as it seems to have got darker and more hairy since I started waxing and plucking it.

i shave my arms, my hairs grow back just as they were but then my arm hair doesnt stop bloody growing so if i left it it wouldnt be long before i was plaiting it. arm hair isnt feminine when youre growing thickets of it

That's it, I'm shaving them! And I'm buying a Dermaflannel too - they sound great! Smooth arms here I come.

I shave my arms in the shower. Very easy, takes less than 40 secs an arm and I have ever regretted doing it (started about 18 or so years ago). I have beautiful arms now. If I ever do let it grow back it looks exactly the same as it did before I first ever shaved. Several of my friends now copy me and do the same.

I love the feel of the long soft hairs on my arms, couldn't concieve of rough stubble.

Try organic coconut oil! Got my daughter some and after using it for 2 days her KP has nearly gone!! Got mine from amazon.

I've been shaving my arms since i was 11 and a girl randomly told me
'You've got hairy arms'
The hair is no thicker or darker after 13 years of shaving. Takes two minutes each arm each morning in the shower (i have to do my armpits anyway)
My arms are very soft and it makes my tattoos look nice and smooth.

For everyone concerned about stubble, the hair is still fine and there is none. Unlike my lower legs!

I shave mine, the hair is blonde and any stubble isn't noticable! Is takes seconds to do! I have never regretted it!

Am really shocked that so many people shave their arms. Really really shocked .

Almost speechless but not quite.