Hairy legs

[TiggersLikeToBounce]

This is me. I hate shaving, waxing etc. It irritates my skin. I hate the way Gillette 100 plus years ago advertised us to shave. He made millions...
But! I am still embarrassed to show my hair in public...why?

@Italiangreyhound I don't know, you tell me.

shiveringsparklingtimber Well, I don't think men look unkempt when they don't shave their legs. So I also don't think women look unkempt when they don't shave their legs either. But that's just my opinion.

What does it matter if you look 'unkempt' anyway though?

Sometimes I don't even bother to run a comb through my hair if I'm going out either - and end up looking like Einstein. Couldn't really give a feck. As long as it's not work or a date I really don't care what strangers think.

As long as it isn't offending anyone, have at it I say.

"Images of women with hair on their bodies are out there!"

If you look for them.

I'm talking about mainstream media.

The idea of what is pretty or attractive is formed very early. Small children (from age 4 or so) will pick out white blonde haired dolls and declare anything that differs from that as "ugly". That perception doesn't change as we age.

Small 4 year old children are not looking up youtube videos of unshaven women.

They're seeing Anna and Elsa and Katy Perry and whoever.

No choice exists in a vacuum.

Pinkbonbon "Sometimes I don't even bother to run a comb through my hair if I'm going out either - and end up looking like Einstein." Bloody hell me too!

WatchingTheMoon
"Images of women with hair on their bodies are out there!"

"If you look for them.

I'm talking about mainstream media."

I agree, I did go looking for those images. However, I feel as their presence increases, and I have seen incidental bloody hair images, it becomes more the norm.

"That perception doesn't change as we age." I will disagree with that, I think. I think as we get older our tastes about what is beautiful can change and we can become more open and see beauty in a variety of places. Just as we change our eating habits and think different tastes and smells are good. Obviously, not all people but some.

"Small 4 year old children are not looking up youtube videos of unshaven women." I wouldn't want them to be, but as their mums relax and feel it is a chocie to shave or not, so those children may see (when hey grow up) that they too can have a choice.

"No choice exists in a vacuum" yes, I agree.

In the 80s I traveled in in Continental Europe and it was very normal for young women not to shave their legs. I was travelling with some American women and the other European women found it quite funny that the Americans did shave their legs.

That may have changed as they may have been influenced by the USA. I do hope people can have choice in these matters.

Must get my hairy legs into bed, night all

That's an interesting question, OP. Personally, I've shaved when I've been single but not bothered when in a committed relationship. My partners haven't cared less if I shave or not. Saying that, I'm single now and haven't shaved in about three years.

Could it be an age thing? Could it be being more comfortable with our bodies as we get older? I'm 48 now and really couldn't give a toss. I'm more worried about other body things like SI joint pain that stops me walking instead of whether or not I have a furry layer!

I'll be watching this post with interest! I'd also be fascinated to know the ages of women who don't bother versus those who do.

After you stop shaving and a little time goes by you stop thinking about it.
That was my experience.

I'm 44 , I think it was a growing up thing for me.
Who was I doing it for ? Not myself

I'm 31 and for the moment can't be bothered to shave my legs. I haven't shaved for weeks and my body hair is long and dark.
I am also in a long-term relationship and I feel selfconcious if he touches me when I haven't shaved for weeks. My dp doesn't make a issue of it but as I said it makes me feel selfconcious when we are intimate.

I'd imagine it's for the same reason that it wouldn't be deemed acceptable for me to rock up in the office looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway.

My legs were like that in my 20s and I definitely got stared and pointed at and talked about. I used to swim a lot. I've also heard women making nasty comments about other women's body hair. It's crap.

Do elaborate, DonutMan.

My personal theory is that removing body hair emphasises femininity - men being in general hairier than women - and removing armpit and pubic hair gives an impression of youth.

The societal pressure to bleach mousy brown hair and to disguise grey hair is similar. Subtle, insidious, and difficult to break away from.

DonutMan loads of blokes these days have very busy beards. It's totally fashionable.

Its hundreds of years ideas and cultural view hairyness is seen as a male thing and if you as a woman hairy may have testesterone hormonal issues. A lot of beauty ideals go back to what is seen as fertile, so young skin, thick head hair, small waist to hip ratio, perky breasts, red lips and flushed cheeks all to look healthy for breeding. Media made targeting women ten folds easier but i suspect women were always subject to painful and biologically unnecessary treatments like corsets and plucking hairline to make the forehead higher.
Body hair is associated with cleanliness and my armpits smell better when they are shaved.
If i saw a woman with hairy armpits i feel queasy i dont know why.
If i saw hairy legs out i would think she is unkempt, depressed or has some mental illness or maybe queer. I am flinching from my own words because i see how ignorant and brainwashed i am.. its quite sad, i know my reactions and assumptions are a product and part of this issue. Sorry op.

I am very hairy. Usually undertake a deforestation exercise on my legs in spring - it takes about 3 razors - but I'm not too fussed about doing it thoroughly, and stop just above my knees as I find thighs / bikini line get very uncomfortable when shaved. Might do a quick top up shave every week or two during the summer. Don't give a shit who sees my hairy legs - wouldn't think twice about going swimming in full winter plumage - but if I'm dressing 'feminine' I tend to give my legs a cursory shave as part of the costume iyswim. So shorts I probably wouldn't bother, skirt I would probably remove particularly luxuriant leg hair.

Never shave my pits. Shaved pits remind me of plucked chicken and gross me out.

No body hair = pre-puberty. The battle against normal healthy adult womanhood starts at puberty.

I quite like a hairy woman sometimes There's something earthy and primal and sexy about it. And you can stroke it. It's like you've got a cute furry rodent living in your armpit…

Last out of curiousity are you a guy or a woman into women?

The latter.

Cool thanks

Have been lax shaver since teens/early 20s but trouser wearer so never a huge issue. Mainly done for the male gaze. Partner not keen but he can do himself first if he's that bothered by body hair (he's very hairy, doesn't bother me, it's just how he is)

I used to try to get to the bottom of why people think female body hair is disgusting, never had a convincing reply 'just is'. I'm a woman, not a child so prefer to be hairy.

Just reached my 50s but last decade or so I've gone swimming, light brown hairy legs/pits on show no probs. Public hair appears darker/thicker (unfairness of puberty eh, I was a white blonde baby/child) so I do 'manage' the bikini side curls a bit (when I remember!) but life's too short to worry. No one cares at the swimming pool. Healthy body is more important than what it looks like.

I am interested to know why we as women feel the need to be bald.

Well why do you? You can’t just say ‘we as women’ - plenty of women don’t care and happily don’t bother shaving.

Still trim my own armpits/legs/pubes (at different lengths) with a beardtrimmer when I can be bothered, tho…