July 18, 2013
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Is Being Hairy Scary?
The other day I was sitting by my friend's pool and we somehow got to talking about hairy legs. A friend of mine said she only really shaved her legs during the summer because during the other seasons, especially winter, she mostly wore pants or tights. I thought, "Hmm.. makes sense." Another friend of mine in the deep end of the pool shouted over to us that she shaved her legs all year round because her boyfriend thought it was gross if she didn't.I'll admit I do like the feeling of having my legs shaved, but there is undeniably a societal pressure for women to shave their legs as well. I read an article about Mo'Nique having unshaven legs at the Golden Globes a couple of years ago on Yahoo. The piece presented two differing views on the subject.
First, Mo'Nique not shaving her legs was presented as unsightly, "It's probably safe to say that few celebrity women share the view that Mo'Nique has on hairy legs. At the very least, if they do have lots of hair on their legs, they don't reveal their legs to the public in that condition. It's one thing to have hairy legs while you're relaxing in your mansion, sipping wine, on break from a film shoot. It's another thing to have hairy legs while wearing diamonds and an expensive gown at an awards show." Essentially, if you dare to go out in public, your legs had better be smooth and shaven.
Then the article describes not shaving your legs as the easier but more unattractive option, "Ask a feminist if women should shave their legs, and she may say no. If men don't shave their legs, why do women have to? Not shaving the legs is easier, as well. There are no razor cuts, expensive lasers or waxing to deal with. An American woman who chooses not to shave her legs will face the risk that her legs will be considered unattractive as a result. However, freedom to live life on your own terms is worth the risk for some."
I wondered what you readers thought about the subject. Are there any of you women out there who don't shave your legs? If you do shave your legs, do you do it for yourself, or for someone else? What do you male readers think about women who don't shave their legs?
Comments (29)
Either way is fine with me. It would be her preference, really (which, because I haven't met an even remotely attractive female whose decisions aren't weighted most heavily by social norms and vanity, she would probably shave her legs even though I don't care, likely arguing that she likes the look or it makes her feel good, but in reality it's because she wants to be seen a certain way by others).You know what I mean...Like how instinctually, some men like big tits... and we know this trait exists because when it comes to sexual selection, people are attracted to the phenotypes they want to pass to (or will benefit) their offspring, and yet we obviously know these men don't consciously want to have children with every woman whose tits they check out. They'll say they look at them because it makes them feel good.The same applies to women. They shave and put time and effort into their appearances because it makes them feel good... but it's obvious that the underlying purpose is to draw attention, praise, and potential mates (but that doesn't mean they want to have sex with every man who admires their smooth shaven legs). Although I wouldn't anyway, if she doesn't want me looking at other women's tits then I should be able to say whether or not she shaves her legs. Personally, I wouldn't demand that because (as I've already said) I don't care either way, but logically and objectively that would be fair.
I only shave once every week or two. I do like the way they feel when they're shaved, but it's a lot of trouble, so I only do it when I feel like it. My hair is blonde, though...the hair is visible after a few days, but it's definitely not as bad as it would be for someone with dark hair, and I can't for sure say I wouldn't shave more often if the hair was darker.
I think the "men don't do it, so why should I?" view point. Why is everything always based around men? Why can't it be "men should shave their legs, because women do" or "I'll fucking shave my legs if I fucking want to because body hair is nasty!"So yes. I don't like hair on my body. At all. If I could get rid of it all permanently, I would. But honestly, if a woman doesn't want to shave her legs, who am I to care?
I only shave my legs when I know they are going to be seen. My hair grows back in less than 24 hours though, so it really doesn't matter. There's always stubble.My boyfriend really doesn't care that much about me having shaved legs, but he hasn't seen them unshaven after more than a week. I'm pretty sure he would throw up a little at the sight. But he can't stand when I have stubble in my pits. I shave those every other day without fail, unless I'm wearing a shirt that covers them and I know I won't be showing them.xX Ame ~*~ Hana Xx
Scary no. I do like to be shaven on most of my body honestly. But that is a preference I have based on how I like to look and how my skin feels much more than societal pressure. I wear pants and modest clothes all of the time but still shave my legs religiously.
People who find that seeing hair in a place it normally grows, on other people, makes them sick to their stomach, really need some perspective in their life. Maybe some public restrooms. Urine-scented subway trains at 2AM on a Saturday when people are coming back from the bars. Or even just some spoiled veggies from the back of your fridge. That sort of thing. Even then I'd hope they can keep their dinner down. Disgust is one thing; debilitating disgust where you can't flush someone else's pee down the toilet--or look at someone with leg hairs without feeling sick-- is another.What you do with your body hair is up to you. Whether your partner gets a say is up to you. (Whether they want to be with you based in part on your choice is of course up to them.) Any guy who believes a woman is OBLIGATED to shave her legs (or do anything else to her body) should be dumped on the spot (this is different from having and expressing a preference). Personally I find leg hair to be itchy or tickly, and shaving every few days to not be that difficult.
with the electric razor thing i have it takes almost two hours to get nice clean shaved legs... its ridiculous. which is why i only shave my legs when i have to and when i do i usually make a night out of it.
I think all body hair is gross, even on men. Sometimes, I think about dating a swimmer, because they know what it's like to shave and I think it would be interesting to date a straight guy who shaves his legs and removes his body hair. Maybe we would even share a mutual hatred of body hair? Guys are lucky they don't have to remove hair because they're very hairy. The last guy I dated was very hairy - tons of chest hair, and leg hair. For him to remove it, it would take hours.
@wildchildofthebluemoon@xanga - No you wouldn't. Take it from a girl who doesn't have any hair. When you ask for that, you don't get to choose to keep your head hair. I'd take shaving over baldness any day, and I will fully admit that it's because of societal pressure that I'd make that choice.
I love having nice smooth legs, but I don't think society should expect a woman to shave ANYTHING. The other day I was watching this girl hoop on YouTube, and she was a hippie in every sense of the word. Which meant, of course, that she didn't shave! And I can't tell you how many people commented telling her she was gross, DEMANDING she shave her pitts, that they were distracted the whole time, etc... I was disgusted. I mean, it's one thing to think shit like that to yourself, but to outright attack someone for their decisions really disgusts me.I want to shake every girl's hand who's secure enough to go out in public unshaven. They certainly get a lot of shit for it, and they don't care. Much respect. <3
@LauraDeLuna@xanga - So buy a better razor? It takes... I dunno, two minutes to shave up to me knees and I'm fat.I don't like the look of body hair on men or women, and I dislike the feel of having furry legs.
@anonymous - I was excluding the hair on my head and my eyebrows, and when I said that I would get rid of it all, I was more implying that if I could afford it, I would get laser hair removal all over my body. I'm a strange one, though. I've considered shaving my [head] hair off before, but it's always different when you don't have a choice.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - its not a razor its some little electric unit thing. its really good and cuts really close it just takes a while.the only place that i really care about being shaved is my underarms... its kinda itchy when you dont do it for a while.
Shouldn't this be Lovelyish? I shave my legs on occasion because when the wind catches my leg hair, it wiggs me out. In general though, asian no-fur for the win. I went one summer only shaving my left leg to see how long it would take for a guy to notice, After three months I had to shave it because no one noticed and it was starting to weird me out. Dating, though, I tend to try and keep clean shaven-- but largely because (like I said) i prefer how it feels rather than I care what guys think.
Julia Roberts caught hell over here some years ago when she was photographed in France with a healthy patch of underarm hair...au natural over there. Personally, I remember the woman I met at a nudist pool who let all her hair just GROW, wow, what an affair we had (ultimately very sad and destructive of a third person - her boyfriend - who I discovered was MY friend too, go figure, small world. too darn small.) Hair has a purpose and should not be shaved off.
@LauraDeLuna@xanga - epilator? I believe those pull hairs out. Which sounds painful, and like it would take 2 hours to do one's legs. I definitely prefer the convenience of shaving.
I do not shave my legs. I prefer waxing, but the last time that I've waxed my legs was nine years ago. Most of the time I wear pants so no one sees. My ex-boyfriend didn't care that I am hairy, but I know there are men who do care.My legs started getting hairy when I was six years old, and I cared at the time, but wasn't allowed to shave. By the time I was twelve, I stopped caring.My legs still feel smooth even with the hair, and sometimes I like playing with it.I will remove my armpit hair before I wear anything sleeveless, though.
I don't shave often. When I'm going somewhere nice and in a dress, I'd shave my legs and armpits, and I usually will do the same before I wear a bathing suit. Afterwards, I might maintain for a month because I hate stubble, but unless I have some dude bitching about it (which has only happened once), I just grow it back out. I shaved my legs on July 3rd because I was attending a pool party, and once since then because my leg stubble was bugging me. But before that, I hadn't shaved since January. Down with society's norms. Rawr.
I know some girls with baby-fine hair who never shave their legs and you can't even see the hair unless you're a few feet away. I had also had some coworkers who never shaved their armpits, but they weren't American and in their culture is was more accepted not to shave.
@galliver@xanga - yep its great. and you get used to it.
@DenimPants@xanga - if youve been on Xanga for any amount of time you should know that they put whatever the hell they feel like on datingish these days and damn anyone who insists to the contrary.
I shave my legs once or twice a week. I work in a hospital, so I'm in my scrubs all the time, anyways. No one can see how hairy or smooth my legs are, but I like the smooth feeling right after a shave.
I shave my legs when I feel like doing so, granted me wanting to shave them has probably been brought on by years of being told that that's what women do, but for me I like the feeling of being smooth all over, I've also been known to dilapidate the hair on my arms as well. I've only once been told that I should shave my legs and it was actually when I was about 10 or 11 by a friend of my mother's (a woman), men have never seemed to bother, they seem to worry more about your private areas being trimmed up than legs..
I only shave my legs in the winter. Wearing water-proof boots and long johns causes painful sores and ingrown hairs, if I don't. Otherwise I couldn't care less. I'll trim the two p's, but shaving and waxing leaves painful sores, again. Besides t's nice and silky so why would I want to replace that with angry cuts?
i believe it's you girls who made hairy legs look "unusual" if all women just didn't shave, then men would get accustomed to that sight a lot easier...
I wish I didn't have to shave my legs. If I had a little bit of hair, maybe I wouldn't do it as often, but these legs of mine...damn....gorilla status...even I want to throw up at the sight of them. I would NOT expose my b/f to that. I care too much for him.
She has VERY hairy legs for a female. I think that's what's scary. Most people wouldn't notice if mine were unshaved.@At_Sixes_And_Sevens@xanga - Makes me wonder what kind of mutant you've been fucking around with
@LauraDeLuna@xanga - Truth. Damn editors. lol
I shave cuz I like the smooth feeling. To each her own tho.
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