I go back and for between shaving and not shaving. Which is how I found this thread! Right now I'm not my not-shaving streak and its been 6 months since I've shaved. Before that I would only shave about once every 3 or 4 months.
Part of it was/is laziness but the other part of it is because every time I find myself waxing or shaving, I think "this is so stupid." I actually wrote my college essay on my shaving dilemma. But let me share a bit about myself and shaving.

I remember I was in 7th or 6th grade and a boy was tying my shoes and he looked at my legs and said 'ew you haven't shaved!' I was so indignant! :mad:I was young and still had blonde leg hair. I was so mad I told him he wasn't me and he didn't have to spend two hours shaving and if he had a problem go tie someone else's shoes. Since then, every time I don't shave I worry about what people will think. Until my final year of high school. I just stopped shaving and yes, I got the stares and glances downwards. One time in my math class a girl saw my legs and blurted out to the whole class "OMG why don't you shave?!" I said "I don't feels like it but I'm so glad you asked instead of just staring." We had a pretty good class discussion about shaving and different people's expectations.

Then I made a few bets with people that if I could hold out for 6 mo. For not shaving. Ironically, my two best girl friends thinks I'm nuts and tell me it's gross but one decided to go along a bet. :p I used it as an excuse for people who couldn't except my real reason for not shaving: I wanted to get rid of the stereotype that women had to shave in order to be pretty. I saw and see not shaving as being rebellious against that boy who pointed out my blonde hair. I also saw/see it as a way to discuss the shaving issue. While some girls think its gross and decide to shave more, others might find it liberating and also decide not to shave. I suppose I saw myself as an scapegoat for girls who felt bad about themselves for not shaving everyday, like me. They might not like to shave or they might like to, but in either case, they could look at me and think "At least I'm not her."

Which brings me to this thread/discussion. I was internet surfing deciding whether it was really worth it to shave now that I don't have my 'acceptable' excuse for people who think that not shaving is inexcusable. I really hate the stares and silence. I care more if I shave than if I don't but I also care about being excluded and ostracized. This should probably be another thread shouldn’t it? But it’s still the same question: To shave to not to shave? :confused:

Yes shave and wax.. just feel more comfortable with it.

I personally don't particularly like underarm hair, that's just me though, not denying that this may be due to social conditioning but, as is central to social conditioning, its pretty much sub-conscious for the most part, so god knows...


Oh.. and I'm Irish.

I'm quite dark so have tried it all waxing, shaving, creams. What I do now is bleach my ams, wax my top lip and bikini line and shave my legs and under arms though I don't shave eveyday, think it's important to let them have a few days growth.

I have no idea where the trend or idea started from to shave one's legs.

I think that in colder climates, you might be warmer if you don't shave, and in warmer climates, its probably cooler to shave.

I hate wearing stockings when I have leg hair.

As to armpits. I attended a wedding once where the bride had a gorgeous, sleeveless dress, all sparkly and flowing. Came time for the first dance, and the hair under her arms was long enough to braid.

I was told afterwards that was a cultural thing, and none of the women shaved.

I don't bother with shaving anymore, I use Nair or Neet, and it takes away the hair and lasts for a good month.

I'm American and I shave underarms and legs daily. It's a force of habit! I feel cleaner and more feminine when shaved - and, I absolutely HATE the way it feels when I haven't shaved my legs in a few days and they are fuzzy and it rubs against my jeans - HATE HATE HATE it!! It's like nails on a chalkboard for me.

:)

Hi to all on board, and a BIG thanks to Mim!

Mim, it's for the first time I have found a person with so much of a parallel thinking. I read your views and it felt as if I am reading my own. I follow a religion called Sikhism and in Sikhism, neither the females, nor the males are allowed to shave/wax/trim any part of their body hair. The idea is to preserve the way God made you, and not trying to correct Him by telling Him, " see this is where you have gone wrong, or that is where you might have made me this way". He only knows how to make His children look the best. And if He has made us hairy, that couldn't be without a reason!

I, just as you, am not offending those who do shave or remove bodily hair through some other method, but the girls shouldn't be under this social/peer pressure of doing it unwillingly, or just because others want it that way. I have lived 26 years of my life with my hair (everywhere) intact, and I might have got those dejecting stares and ill-comments, but they somehow couldn't bog me down. Because I feel what I should or shouldn't do should be decided by me, my religion or by God... people around should rather focus on my inner qualities than on my external looks and hairy arms/legs/upper lips etc. If that distracts them enough to accept me as a part of their society, then BE IT, I am only too happy to stay away from such superficial-minded people.

Hey Mim, you might be interested in visiting my community on this on Orkut. Here's the link:

orkut -

(You might have to make your own Orkut account to check this, though.)

Take good care of yourself

Dr. Harleen Kaur

I'm an eighteen-year-old American girl, and I haven't shaved my legs in about two years now. I find the act of shaving annoying, unnecessary, ridiculous, and a waste of time. I've really grown to love my hairy legs in their natural beauty, and I refuse to shave them ever again!
I do, however, shave my armpits every once in a while, but most of the time I just let them be as well. :-)

I shave my arm pits and legs about once a week and it's no big deal. I can't imagine NOT shaving. Sleek and silky is the only option for me.

In America it started with the women's lib in and the earth moms of the 60's.
Other than that it is mostly a cultural/climate thing.

My sister thinks it's unattractive and when she saw that I don't shave (And that I was wearing my gay pride wristband) she made assumptions.
I don't shave because:
A) I, personally don't think women need to be as smooth as a baby's bottom nearly all over to be attractive
B) I hate that period where you shave, and a couple days later you have stubble!
C) I just don't have the time to shave
D) I don't see the point in shaving. We have hair so that when it's cold we can make an extra layer of insulation.

I'm also quite lucky that my leg hair isn't that dark either. My best friend would prefer to stop shaving because of the above three reasons but she shaves if she's going swimming. (I don't understand her logic but love her anyway)