Alright, I hafta ask.. *Why* do you shave?

This thread is for those who shave legs and armpits.. I'm curious as to why people (usually women) habitually shave.

Is it a cultural thing? (outside/societal pressures?)
Is it a beauty thing?

What are *YOUR* reasons for shaving?

Let me say, I am a female, born and raised in America. I've got thick, dark hair, and was prompted to start shaving because my classmates made fun of me. So, I shaved for 7-8 years, hating every second of it, but feeling outside pressure to follow through. Yeah, silky legs feel neat, but when you scrap yourself or your significant other with stubble in the middle of the night.. it just doesn't seem worth it!

I finally gave it up about 3 years ago. Why? Well, firstly it pleases my inner rebel. (I won't lie.) However, I don't like my bathroom that much to spend hours and hours of my life there.. I'm tired of cuts, nicks, scraps, and razor burn.. I hate plucking out in-grown hairs that *I* caused by shaving.. I'm too broke to even consider buying razors and creme and band-aids and lotion when I'd rather eat... And above all that, it seems utterly pointless to worry over what other people think about me..

Frankly, I just don't understand WHY we do it!!

I've family in Germany, and it'd never occur to them to shave. Would it be fair to say that America (and/or 'Americanized' countries) is the only culture that endorses and engenders this shaving ritual?? (This is where I'd point to legs and armpits.. faces and heads have long been shaved, and, for the most part, there was a reason behind it, beyond 'looking good'.. whatever that is.)

So, I open this up to the ladies and those who habitually shave.. Why do you do it??

((And please.. if you don't shave, please don't start about how gross hairy legs and armpits are.. I'm looking for serious reasons from those who bend themselves (pun intended) to this ritual.. not personal comments that have no bearing on the cultural stance that I'm trying to get at with my question.))

...thank you for going to the trouble really! I don't speak for all men but I am damb glad that most of you do shave.....

Okay, now I'm curious why the ladies aren't saying anything...

Is it that odd of a question in this culture???

sorry didn't see the thread till now

I shave because my underarms mainly for the body odor thing, but I also like having silky smooth underarms.

I shave my legs I guess strictly for beauty, whenever I wear skirts and shorts, If I'm have jeans week, I won't shave, but I don't think I can go more than two weeks without shaving them.

hmmm, I dont know why I'm replying in this thread,could be that I'm a bit bored, who knows!


Don't know about the 'body odour' thing, coz we can't offend the 'Guy's' here, World Watcher!


Speaking of myself, I shave my underarms because it looks smoother and umm, coz it's a female thing to do?
And it does look better!
Yep.

And I shave my legs(lower half)for, lol, better looking legs?
As Worldwatcher/Quote said below!

I shave my legs I guess strictly for beauty, whenever I wear skirts and shorts, If I'm have jeans week, I won't shave, but I don't think I can go more than two weeks without shaving them.

helen

Oh, and guys that shave their legs?
I ask, why?

Bored or not -- thanks for replying!
It's an odd question.. I know. I have a penchant for coming up with them.

coz it's a female thing to do?

But only in America, maybe england, canada.... not everywhere to women shave their legs. In fact, in some cultures, it's considered beautiful to have a stretched lip, or a stretched neck.. Heck, in china for many many years, women's feet were bound and made ultimately useless.. and that was considered the turn on above all others..

It also makes me curious how the whole shaving legs thing started.. cartoons? art? (haven't seen a painting of a woman with hairy legs.. too much detail?)

Is being hairless taken as a sign of purity, and having hair a sign of being closer to a beast?

Why must we rely on outer appearance to reveal someone's inner virtue? Doesn't that seem backwards?

I'm sure it's a cultural thing. I know I greatly prefer the look of a woman who shaves her underarms and legs. And I can't imagine my wife not shaving. I'm quite sure she would whether I cared or not.

The au naturel look for women is a little too George "The Animal" Steele for me.

I shave because i owe it to the general public, my family, society at large not to look revolting and disgusting.

It makes me look, and feel clean, sexy, ready to wear shorts, skirts, even a nightgown without having that dreaded gorilla look. My husband, i'm sure, appreciates it most of all.

But mostly, i shave because i want to.

I shave because I have been indoctrinated from an early age that it is expected of women. I don't enjoy it at all but I will admit, my legs feel nice when they are freshly shaven.

It is actually an interesting question and I went and searched it out. We women are victims of advertising, it would seem.

It all began with the May, 1915 edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine that featured a model sporting the latest fashion. She wore a sleeveless evening gown that exposed, for the first time in fashion, her bare shoulders, and her armpits.

A young marketing executive with the Wilkinson Sword Company, who also made razor blades for men, designed a campaign to convince the women of North America that:

(a) Underarm hair was unhygienic (b) It was unfeminine.

www.quikshave.com...

Frankly, I just don't understand WHY we do it!!

Because its gross for a girl to have hairy armpits and legs perhaps???

Yes, this is cultural.

Originally posted by ConstantlyWondering
...thank you for going to the trouble really!

Good call, THANKS to the ladies that bother!

Diseria
It also makes me curious how the whole shaving legs thing started..

In teh epic of gilgamesh, enkidu is a 'wild man of the woods', covered with hair. A sacred prostitute takes him in, has sex with him, and shaves the hair off his body, thus civilizing him.

Europeans seem to have given up the practice, but there has allways been people that do this. The ancient romans used to use roasted walnut shells to soften and remove the hair on the body. Indian women today use threads or strings to shape their eyebrows, this is clearly not a modern invention.

Yes the whole "I have Willie Nelson in a headlock" look is soooo 19th century. Or European. Or something.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I shave because i owe it to the general public, my family, society at large not to look revolting and disgusting.

I bring this up to question for discussion, not for personal attack.. I'm a firm believer in 'to each their own'.. so rock on with whatever you do!

However..

You honestly believe that you owe that to the gen. pub.? What do they owe you in return?

The gen. pub. told me to shave, but didn't shower me with men and popularity when I did. In fact, I've gained more respect with people in general for *not* following what the gen. pub. told me to do.. (namely, shaving my head.. I know -- completely backwards! )


Besides all that.. does it truly matter what the general public thinks?
If someone is turned away by my appearance, then, well... I don't need them in my life anyhow.

If your significant other, or friend, or family member, decided to stop shaving -- would you stop loving/caring about them?

People have seen me with all my piercings and ink, think I'm a crazy person.. debate whether I'm a male or female (like it matters??).. cross the street to get away from me... pull their kids away.. then do a double take when I treat them with civility and respect, or simply do something nice for someone.


Admittedly, I didn't know that removal of body hair was done previously.. romans with walnuts, indians with strings.. brand spankin' new to me! So thank you for that, Nygdan!

Duzey -- the list of 'advertising propaganda' is endless.. It's both awe-inspiring (the lengths to which they go to make a dollar), and sad..

Diseria,

Why take my comments to heart? Did you tell us what haircolor you are in the first place? 'Cause sister, i have very dark hair, and i would look like an animal if i didnt shave.

No offense at all. I was just speaking for myself about me.

I know light haired people who dont shave, i know blonde women who dont shave and no one notices....As for me like i said, the beast.

I get my eyebrows done by Indian women with threads
Many indian salons and beauty shops offer this service.
painful at first but after the second or third time, it's equal to waxing, I just like the shaping you get by the "threading" better.

Originally posted by Diseria
This thread is for those who shave legs and armpits.. I'm curious as to why people (usually women) habitually shave.

Is it a cultural thing? (outside/societal pressures?)
Is it a beauty thing?

What are *YOUR* reasons for shaving?

Let me say, I am a female, born and raised in America. I've got thick, dark hair, and was prompted to start shaving because my classmates made fun of me. So, I shaved for 7-8 years, hating every second of it, but feeling outside pressure to follow through. Yeah, silky legs feel neat, but when you scrap yourself or your significant other with stubble in the middle of the night.. it just doesn't seem worth it!

I finally gave it up about 3 years ago. Why? Well, firstly it pleases my inner rebel. (I won't lie.) However, I don't like my bathroom that much to spend hours and hours of my life there.. I'm tired of cuts, nicks, scraps, and razor burn.. I hate plucking out in-grown hairs that *I* caused by shaving.. I'm too broke to even consider buying razors and creme and band-aids and lotion when I'd rather eat... And above all that, it seems utterly pointless to worry over what other people think about me..

Frankly, I just don't understand WHY we do it!!

I've family in Germany, and it'd never occur to them to shave. Would it be fair to say that America (and/or 'Americanized' countries) is the only culture that endorses and engenders this shaving ritual?? (This is where I'd point to legs and armpits.. faces and heads have long been shaved, and, for the most part, there was a reason behind it, beyond 'looking good'.. whatever that is.)

So, I open this up to the ladies and those who habitually shave.. Why do you do it??

((And please.. if you don't shave, please don't start about how gross hairy legs and armpits are.. I'm looking for serious reasons from those who bend themselves (pun intended) to this ritual.. not personal comments that have no bearing on the cultural stance that I'm trying to get at with my question.))

This is an interesting question. Is it for pure pleasure ... or purely because we all want to fit in ... and it is what is in style ???? French peopel don;t all shave do they ... or so I have heard lol ... ... This kinda goes along somewhat with a thread I had started about ... Learning differnt things as we have evolved. We used to love the hair that we had because it woudl protect us from wind burn suin burn. And if anyone has noticed there is hair in your nose openings your butt openings and every where on your face on all the openings especially ... You wonder if this was suppose to catch the germs ... I would wonder what germs were magnet to our HAIRS. This would be interesting you study ... ... ... !!!!Check out this THREAD IF YA GET A CHANCE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow i just cant imagin not shaving lol! But i understand also whyhh you dont,

but i have doen it ever since i saw that first lil hair appear on my leg and my brother coming at me with a pair of tweesers screaming Pluck the chicken!

I just assumed it was odd not to, all my friends did, But yes i hate shaving it bores me,

i tend to just wax now lasts longer and is over in mins,

ohh and underarms! I dont even like men with hairy ones, I shave theres to lol

Guess that a hygine thing i think of,

Originally posted by yeahright
Yes the whole "I have Willie Nelson in a headlock" look is soooo 19th century. Or European. Or something.

That's funny.

Willie Nelson, head lock.......

Originally posted by asala
ohh and underarms! I dont even like men with hairy ones, I shave theres to lol

I don't mind so much if men have underarm hair, but back hair??? Eeek, wax it off!!!! The same goes for chest hair. I don't like it at all.

As for the time shaving takes, I'm lucky enough to live alone. There's nobody to complain when I shave my legs and watch tv at the same time. I'm a fan of multi-tasking.

Well from the old hippy perspective, I don't care. My GF shaves if the social functions call for it but usually she is "au natural" as God made her. She is also stunningly beautiful and completely confident in her appearance. No makeup, no beauty parlor BS. Most of her beauty lies in her selfconfidence and strength.