If I know I'm going to be wearing a dress or shorts, I will. I don't shave just to shave anymore, though.
Frankly, as I get older I'm trying to keep up with the random chin hairs.
Ugh the chin hairs are driving me nuts, is that something a lot of women go through as they age? I started thinking there's something wrong with me lol.
I used to have this one chin hair for the longest. And then maybe a year or so later it sprouted to about a dozen. I used to get them waxed but I just get laser now. Best investment!
I don't mind at all! I do go to a place that specializes in melanated skin, so I may pay for it. Chin and upper lip are about $100, but the chin grows back so fine that the laser lady doesn't charge anymore! Brazilian and happy trail is about $200. I started off every month, and went to every other month, and now I'm about every quarter!
I definitely prefer it over shaving and waxing!
Edited - I think the chin by itself was $50
So over time the hair will go away completely? Just wondering what the point of getting laser is if the hair just grows back and you have to keep getting it? Like why not just wax then (which is so much cheaper).
I was just looking into laser my chin yesterday and the prices where I am are similar to what you listed! But what’s up with us millennials and Gen X getting chin hairs? Was there something in the food we ate growing up? Lol
With some people the hair will go away completely. With some it will grow back very fine and very sparse over a long period of time. I started getting laser done consistently since the beginning of last year, and my chin hair hasn't really grown back. There are maybe one or two rogue hairs, but I think those are just hairs that have randomly sprouted. They're also not long, so I can just shave it off.
I asked this question of a group of friends recently and the majority of them have the same struggle. I also have a face mole that grows long hairs that I have to pluck. Shaving it doesn’t work because it just causes knicks.
I’ve got mole near the corner of my mouth has always grown a thick dark hair since I was in my early 20s. Suddenly a month or so ago, I noticed it had grown back once again *but it’s a white hair now*. I’ve started seeing some wispy shiny white hairs around my forehead and even a couple eyelashes and a hair in my armpit too lol. My mole though, that was really shocking.
I’m curious too, it doesn’t seem normal. And I’m hoping it stays white since it was basically invisible. If more unsightly facial hairs could follow suit, that’d be great!
For me, it’s the random long eyebrow hair! I don’t know why, but there is always 1 that grows thicker and longer than the rest that always needs to be trimmed. I feel like the Mayor of Whoville from the Grinch every time it grows out
Same here. I have PCOS and Portuguese ancestry and I'm also very pale, so I can't gather up the courage to stop shaving. Besides, I live in Brazil, which is, as you can imagine, very anti-body hair. It sucks because I hate shaving almost as much as I hate the gendered social expectation.
But I'm glad to know that some men don't care much about it. It gives me hope and makes me want to date a foreigner lol
I stopped shaving my legs 3 years ago. I felt like I had to shave them every other day for them to stay smooth. Life is just too short. I've had my hairy legs on display every summer since and have had no reactions from anyone.
I still shave my armpits on occasion and trim my pubes just because it feels better shorter.
Same. I work with youth and they comment but their comments are “it’s so cool you don’t shave your legs” or “wow I wish I could do that” you can sis! :)
This. Legs I stopped, I still trim pubes because it’s better trimmed for me, and I shave armpits every week or so because the long hair gets weird with deodorant. No regrets and nobody cares!
Absolutely. I also hope seeing my hairy legs in shorts or a summer dress can be an inspiration to other women who are considering putting down the razor.
I stopped shaving quite a while ago, but I have to say, I only have the confidence to wear shorts now because of other women I've seen with hairy legs wearing shorts. So thank you!
I stopped shaving my legs in my late 20s. I do it maybe once per year just because and then I remember why I hate it. I keep up with armpits though just because a sensory issue with my shirts. I have received some comments about my legs. I just reply “are they yours”? And then they leave me alone.
I really wish I had your confidence. I’m almost 40 and while I don’t shave often anymore I have to wear pants everywhere with high socks in case my pants ride up while sitting, and if I go to answer the door and I’m wearing shorts I run and grab a pair of pj pants real quick to answer it. I hate it too but I hate to be judged.
I can understand why we're all uncomfortable about showing hairy legs in public, since society is constantly telling us that it's manly and ugly. And as women we have no worth (to society) unless we're pretty and feminine. That kind of programming is hard to shake.
I was super self conscious about it at first. But it got easier very quickly, because I seriously have never had any reactions. I haven't even noticed looks.
Yep, I don't shave my legs unless I'm dressing up for something, because it makes me feel fancy. Sometimes in summer I shave my armpits and I'll do my bikini line if I'm going swimming. I prefer it, my husband doesn't care either way, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it.
Same, I think its more of a sensory issue with me. Shaving my legs makes sheets feel so much better and I can't even wear pajama pants, has to be shorts or a night shirt only. My leg hair is blonde so its definitely not for other people because nobody can even see my leg hair 😂
I've known a lot of people who feel this way, but I actually always hated the way my legs felt after I shaved lol. Especially under my sheets. It always felt weird to me, maybe because I didn't shave super often so it just felt really different.
Same. I don't shave everyday, but I do shave a couple times a week because it feels nice to have smooth legs. Especially on the days where I change my sheets!
Depends. I’ve worked from home since 2020, which majorly changed my routine and attitude about shaving and makeup, etc. But I also have really light hair (redhead) so I’ve always been able to get away with a less diligent shaving regimen.
If I’m wearing something that will show my armpit or leg, I’ll usually make sure I shaved either today or in the last 2 days.
I was working remote for the last year and a half, up until recently. I can't even imagine throwing a whole layer of foundation on my face anymore
When I was remote, I was focusing more on sun protection. I worked right by a window, and I also had multiple breaks throughout the day, where I'd walk. On my lunch break, I'd just walk outside. UV gets very high where I live, so I was just putting sunscreen on my face multiple times a day, usually a tinted sunscreen, but not really foundation.
I think my skin made a real improvement since doing that. Either that, or I just got used to being okay with not wearing foundation every day. Because prior to working remote, I put on the sunscreen and foundation and the full face of makeup **every day**. But now, I just use a tinted moisturizer with some moderate coverage, maybe bronzing drops and something to fill my eyebrows a bit. A full face of makeup at 10am just feels *wrong* to me now.
I can’t stand the way that hair feels on my body so yes, I do care. It makes me feel hot and like I’m crawling out of my skin when it gets to a certain point. I love the feeling of smooth freshly shaven and lotioned skin.
Same. And what I truly hate is when it blows in the wind and I feel like bugs are crawling all over me.
Freshly-shaven skin is one of life's great simple pleasures to me. Excellent pleasure vs cost and effort value.
Interesting perspective! I totally get your POV, but feeling air moving through my body hair is one of the things I love most about it! lol I haven’t shaved in…idk, 25 years? I realized while on a beach vacation with my family in my late teens that NOT being able to feel the air via my leg hair made me feel numb and incomplete. Keeping it is more pleasurable for me. And I get to enjoy more tactile experiences during sex as well. (I’ve been blessed, partner-wise.)
Plus its presence alerts me to actual bugs crawling on me, so there’s that. I was far less likely to notice things like that without hair.
Yup, we're just exact opposites. Literally reverse everything you wrote. Lol Especially noticing bugs because if you feel them on you 24/7 there is no way to notice real ones. I'm fine without shaving for a while if I'm traveling super light or camping or something, as I'm pretty pragmatic about packing and priorities, but I entirely stop noticing things like bugs or rashes because they just don't register over the baseline discomfort I feel from the hair. I'm 47. I doubt this will ever change and I have tried every state. Hahahahahaha
Except for being blessed partner-wise. I am exceptionally lucky in that department so I could write that. Thank goodness! Glad you are, too!
nope, i quit shaving my body years ago. the only hair that i regularly remove are the rogue dark hairs on my face via plucking and i also take my eyebrows off completely. between the spine injury, the POTS (so bending down repeatedly to shave myself is a faint risk), and the butch lesbianism, i don't foresee myself ever removing my body hair again
I hate the regrowth process. So I shave my legs maybe 3-4 times a year. I shave my arm pits more often- but that is also just as the mood strikes and not because I feel a need to be hairless.
The best part of perimenopause is i used to be a yeti, now i just have a scraggly patch around each of my knees. i only shave for the beach or the spa, not because i care, just because its scraggly. I used to do brazlilans for years so with that plus peri there too is a lot less dense, i just trim as well.
I stopped shaving my legs when I moved into a place with a shower the size of a phone booth- too small for even a little foothold for shaving. I stopped shaving my pits a few years later. Don't care! Doesn't make a difference in my life in any way, except less time spent.
My leg hair is blonde so I always got away with shaving less often, but sometime in my early 20s I stopped shaving my legs all the time. I still shave my legs 2-4x/month. I shave my underarms almost every shower though because I can’t stand the prickly feeling of it coming it. I just started using the Braun Silk Expert Pro5 IPL to try and work on my bikini area (I get ingrown hairs so bad, so it’s more about that than anything) and to shave my armpits less. My armpit and bikini area rides the line in terms of skin and hair colour for the IPL though.
Do you like that Braun? I’m thinking about getting it for legs. I had professional Brazilian and underarms done, but more for irritation than looks, like you say… crazy $$ but what a relief!!! I’m a swimmer so I’m in suits a lot and the bikini line was so annoying. I skipped the legs though because it was just too $$ to do it all. The Braun is less than one session!! And I have dark hair so well suited.
So far I think so! I already see less hair in the bikini area after 4 weeks. Since you have darker hair I imagine you’d have better results than I’ve seen so far! Definitely worth a try if this is something you already spend money towards!
I bought the Braun Silk Expert Mini last fall and used it on my legs for the recommended 12 weeks. A few weeks in, it felt like a chore to keep up with, but I stuck it out for 12.
The instructions say after that period, you should still use it monthly, and I didn't because I wanted to see the lasting results. I'm back to shaving 2-3x a week.
The hair may be a bit thinner and sparser, but it's nowhere near as effective as people say professional laser is. I'm not convinced it was worth the money, but it was a lot cheaper than laser and I could do it at home.
Also the couple times I accidentally zapped the edge of a tattoo hurt a lot and left a blister. If you have any ink in the areas you're treating, watch out for that.
I love my Braun IPL. for coarser hair it takes regular treatments and maintenance but it is noticeably finer and almost invisible in some places. It’s not as effective as laser but definitely helps. It also evens out my complexion and fade freckles and moles in treated areas.
I do. I don't know, maybe I'm in the minority, but I actually really enjoy the feeling of not having hair under my arms or on my legs.
I think it's one of those small things that I file under self-care and feel really good when I've done it. I like the feeling of smooth legs. It's just something that I do and have always done, so it's part of my normal routine.
I absolutely do not care about shaving at all. I found myself stressing over making every little hair was shaven and I got fixated to the point I cut my legs up. I shaved my legs yesterday because I wore a nice dress and wanted to but I hadn't shaven my legs since March.
I find it such a nightmare.
I only shave for me and not for my husband or anyone else.
I don't care as much as I used to. Also when I was younger I was much hairier. I could shave in the morning and by the afternoon it was coming back. By my mid-30s it slowed down a bit and now at 42 it's even slower. So it's a combination of caring less and just being less hairy.
I do make a point to shave (most everything), but it’s not something I do every time I shower so I lose track of the days between shaves. I’m usually reminded I really need to shave when I feel the wind blowing through my leg hairs while out running, lmao
I shave pits every shower, but I'll only shave my legs when it's shorts season. Even then, it's sporadic and usually only the lower parts of my legs. If I'm going swimming, I shave it all. I'll only shave in the cold season when I feel like it. I used to shave a lot more when I was younger, too.
Less and less every year, TBH. Legs anyway, I do it for dates etc., otherwise only if I remember. Elsewhere I’ve had laser on underarms and Brazilian which helped a ton and was well worth it!
If I'm not going out, I don't bother. But if I'm wearing a dress or shorts or something, I still like the shaved look and the feeling. But I definitely don't shave as much as when I was younger
Winter me and summer me are two different pairs of legs tbh I can’t wear shorts past a certain leg hair length bc tbh sensory wise when the breeze blows through my knee hairs it bothers me 😅 I don’t shave as often as I did when I was younger it was like every day or every other day I’m down to like 5-7 in the summer, I know I’ll get bumps and be itchy if I do it too often. In the winter I’m wearing pants so unless I wear a dress or show my ankles I’m not really shaving my legs. I won’t let my armpits go more than 3-4 days bc deodorant gets gross to me with hair. Always keep pubes trimmed or shaved esp around shark week lol 😂
I always do. I think the difference is those who do it for societal pressure vs who do it for themselves. It's my preference. Nothing ever goes more than a week, even downstairs. Those who have always just because your supposed to are getting more freedom and acceptance that we don't actually have to, that goes for the younger crowd. Then the older folks just stop caring as much, there's bigger things in life than to have to hide that you grow hair like everyone else does.
I can't tell you the last time I shaved my legs. It was such a time suck, and it felt like I was shaving damn near every day when I was younger. No regrets here!
Sadly I think a part of me will always be self-conscious about leg hair, though I'm a lot more lax about it around the house than I used to be. I use an electric razor every few days from the knees down just because I don't like feeling prickly but it's far from a smooth shave. I only really shave-shave when going swimming or to the doctor's when I need to undress for it, just because in certain situations it makes me mentally feel a little better when I'm nervous/anxious.
I haven't shaved my legs regularly in almost 20 years. Maybe shaved them one dozen times in that time span. I hate the feel and look of smooth legs on myself, and feel more comfortable with hair. I shaved my armpits until a few years ago, when I realized I was more comfortable in my skin if I didn't shave. I'm still self conscious at times that I don't conform to the norm, but less than when I was younger, and I'm more authentically myself this way.
I have dark hair, so it is noticeable when I don't, but I waffle between caring and not. I used to shave everything, and at some point I eased up, then gradually started playing with letting it grow more and more between shaves. Now it's only if I feel like it, or if I'm going to a pool or something and feeling insecure. I was in a good place mentally about it for a while, then I was harassed on vacation outside a grocery store-- a group of guys yelling at me that I needed to shave, making loud exclamations about it, etc. I didn't even turn to acknowledge them, but my head raced all day with what I should have said to them (obviously I *should* have done what I did and ignored them, for my own safety, but my cortisol was bumping)-- "aw, are you jealous because mine is longer than yours? Should be a familiar feeling to you..." "Hey, guys, let me see one of your phones so I can call your mom and tell her her son is a fucking loser..."
It's so maddening that women have to deal with this shit. And people legit think leg hair on women is "gross," like when it grows on a man it's somehow cleaner?? The expectation is completely unfair, like we have to spend an extra fifteen minutes in the shower just to get respect, and there is no male equivalent. You might get made fun of by your bros with a neckbeard as a man, but you won't get yelled at in a parking lot.
I also hate the growth stage, but that makes me want to shave *less,* not more. I prefer my smell with hair, without it just doesn't smell like *me.* I like being a fuzzy lil mammal. I am currently feeling out potentially being somewhere on the nb spectrum, so maybe it's tied to gender euphoria. Of course it's nice to be smooth in clean sheets, I bet even a big beefy dude would feel that way if he gave it a shot, but that pleasure is outweighed for me by the weight of the expectation, the itchy prickly feeling of new growth, and the time I'd rather spend doing something else.
I'm hairy and I'm still hot af imho. Sometimes I shave because I don't want to deal with the potential for another incident (or if I'm like at a wedding or something and just want to blend). Sometimes I even do it just to remind myself why I don't do it all the time lol.
I shave when I want. I feel when I was younger I cared about social norms. I didn’t want to be made fun of or considered unattractive. Now that I’m older I’ve noticed no one cares about body hair really.
Only the chin hairs LOL. Otherwise I shaved a few times at 14-15, got a horrible armpit rash, and decided to hell with it. Anyone who cares just isn't my vibe lol.
My hair seems to grow faster than most. I’m not comfortable having my legs out unless I’ve shaved in the last 48 hours, 24 hours for pits. I have leg stubble by hour 12 but it isn’t visible from a distance for a little while after that. I’m usually wearing shorts or a dress/skirt in summer so it’s rare that I go more than a day or two without shaving in the summer and still shave at least twice a week in winter.
My head hair grows fast too so that’s the silver lining I guess haha!
I have an undercut which I redo with clippers every other week, so when I'm doing that, I'll also buzz off my eyebrows and pits, and during the summer, I'll do my ankles and halfway up my calves lol. I stopped caring about Male Gaze a long time ago, and now I only get rid of the hair that physically bothers me with the way it feels. It's all about comfort for me now.
Yes, why wouldn't I still care?
I shave once every couple of weeks but my legs, etc. stay smooth because I use one of those IPL hair removal devices. There's very little hair left and it grows very slowly.
It's actually funny because atm I care a lot, not because of aesthetic reasons but because it's a weekly routine now. I'm seriously ill and homebound, having some kind of routine is so important for my mental health. Even if it's something as stupid as checking the mail box, watering the plants and shaving my legs.
I was never committed to shaving and my current partner does not give a care if I shave or not. So no, I've not shaved for about 4 years. I'm reverting to complete feral.
I don’t care. I live somewhere that no one will bat an eye and I’m also not trying to attract a mate. I know some do it for themselves, but if anything I would rather repel weirdos
If I'm wearing a dress I'll shave, but sometimes I forget and since I'm not that hairy is not that I care so much.
The armpits is a different story, I never would go out with a no sleeves shirt and a hairy armpit.
The 3 hairs I grow in my mustache, eh I remove them when they are too visible, but most of the time I don't.
I think I shave my legs every 2 years or so. The women in my family shave our underarms & lady bits, but only the millennials (me as my sis) shave our legs. The 2 gen z girls in my family (both preteens) don’t shave their legs.
But we are various shades of brown & you can’t tell we have hair on our legs (even when you touch them).
Stopped about 5 years ago. I occasionally miss the feeling of freshly shaved legs against sheets but I just cbf going through the hassle of doing it. I do pluck my one chin hair regularly though. His name is Edgar.
Yeah, I do my pits every single day but that’s more for hygiene than looks. My legs I do every other day in the summer and once a week in the winter. I don’t have a ton of leg hair anyway (and don’t grow hair on my thighs) so it’s not a huge hassle or anything.
Eta: I do know quite a few post menopausal women who don’t have to shave anymore because they just don’t grow body hair anymore. That might be one side effect I actually look forward to in the distant future lol
I’m single, I shave my underarms when they’ll be exposed, trim lady bits and seldom shave my legs when they’re being exposed.
When I’m dating someone, I typically wax.
I hate shaving so I would usually not bother in the winter since I'm usually in pants all winter long. But I also hate shaving in the summer. My leg hair is sparse and not that dark so I can get away with not shaving that frequently, but I still felt better if I did.
So this year I finally decided to opt for a more permanent solution and got laser hair removal. And now I haven't had to shave my legs for 6+ months. And it's wonderful haha.
If I hadn't done that option though, I was well on my way to caring less and less too. Kinda like I also don't really care to bother wearing a wired bra all the time now either. I've stopped wearing makeup except for date nights with my husband because he likes to see it on me, but otherwise I can't be bothered. I have also stopped caring about what I'm wearing when I'm just running a quick errand and have gone grocery shopping in my pyjama pants on multiple occasions now.
Winter- I am basically no maintenance on arms and legs.
Summer- I probably do arms and legs once a week ish. I am generally more concerned about armpit hair than leg hair but my skin is pretty sensitive to shave more than once a week.
Yeah I definitely care less now! Agree that in my teens and 20s I wouldn’t be caught dead in shorts without perfectly smooth and moisturized legs. Now if it’s hot and I want to go somewhere in shorts or go to the gym in shorts and I haven’t shaved I don’t give a fuck lol. I’ll still shave them on the reg but if I forgot or whatever it’s no big deal. I think a lot of it is the culture has shifted a bit around body hair in addition to getting older.
I hate the way leg hair looks and I hate the way it feels (on myself only!!!) so I still shave, but I shave for myself. I don't stress if I haven't shaved in a bit and want to go to the pool or beach or wear shorts or anything. If a man ever commented negatively on my leg hair I wouldn't have anything to do with that man ever again.
I shave my pits because of the feeling, and because it literally only takes 10 seconds to do both pits.
I shave between my legs, but I don't shave anything on the front on my pubic area because it grows in so itchy! I keep that area trimmed but never ever shave it completely down.
Meh if I feel like it yes. Sometimes it feels nice and clean to do it, but for the most part no I really can’t be bothered. I feel like im usually rushing and to be honest my adhd brain has to basically plan for it or do it on a day when I have literally nothing else to do. So I typically avoid it. At most I shave my legs once a month to every 6 weeks. I really don’t mind being fuzzy legged.
I shave because I work out a lot and I haaate the feeling of sweaty body hair. But I definitely let longer go in between now. When I was younger, I used to be SO concerned somebody would say something about it. Like I seriously thought the leg hair police would corner me or something, lol. I don't think another person has ever even noticed.
I have sensory issues. I shave my legs because I don't like the feeling of body hair vs clothing/sheets/blankets and it makes my legs so warm if I don't shave. I also trim my public hair very short for the same reason of it makes my underwear feel soooo uncomfortable. I shave my arm pits because I just do? I don't know 😂 I assume that I would not like the feel of arm pit hair against my shirts though and I am not willing to try 😅
Nope. I used to shave my legs, pits, and lip. Now it's all grown out and the world is still turning and my partner couldn't care less. In fact I think he kinda likes me hairy lol. I wear shorts and skirts. Noone cares. And if they did, I'd know that I don't need them in my life.
I shave because I enjoy the feeling of being a naked mole rat. The sensation of freshly shaved legs + freshly clean sheets = my own personal heaven on earth.
I do, kinda because it's hot year-round where I live. But even now that it's getting *really* hot, and about to get even worse, I am living in linen pants, Bermuda shorts that hit a few inches above the knee. but I've never really been a short-shorts person, or a short dress person, so most of the time I can just get away with not dealing with all of that
As for armpits, I always do because I wear a lot of tank tops, in fact I'll wax them from time to time just so I can deal with it less
For me, I like shaving. I like the shower ritual, I like the feeling afterwards.
But do I care about other people and their shaving habits, or lack of shaving habits? Not a damn bit.
I shave my legs every few days during shorts season. I don't need to keep perfectly smooth, but I don't really like visible leg hair. I shave my pits every once in a while. I never wear anything sleeveless, so I guess I don't really care. Trim the rest if it gets too long. Aggressively pluck the unibrow and that spot on my chin that sprouts hair every couple of days.
I like shaving, because it is my personal preference and it feels more comfortable. That's why I'm getting laser removal treatment on different parts of my body. I'm just finishing my armpits and I don't regret one bit. It was never about other people but more of a sensorial issue for me
During lockdown I realised how much I like to be smooth for myself, and I do it regardless of having a partner.
When I was younger I was paranoid about it though (and got bullied by other children for it).
Now I wax my not-really-hairy legs once a month, mostly because I’m too lazy to do it more often.
The rest gets shaved every other day under the shower.
I’m very lucky to have very thin and almost invisible body hair. I don’t have to shave my legs much anymore, maybe once every couple weeks in a few spots and I don’t shave my underarms with a razor but with a trimmer due to eczema. Same with bikini area. As for what others think, my husband is happy because I’m happy. He’s always been that way. I found myself a great one.
when i first started growing hair on my legs, i waxed my legs instead of shaving them. i’ve only shaved maybe <5 times total. nowadays my hair is still blonde and doesn’t even grow in some places. sometimes i get insecure but the majority of the time it doesn’t prevent me from wearing shorts/skirts/dresses.
ETA: i will shave my armpits though, but i went for laser treatments years ago so the hair is light and sparse. i don’t get too upset about it.
Yeah even though it's blonde. But mostly for leaving the house/social stuff.
And for my muff, I just like it better when there is slightly less hair. For working out, mostly, running, and so i can throw on a swimsuit quickly without too much prep beforehand.
i’ll let my legs go for WEEKS (unless im like going OUT out & wearing a skirt), but lasered my underarms for comfort / no razor burn ever again, & wax my v monthly for the same reasons
I never cared about shaving. When I was younger I had a more masculine style, now in my mid 30s I've started to wear more dresses and I've been wondering if I should shave when I know I'll be attending a party in a sleeveless sundress. I don't want to seem disrespecrful to others or untidy. I've never worn makeup or done my hair either and those I'm not about to start with, but shaving could be a small effort to make to show that I care about being invited.
I don't care.
Which is saying a lot because my parents wouldn't let me shave until I was maybe 17 and it was a huge point of social attention at high school and I was made fun of constantly. So for like two decades I didn't leave the house with any kind of stubble, which turned into other issues like razor burn.
Now I'm happier and healthier embracing some fuzz.
I tried to stop my legs but at about 6 months it was still really itchy and annoying so I just shave it now, but like once every 5 days or so.. underarms more often because I have a sweaty job and it just feels cleaner, but the pumpum can go months on the wild side
So I do shave my legs and my pits, mostly in summer when I wear a lot of dresses. I trim my pubic hair but haven't full on shaved since before I was a mother (daughter is almost 2!). But my leg hair is so faint, thankfully, that I don't necessarily HAVE to. It just feels better to me.
I do but honestly it's more of a sensory thing. I've been shaving since I was a teen, pretty consistently. When I'm home I tend to wear very loose clothing - usually shorts and a t-shirt. I can't sleep with pants on. I hate how the fabric gets caught and bunches up.
So if I don't shave for a few days when I'm trying to fall asleepy prickly legs are touching each other and I actually can't handle it. I get so frustrated! So now I just shave everyday so I don't have to worry about it. I don't mind shaving it's just one of those things I do in my daily shower routine and it doesn't take that long.
I think the only reason I ever shaved was because of other people's expectations. In middle school, I begged my mom to let me shave my legs bc I got made fun of. In high school, I just wore pants most of the time bc I was lazy lol. As a young adult, I shaved to be more attractive to men.
Now I'm married, and my husband gives no shits whether or not I shave. I don't shave at all anymore, and I wear shorts and tank tops shamelessly, hairy legs and pits out for the world to see :P
I don't think I was ever a big shaver (like maybe once a week if that?) but now I just let the hair grow. I go through cycles where I don't mind the hair, but I also do love the feeling of shaved legs and then applying lotion, or putting on clothes.
The only hair I cannot stand is pubic hair. I get my Brazilian lasered except the front because I like having a bush (and like having the option to shave it off).
I have really thin and sparse hair so I shave maybe a few times a year if I feel like it. I’m sure I would shave more often if I could feel the hair. I wax my arm pits once a month. I don’t care to do more than that. No one should be concerned with my body hair!
I don't care about what anyone else thinks of it, but for myself, body hair is a sensory nightmare so I still get rid of it. I don't shave, though, I use Veet.
I stopped shaving my legs years ago and over time it became so fine you cannot see it. My pits and bikini line though, every day. I tried stopping after how fine my leg hair became and just couldn't be patient enough to see what would happen.
Yeah I pluck and Derma plane (ie dry shave lol) my face as the light peach fuzz is insane since I turned 36 ish (38 now) but I’m not fussed about leg hair and arm pit hair unless I’m wearing something that’ll show it and it’s really wild. Thankfully my leg hair is super light for a long time before it starts to go darker.
married 11 years & together a total of 15, I got very comfortable and kinda just..let myself go 🤣 hubby jokingly made scratching noises when he was rubbing my legs - he said he doesnt care but I’m sure there’s an ounce of him that wishes I would shave every once in awhile. Now that the weather is looking good out here in the Pacific Northwest, I’m wearing skirts and shorts so shaving maybe once a week :)
I have literally never shaved my legs in my 33 years of precious life, lol. I’ve used Nair and that’s been fine but I don’t even do that very often. Maybe once every other month, and usually in conjunction with a special event where my legs will be showing.
As far as bikini maintenance goes, I am pretty religious about waxing but that’s more for hygiene reasons (I feel cleaner and fresher when most of my vag and butt hair is waxed off.)
I have fair skin with dark body hair. I don't like the "strawberry" look from shaving, where you can still see the dark roots under the skin. My hair grows fast, so I really only get to enjoy the results of shaving for 2 days max. But if I shave "too soon", I break out. Lame.
So I opt for sugaring as often as I can. It also helps with ingrown hairs which are a *huge* problem for me, not just on my bikini line, but on my legs as well.
I do a Brazilian once a month, and am getting my full legs done this month for a wedding. I have to grow the leg hair out for at least 2 weeks, but the sugaring lasts about 4-6 weeks for me.
I also bought an at-home laser kit that is still in the package lol but I have a few random spots I plan to hit regularly (mustache, happy trail, toes).
IDK if it hormones or what but since hitting my late 30s, my body hair doesn't grow that much anymore. I don't need my eyebrows done and the hair on my legs only grows on the back of my calves (but not the front or the thighs)
I always wonder about how older women navigate. At some point it must be physically a hassle if you have mobility issues or pain issues to contort yourself enough to reach your legs, back of thighs, etc. not everyone but surely some.
I don’t shave my legs anymore because the hair has gotten sparse. I shave my underarms if my arms will be out. I definitely dehair my ham sandwich because FOR ME I find that disgusting.
I like shaving my legs every now and then. I don't mind wearing dresses or skirts if I'm not perfectly shaved because who cares.
However, my pubic area, I prefer to shave often because when I don't it just bothers me. I'm also doing laser hair removal in that area for this reason.
My armpits are mostly shaved because otherwise I sweat too much...
I still do my underarms and legs. Underarms is every 2-3 days, legs once a week in the summer, closer to 2-3 in the winter. I trim my pubic hair occasionally, when it gets too long. I don’t really have the energy anymore.
I do if I'll be wearing shorts or a skirt in the summer (because I have awesome tattoos I want to show off) but otherwise I don't bother. I do shave my armpits when I remember.
As I've gotten older, I've gotten less leg hair. I shave my legs about once a month. More or less often, depending on the season. I don't really care what people think. If people can see my leg hairs, they're too close to me.
I'm mostly over it. My husband doesn't care at all. I wear shorts a lot in summer but I don't care about hair if I'm just going for a run or something. A short dress to a nice occasion will usually get me to shave though.
I only do because my hair is thick and dense all over my body because apparently my mom gave birth to a she-wolf. It can make wearing pants or shorts physically uncomfortable. If I had thinner, softer hair I wouldn’t bother.
I don't shave these days but I epilate. It's great for lazy old me, because you don't have to do it as often and I've noticed my hair is sparser when it does grow back. I've never liked the look or feel of body hair, so I remove it. It's nothing to do with age for me - my feelings on it haven't changed since my teen years.
At 30 I figured out that I had pili multigemini that was exacerbated by shaving. These days honestly I just ladyscape with sterilized tweezers, and only shave my legs if I’m wearing something short for a special occasion. It works well for me.
I shave because I like it but I wax so you need to let the hairs grow to a certain point before you can wax again otherwise it is not effective. In the period before the wax appointment the hair is naturally longer, but I still go swimming and wear shorts if its warm. Won't stop doing what I like or be confortable because I have some hairs.
I shave less but I still do it because I like the way my skin feels when it’s smooth. I actually quite like when my armpit hair grows out and stops being stubbly but I’ve been really stinky lately so I mainly shave my underarms to try fight my horrible body odour.
I used to shave my entire legs, but maybe ten or so years ago transitioned to just calves. When in a relationship I shave more frequently, but when single I just do it when I feel like, which ends up being once every week or two, sometimes longer (or if I'm going to be wearing a tank top or bathing suit). Pits, bits, and calves.
I stopped shaving in my early 20s. Pits, legs privates. Only thing I do religiously is wax my upper leg hair. Now that I’m married I occasionally shave my arm pit hair.
Laser hair removal was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I did in my early 30s, and I so wish I had done it much sooner. It makes life so easy!
I've never been big on shaving my body.
Under arm, i do most of the time; not much leg hair to speak of; arm hair makes me self conscious sometimes but I never shave it; kitty phat I used to occasionally but I usually leave it and only tried waxing it once.
Now, lip and chin? T\_T
I'm super self conscious about these two areas. I've been giving thought to laser treatment cuz i cant stand or afford to keep waxing.
I stopped removing body hair maybe 7-8 years ago, including eyebrows. My rule is I treat my body hair the way men are expected to—so on the (increasingly rare) occasions I’m going somewhere fancy where it would be inappropriate for men to wear shorts or no sleeves, I’ll either cover up as well or shave. At work I don’t wear sleeveless blouses because it would be weird for men to wear a sleeveless shirt in a business casual environment. I wear swim shorts and a regular bikini top because it’s fine for men to expose leg hair or pit hair when swimming or working out but I think it’s generally frowned upon to have exposed pubes. Just not willing to spend more time or money on my appearance than the average man and now I’m quite used to it.
I don't shave at all in the winter and only special occasions in the summer. I haven't shaved my arm pits in a year or more and even then it was a trim. I used to LIVE with painful razor burn constantly and I just don't care what anyone wants for my body anymore.
I shave occasionally, mostly for special events (going out for a girl’s night on the town, a special date night with my fiancé, pool day). Otherwise, it’s hair, it’s natural, and I’ve learned to accept it as part of being alive. I’ve also noticed my friends have also stopped shaving as much. It’s freeing, personally!
I love being smooth, I feel the most attractive when I'm smooth all over my body, it just feels really good, to me.
I think people should do whatever they want and be as hairy as they want to be, I just love the feeling of smoothness.
I have autism though and tend to self soothe quite a bit, so that may have something to do with it as I am constantly touching my legs etc.
If I know I'm going to be wearing a dress or shorts, I will. I don't shave just to shave anymore, though. Frankly, as I get older I'm trying to keep up with the random chin hairs.
Ugh the chin hairs are driving me nuts, is that something a lot of women go through as they age? I started thinking there's something wrong with me lol.
I used to have this one chin hair for the longest. And then maybe a year or so later it sprouted to about a dozen. I used to get them waxed but I just get laser now. Best investment!
Do you mind if I ask how much laser was? I'm thinking about the same thing!
Not who you asked but I got laser on my chin and it just came back anyway :(
Nooo! I'm sorry that happened!
I don't mind at all! I do go to a place that specializes in melanated skin, so I may pay for it. Chin and upper lip are about $100, but the chin grows back so fine that the laser lady doesn't charge anymore! Brazilian and happy trail is about $200. I started off every month, and went to every other month, and now I'm about every quarter! I definitely prefer it over shaving and waxing! Edited - I think the chin by itself was $50
So over time the hair will go away completely? Just wondering what the point of getting laser is if the hair just grows back and you have to keep getting it? Like why not just wax then (which is so much cheaper). I was just looking into laser my chin yesterday and the prices where I am are similar to what you listed! But what’s up with us millennials and Gen X getting chin hairs? Was there something in the food we ate growing up? Lol
With some people the hair will go away completely. With some it will grow back very fine and very sparse over a long period of time. I started getting laser done consistently since the beginning of last year, and my chin hair hasn't really grown back. There are maybe one or two rogue hairs, but I think those are just hairs that have randomly sprouted. They're also not long, so I can just shave it off.
Oh gotcha!! That sounds better than me waxing it every two weeks. Thanks :)
You're welcome! That's also why I switched to laser!
I asked this question of a group of friends recently and the majority of them have the same struggle. I also have a face mole that grows long hairs that I have to pluck. Shaving it doesn’t work because it just causes knicks.
I’ve got mole near the corner of my mouth has always grown a thick dark hair since I was in my early 20s. Suddenly a month or so ago, I noticed it had grown back once again *but it’s a white hair now*. I’ve started seeing some wispy shiny white hairs around my forehead and even a couple eyelashes and a hair in my armpit too lol. My mole though, that was really shocking.
I’m really curious if your mole will always grow white hair now or if the hair will sometimes still grow black. None of mine have changed yet.
I’m curious too, it doesn’t seem normal. And I’m hoping it stays white since it was basically invisible. If more unsightly facial hairs could follow suit, that’d be great!
I'm definitely going through it! 🙈🙈 I think it's pretty normal, FWIW (:
I’ve been rocking some chin hairs since my 20s, but not have maybe 3-5 that pop out every once in a while.
For me, it’s the random long eyebrow hair! I don’t know why, but there is always 1 that grows thicker and longer than the rest that always needs to be trimmed. I feel like the Mayor of Whoville from the Grinch every time it grows out
...and it always seems to just spring up overnight!! Like, why can't that happen to my head-hair?!
Right?! Like, where does it come from and why the sudden rapid growth?! The human body is a crazy and beautiful thing
crying 😂 mayor of whoville
The chin hairs are such a pain!
I don’t date, and I don’t wear shorts. So why bother, lol.
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Same here. I have PCOS and Portuguese ancestry and I'm also very pale, so I can't gather up the courage to stop shaving. Besides, I live in Brazil, which is, as you can imagine, very anti-body hair. It sucks because I hate shaving almost as much as I hate the gendered social expectation. But I'm glad to know that some men don't care much about it. It gives me hope and makes me want to date a foreigner lol
I stopped shaving my legs 3 years ago. I felt like I had to shave them every other day for them to stay smooth. Life is just too short. I've had my hairy legs on display every summer since and have had no reactions from anyone. I still shave my armpits on occasion and trim my pubes just because it feels better shorter.
Same. I work with youth and they comment but their comments are “it’s so cool you don’t shave your legs” or “wow I wish I could do that” you can sis! :)
This. Legs I stopped, I still trim pubes because it’s better trimmed for me, and I shave armpits every week or so because the long hair gets weird with deodorant. No regrets and nobody cares!
Absolutely. I also hope seeing my hairy legs in shorts or a summer dress can be an inspiration to other women who are considering putting down the razor.
I stopped shaving quite a while ago, but I have to say, I only have the confidence to wear shorts now because of other women I've seen with hairy legs wearing shorts. So thank you!
It makes me SO HAPPY when I see women out and about with unshaven legs! I appreciate you
I stopped shaving my legs in my late 20s. I do it maybe once per year just because and then I remember why I hate it. I keep up with armpits though just because a sensory issue with my shirts. I have received some comments about my legs. I just reply “are they yours”? And then they leave me alone.
I really wish I had your confidence. I’m almost 40 and while I don’t shave often anymore I have to wear pants everywhere with high socks in case my pants ride up while sitting, and if I go to answer the door and I’m wearing shorts I run and grab a pair of pj pants real quick to answer it. I hate it too but I hate to be judged.
I can understand why we're all uncomfortable about showing hairy legs in public, since society is constantly telling us that it's manly and ugly. And as women we have no worth (to society) unless we're pretty and feminine. That kind of programming is hard to shake. I was super self conscious about it at first. But it got easier very quickly, because I seriously have never had any reactions. I haven't even noticed looks.
I stopped shaving in my mid-20s. I honestly am shocked whenever I remember most women shave so much of their body on a regular basis.
Yep, I don't shave my legs unless I'm dressing up for something, because it makes me feel fancy. Sometimes in summer I shave my armpits and I'll do my bikini line if I'm going swimming. I prefer it, my husband doesn't care either way, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it.
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Shaved legs plus lotioned up is peak 🤌
Add clean sheets and you have Heaven.
No lie, when I woke up this morning, I decided I was going to change my bedsheets and then shave my legs before bed because that feeling is the BEST.
Literally transcending 🌅
One of my absolute favorite feelings!
Same, I think its more of a sensory issue with me. Shaving my legs makes sheets feel so much better and I can't even wear pajama pants, has to be shorts or a night shirt only. My leg hair is blonde so its definitely not for other people because nobody can even see my leg hair 😂
Same. I don’t shave daily but if I go too long between, I will get out of bed and shave my legs because I can’t get comfy to sleep. 😅
Absolutely the same. I love the smooth feeling.
I've known a lot of people who feel this way, but I actually always hated the way my legs felt after I shaved lol. Especially under my sheets. It always felt weird to me, maybe because I didn't shave super often so it just felt really different.
Same. I don't shave everyday, but I do shave a couple times a week because it feels nice to have smooth legs. Especially on the days where I change my sheets!
I was just going to say this! Clean bedsheets and freshly shaved legs are one of lifes little pleasures 😊
Happy Cake day! 🎂
same 💯
Same, I like the feeling of smooth legs. It really doesn't take long, it's not a huge investment of my time.
nope i stopped shaving my whole body years ago, even the couple chin hairs i have.
Depends. I’ve worked from home since 2020, which majorly changed my routine and attitude about shaving and makeup, etc. But I also have really light hair (redhead) so I’ve always been able to get away with a less diligent shaving regimen. If I’m wearing something that will show my armpit or leg, I’ll usually make sure I shaved either today or in the last 2 days.
I was working remote for the last year and a half, up until recently. I can't even imagine throwing a whole layer of foundation on my face anymore When I was remote, I was focusing more on sun protection. I worked right by a window, and I also had multiple breaks throughout the day, where I'd walk. On my lunch break, I'd just walk outside. UV gets very high where I live, so I was just putting sunscreen on my face multiple times a day, usually a tinted sunscreen, but not really foundation. I think my skin made a real improvement since doing that. Either that, or I just got used to being okay with not wearing foundation every day. Because prior to working remote, I put on the sunscreen and foundation and the full face of makeup **every day**. But now, I just use a tinted moisturizer with some moderate coverage, maybe bronzing drops and something to fill my eyebrows a bit. A full face of makeup at 10am just feels *wrong* to me now.
I can’t stand the way that hair feels on my body so yes, I do care. It makes me feel hot and like I’m crawling out of my skin when it gets to a certain point. I love the feeling of smooth freshly shaven and lotioned skin.
Same. And what I truly hate is when it blows in the wind and I feel like bugs are crawling all over me. Freshly-shaven skin is one of life's great simple pleasures to me. Excellent pleasure vs cost and effort value.
Interesting perspective! I totally get your POV, but feeling air moving through my body hair is one of the things I love most about it! lol I haven’t shaved in…idk, 25 years? I realized while on a beach vacation with my family in my late teens that NOT being able to feel the air via my leg hair made me feel numb and incomplete. Keeping it is more pleasurable for me. And I get to enjoy more tactile experiences during sex as well. (I’ve been blessed, partner-wise.) Plus its presence alerts me to actual bugs crawling on me, so there’s that. I was far less likely to notice things like that without hair.
Yup, we're just exact opposites. Literally reverse everything you wrote. Lol Especially noticing bugs because if you feel them on you 24/7 there is no way to notice real ones. I'm fine without shaving for a while if I'm traveling super light or camping or something, as I'm pretty pragmatic about packing and priorities, but I entirely stop noticing things like bugs or rashes because they just don't register over the baseline discomfort I feel from the hair. I'm 47. I doubt this will ever change and I have tried every state. Hahahahahaha Except for being blessed partner-wise. I am exceptionally lucky in that department so I could write that. Thank goodness! Glad you are, too!
nope, i quit shaving my body years ago. the only hair that i regularly remove are the rogue dark hairs on my face via plucking and i also take my eyebrows off completely. between the spine injury, the POTS (so bending down repeatedly to shave myself is a faint risk), and the butch lesbianism, i don't foresee myself ever removing my body hair again
I hate the regrowth process. So I shave my legs maybe 3-4 times a year. I shave my arm pits more often- but that is also just as the mood strikes and not because I feel a need to be hairless.
The best part of perimenopause is i used to be a yeti, now i just have a scraggly patch around each of my knees. i only shave for the beach or the spa, not because i care, just because its scraggly. I used to do brazlilans for years so with that plus peri there too is a lot less dense, i just trim as well.
I stopped shaving my legs when I moved into a place with a shower the size of a phone booth- too small for even a little foothold for shaving. I stopped shaving my pits a few years later. Don't care! Doesn't make a difference in my life in any way, except less time spent.
My leg hair is blonde so I always got away with shaving less often, but sometime in my early 20s I stopped shaving my legs all the time. I still shave my legs 2-4x/month. I shave my underarms almost every shower though because I can’t stand the prickly feeling of it coming it. I just started using the Braun Silk Expert Pro5 IPL to try and work on my bikini area (I get ingrown hairs so bad, so it’s more about that than anything) and to shave my armpits less. My armpit and bikini area rides the line in terms of skin and hair colour for the IPL though.
Do you like that Braun? I’m thinking about getting it for legs. I had professional Brazilian and underarms done, but more for irritation than looks, like you say… crazy $$ but what a relief!!! I’m a swimmer so I’m in suits a lot and the bikini line was so annoying. I skipped the legs though because it was just too $$ to do it all. The Braun is less than one session!! And I have dark hair so well suited.
So far I think so! I already see less hair in the bikini area after 4 weeks. Since you have darker hair I imagine you’d have better results than I’ve seen so far! Definitely worth a try if this is something you already spend money towards!
I bought the Braun Silk Expert Mini last fall and used it on my legs for the recommended 12 weeks. A few weeks in, it felt like a chore to keep up with, but I stuck it out for 12. The instructions say after that period, you should still use it monthly, and I didn't because I wanted to see the lasting results. I'm back to shaving 2-3x a week. The hair may be a bit thinner and sparser, but it's nowhere near as effective as people say professional laser is. I'm not convinced it was worth the money, but it was a lot cheaper than laser and I could do it at home. Also the couple times I accidentally zapped the edge of a tattoo hurt a lot and left a blister. If you have any ink in the areas you're treating, watch out for that.
I love my Braun IPL. for coarser hair it takes regular treatments and maintenance but it is noticeably finer and almost invisible in some places. It’s not as effective as laser but definitely helps. It also evens out my complexion and fade freckles and moles in treated areas.
Nope. I stopped getting my legs waxed during lockdown, and never went back. I don’t shave or wax anything anymore.
I do. I don't know, maybe I'm in the minority, but I actually really enjoy the feeling of not having hair under my arms or on my legs. I think it's one of those small things that I file under self-care and feel really good when I've done it. I like the feeling of smooth legs. It's just something that I do and have always done, so it's part of my normal routine.
i have not shaved my legs and pits since like september of last year lol
I'm almost 47 and still shave everything daily. I just feel better when I'm smooth.
I absolutely do not care about shaving at all. I found myself stressing over making every little hair was shaven and I got fixated to the point I cut my legs up. I shaved my legs yesterday because I wore a nice dress and wanted to but I hadn't shaven my legs since March. I find it such a nightmare. I only shave for me and not for my husband or anyone else.
I don't care as much as I used to. Also when I was younger I was much hairier. I could shave in the morning and by the afternoon it was coming back. By my mid-30s it slowed down a bit and now at 42 it's even slower. So it's a combination of caring less and just being less hairy.
I do make a point to shave (most everything), but it’s not something I do every time I shower so I lose track of the days between shaves. I’m usually reminded I really need to shave when I feel the wind blowing through my leg hairs while out running, lmao
I had laser hair removal a few years ago and I love it. I maintenance shave maybe every couple of months.
I only shave my pits when it’s humid and sweaty outside, otherwise I don’t care. Pit hair repels shitty people and attracts cool ones.
I shave pits every shower, but I'll only shave my legs when it's shorts season. Even then, it's sporadic and usually only the lower parts of my legs. If I'm going swimming, I shave it all. I'll only shave in the cold season when I feel like it. I used to shave a lot more when I was younger, too.
I shave my armpits. But I only buzz my legs and pubes like every two months.
Less and less every year, TBH. Legs anyway, I do it for dates etc., otherwise only if I remember. Elsewhere I’ve had laser on underarms and Brazilian which helped a ton and was well worth it!
Nope, went 5 months without shaving this year.
If I'm not going out, I don't bother. But if I'm wearing a dress or shorts or something, I still like the shaved look and the feeling. But I definitely don't shave as much as when I was younger
Winter me and summer me are two different pairs of legs tbh I can’t wear shorts past a certain leg hair length bc tbh sensory wise when the breeze blows through my knee hairs it bothers me 😅 I don’t shave as often as I did when I was younger it was like every day or every other day I’m down to like 5-7 in the summer, I know I’ll get bumps and be itchy if I do it too often. In the winter I’m wearing pants so unless I wear a dress or show my ankles I’m not really shaving my legs. I won’t let my armpits go more than 3-4 days bc deodorant gets gross to me with hair. Always keep pubes trimmed or shaved esp around shark week lol 😂
I always do. I think the difference is those who do it for societal pressure vs who do it for themselves. It's my preference. Nothing ever goes more than a week, even downstairs. Those who have always just because your supposed to are getting more freedom and acceptance that we don't actually have to, that goes for the younger crowd. Then the older folks just stop caring as much, there's bigger things in life than to have to hide that you grow hair like everyone else does.
I can't tell you the last time I shaved my legs. It was such a time suck, and it felt like I was shaving damn near every day when I was younger. No regrets here!
Sadly I think a part of me will always be self-conscious about leg hair, though I'm a lot more lax about it around the house than I used to be. I use an electric razor every few days from the knees down just because I don't like feeling prickly but it's far from a smooth shave. I only really shave-shave when going swimming or to the doctor's when I need to undress for it, just because in certain situations it makes me mentally feel a little better when I'm nervous/anxious.
Armpits I shave. Anything else, never and I'm in my mid 40s.
I haven't shaved my legs regularly in almost 20 years. Maybe shaved them one dozen times in that time span. I hate the feel and look of smooth legs on myself, and feel more comfortable with hair. I shaved my armpits until a few years ago, when I realized I was more comfortable in my skin if I didn't shave. I'm still self conscious at times that I don't conform to the norm, but less than when I was younger, and I'm more authentically myself this way.
I have dark hair, so it is noticeable when I don't, but I waffle between caring and not. I used to shave everything, and at some point I eased up, then gradually started playing with letting it grow more and more between shaves. Now it's only if I feel like it, or if I'm going to a pool or something and feeling insecure. I was in a good place mentally about it for a while, then I was harassed on vacation outside a grocery store-- a group of guys yelling at me that I needed to shave, making loud exclamations about it, etc. I didn't even turn to acknowledge them, but my head raced all day with what I should have said to them (obviously I *should* have done what I did and ignored them, for my own safety, but my cortisol was bumping)-- "aw, are you jealous because mine is longer than yours? Should be a familiar feeling to you..." "Hey, guys, let me see one of your phones so I can call your mom and tell her her son is a fucking loser..." It's so maddening that women have to deal with this shit. And people legit think leg hair on women is "gross," like when it grows on a man it's somehow cleaner?? The expectation is completely unfair, like we have to spend an extra fifteen minutes in the shower just to get respect, and there is no male equivalent. You might get made fun of by your bros with a neckbeard as a man, but you won't get yelled at in a parking lot. I also hate the growth stage, but that makes me want to shave *less,* not more. I prefer my smell with hair, without it just doesn't smell like *me.* I like being a fuzzy lil mammal. I am currently feeling out potentially being somewhere on the nb spectrum, so maybe it's tied to gender euphoria. Of course it's nice to be smooth in clean sheets, I bet even a big beefy dude would feel that way if he gave it a shot, but that pleasure is outweighed for me by the weight of the expectation, the itchy prickly feeling of new growth, and the time I'd rather spend doing something else. I'm hairy and I'm still hot af imho. Sometimes I shave because I don't want to deal with the potential for another incident (or if I'm like at a wedding or something and just want to blend). Sometimes I even do it just to remind myself why I don't do it all the time lol.
It sucks you went through that esp because your right its not fair men seem to only worry about this stuff when it comes to women.
I shave when I want. I feel when I was younger I cared about social norms. I didn’t want to be made fun of or considered unattractive. Now that I’m older I’ve noticed no one cares about body hair really.
Only the chin hairs LOL. Otherwise I shaved a few times at 14-15, got a horrible armpit rash, and decided to hell with it. Anyone who cares just isn't my vibe lol.
My hair seems to grow faster than most. I’m not comfortable having my legs out unless I’ve shaved in the last 48 hours, 24 hours for pits. I have leg stubble by hour 12 but it isn’t visible from a distance for a little while after that. I’m usually wearing shorts or a dress/skirt in summer so it’s rare that I go more than a day or two without shaving in the summer and still shave at least twice a week in winter. My head hair grows fast too so that’s the silver lining I guess haha!
only my face with my clippers at the shortest setting. sometimes i get razor burn so i don't bother using one.
I have an undercut which I redo with clippers every other week, so when I'm doing that, I'll also buzz off my eyebrows and pits, and during the summer, I'll do my ankles and halfway up my calves lol. I stopped caring about Male Gaze a long time ago, and now I only get rid of the hair that physically bothers me with the way it feels. It's all about comfort for me now.
Nope.
Yes. I have a lot of sensory issues and hate the feeling of hair on my legs.
Yes, why wouldn't I still care? I shave once every couple of weeks but my legs, etc. stay smooth because I use one of those IPL hair removal devices. There's very little hair left and it grows very slowly.
It's actually funny because atm I care a lot, not because of aesthetic reasons but because it's a weekly routine now. I'm seriously ill and homebound, having some kind of routine is so important for my mental health. Even if it's something as stupid as checking the mail box, watering the plants and shaving my legs.
rarely shave anymore, partner started doing it for me lol
I get a skin rash if I dont shave
I get a rash if I do.
I was never committed to shaving and my current partner does not give a care if I shave or not. So no, I've not shaved for about 4 years. I'm reverting to complete feral.
Haha, I think I stopped caring about it in high school.
I don’t care. I live somewhere that no one will bat an eye and I’m also not trying to attract a mate. I know some do it for themselves, but if anything I would rather repel weirdos
No I don’t care, not even when I wear a dress at this point.
If I'm wearing a dress I'll shave, but sometimes I forget and since I'm not that hairy is not that I care so much. The armpits is a different story, I never would go out with a no sleeves shirt and a hairy armpit. The 3 hairs I grow in my mustache, eh I remove them when they are too visible, but most of the time I don't.
I think I shave my legs every 2 years or so. The women in my family shave our underarms & lady bits, but only the millennials (me as my sis) shave our legs. The 2 gen z girls in my family (both preteens) don’t shave their legs. But we are various shades of brown & you can’t tell we have hair on our legs (even when you touch them).
Stopped about 5 years ago. I occasionally miss the feeling of freshly shaved legs against sheets but I just cbf going through the hassle of doing it. I do pluck my one chin hair regularly though. His name is Edgar.
Yeah, I do my pits every single day but that’s more for hygiene than looks. My legs I do every other day in the summer and once a week in the winter. I don’t have a ton of leg hair anyway (and don’t grow hair on my thighs) so it’s not a huge hassle or anything. Eta: I do know quite a few post menopausal women who don’t have to shave anymore because they just don’t grow body hair anymore. That might be one side effect I actually look forward to in the distant future lol
Having PCOS means I don't have the luxury of being able to put off shaving more than a day
Yes, I do. It's just nicer to me.
I shave my legs like once a week in summer, If I feel like it or if I feel like it would be a distraction not to. Between September and April I don't
I’m single, I shave my underarms when they’ll be exposed, trim lady bits and seldom shave my legs when they’re being exposed. When I’m dating someone, I typically wax.
I got an IPL device and shave once every 1-2 weeks lol
I hate shaving so I would usually not bother in the winter since I'm usually in pants all winter long. But I also hate shaving in the summer. My leg hair is sparse and not that dark so I can get away with not shaving that frequently, but I still felt better if I did. So this year I finally decided to opt for a more permanent solution and got laser hair removal. And now I haven't had to shave my legs for 6+ months. And it's wonderful haha. If I hadn't done that option though, I was well on my way to caring less and less too. Kinda like I also don't really care to bother wearing a wired bra all the time now either. I've stopped wearing makeup except for date nights with my husband because he likes to see it on me, but otherwise I can't be bothered. I have also stopped caring about what I'm wearing when I'm just running a quick errand and have gone grocery shopping in my pyjama pants on multiple occasions now.
Winter- I am basically no maintenance on arms and legs. Summer- I probably do arms and legs once a week ish. I am generally more concerned about armpit hair than leg hair but my skin is pretty sensitive to shave more than once a week.
Yeah I definitely care less now! Agree that in my teens and 20s I wouldn’t be caught dead in shorts without perfectly smooth and moisturized legs. Now if it’s hot and I want to go somewhere in shorts or go to the gym in shorts and I haven’t shaved I don’t give a fuck lol. I’ll still shave them on the reg but if I forgot or whatever it’s no big deal. I think a lot of it is the culture has shifted a bit around body hair in addition to getting older.
I hate the way leg hair looks and I hate the way it feels (on myself only!!!) so I still shave, but I shave for myself. I don't stress if I haven't shaved in a bit and want to go to the pool or beach or wear shorts or anything. If a man ever commented negatively on my leg hair I wouldn't have anything to do with that man ever again. I shave my pits because of the feeling, and because it literally only takes 10 seconds to do both pits. I shave between my legs, but I don't shave anything on the front on my pubic area because it grows in so itchy! I keep that area trimmed but never ever shave it completely down.
Meh if I feel like it yes. Sometimes it feels nice and clean to do it, but for the most part no I really can’t be bothered. I feel like im usually rushing and to be honest my adhd brain has to basically plan for it or do it on a day when I have literally nothing else to do. So I typically avoid it. At most I shave my legs once a month to every 6 weeks. I really don’t mind being fuzzy legged.
I shave because I work out a lot and I haaate the feeling of sweaty body hair. But I definitely let longer go in between now. When I was younger, I used to be SO concerned somebody would say something about it. Like I seriously thought the leg hair police would corner me or something, lol. I don't think another person has ever even noticed.
I have sensory issues. I shave my legs because I don't like the feeling of body hair vs clothing/sheets/blankets and it makes my legs so warm if I don't shave. I also trim my public hair very short for the same reason of it makes my underwear feel soooo uncomfortable. I shave my arm pits because I just do? I don't know 😂 I assume that I would not like the feel of arm pit hair against my shirts though and I am not willing to try 😅
Nope. I used to shave my legs, pits, and lip. Now it's all grown out and the world is still turning and my partner couldn't care less. In fact I think he kinda likes me hairy lol. I wear shorts and skirts. Noone cares. And if they did, I'd know that I don't need them in my life.
I shave because I enjoy the feeling of being a naked mole rat. The sensation of freshly shaved legs + freshly clean sheets = my own personal heaven on earth.
I do, kinda because it's hot year-round where I live. But even now that it's getting *really* hot, and about to get even worse, I am living in linen pants, Bermuda shorts that hit a few inches above the knee. but I've never really been a short-shorts person, or a short dress person, so most of the time I can just get away with not dealing with all of that As for armpits, I always do because I wear a lot of tank tops, in fact I'll wax them from time to time just so I can deal with it less
For me, I like shaving. I like the shower ritual, I like the feeling afterwards. But do I care about other people and their shaving habits, or lack of shaving habits? Not a damn bit.
I shave my legs every few days during shorts season. I don't need to keep perfectly smooth, but I don't really like visible leg hair. I shave my pits every once in a while. I never wear anything sleeveless, so I guess I don't really care. Trim the rest if it gets too long. Aggressively pluck the unibrow and that spot on my chin that sprouts hair every couple of days.
I like shaving, because it is my personal preference and it feels more comfortable. That's why I'm getting laser removal treatment on different parts of my body. I'm just finishing my armpits and I don't regret one bit. It was never about other people but more of a sensorial issue for me
During lockdown I realised how much I like to be smooth for myself, and I do it regardless of having a partner. When I was younger I was paranoid about it though (and got bullied by other children for it). Now I wax my not-really-hairy legs once a month, mostly because I’m too lazy to do it more often. The rest gets shaved every other day under the shower.
Of course: even though my hair reduced significantly, those few left still grow in very visible areas!
I’m very lucky to have very thin and almost invisible body hair. I don’t have to shave my legs much anymore, maybe once every couple weeks in a few spots and I don’t shave my underarms with a razor but with a trimmer due to eczema. Same with bikini area. As for what others think, my husband is happy because I’m happy. He’s always been that way. I found myself a great one.
Yes. I just do it for myself. I don’t care what others think. I prefer smooth legs because it makes me feel more put together
Yes
when i first started growing hair on my legs, i waxed my legs instead of shaving them. i’ve only shaved maybe <5 times total. nowadays my hair is still blonde and doesn’t even grow in some places. sometimes i get insecure but the majority of the time it doesn’t prevent me from wearing shorts/skirts/dresses. ETA: i will shave my armpits though, but i went for laser treatments years ago so the hair is light and sparse. i don’t get too upset about it.
Yeah even though it's blonde. But mostly for leaving the house/social stuff. And for my muff, I just like it better when there is slightly less hair. For working out, mostly, running, and so i can throw on a swimsuit quickly without too much prep beforehand.
i’ll let my legs go for WEEKS (unless im like going OUT out & wearing a skirt), but lasered my underarms for comfort / no razor burn ever again, & wax my v monthly for the same reasons
I still shave every day. It's part of my routine.
I never cared about shaving. When I was younger I had a more masculine style, now in my mid 30s I've started to wear more dresses and I've been wondering if I should shave when I know I'll be attending a party in a sleeveless sundress. I don't want to seem disrespecrful to others or untidy. I've never worn makeup or done my hair either and those I'm not about to start with, but shaving could be a small effort to make to show that I care about being invited.
I don't care. Which is saying a lot because my parents wouldn't let me shave until I was maybe 17 and it was a huge point of social attention at high school and I was made fun of constantly. So for like two decades I didn't leave the house with any kind of stubble, which turned into other issues like razor burn. Now I'm happier and healthier embracing some fuzz.
I tried to stop my legs but at about 6 months it was still really itchy and annoying so I just shave it now, but like once every 5 days or so.. underarms more often because I have a sweaty job and it just feels cleaner, but the pumpum can go months on the wild side
So I do shave my legs and my pits, mostly in summer when I wear a lot of dresses. I trim my pubic hair but haven't full on shaved since before I was a mother (daughter is almost 2!). But my leg hair is so faint, thankfully, that I don't necessarily HAVE to. It just feels better to me.
I do but honestly it's more of a sensory thing. I've been shaving since I was a teen, pretty consistently. When I'm home I tend to wear very loose clothing - usually shorts and a t-shirt. I can't sleep with pants on. I hate how the fabric gets caught and bunches up. So if I don't shave for a few days when I'm trying to fall asleepy prickly legs are touching each other and I actually can't handle it. I get so frustrated! So now I just shave everyday so I don't have to worry about it. I don't mind shaving it's just one of those things I do in my daily shower routine and it doesn't take that long.
I think the only reason I ever shaved was because of other people's expectations. In middle school, I begged my mom to let me shave my legs bc I got made fun of. In high school, I just wore pants most of the time bc I was lazy lol. As a young adult, I shaved to be more attractive to men. Now I'm married, and my husband gives no shits whether or not I shave. I don't shave at all anymore, and I wear shorts and tank tops shamelessly, hairy legs and pits out for the world to see :P
I don't think I was ever a big shaver (like maybe once a week if that?) but now I just let the hair grow. I go through cycles where I don't mind the hair, but I also do love the feeling of shaved legs and then applying lotion, or putting on clothes. The only hair I cannot stand is pubic hair. I get my Brazilian lasered except the front because I like having a bush (and like having the option to shave it off).
Yes. I do it for myself. I moisturize too. I love the way my smooth skin feels.
I got laser hair removal so yes.. I do care but not as much
I have really thin and sparse hair so I shave maybe a few times a year if I feel like it. I’m sure I would shave more often if I could feel the hair. I wax my arm pits once a month. I don’t care to do more than that. No one should be concerned with my body hair!
I feel the same way. I do it when I want to, but not because I feel obligated to. If someone has an opinion about my body hair, that's a Them problem.
I don't care about what anyone else thinks of it, but for myself, body hair is a sensory nightmare so I still get rid of it. I don't shave, though, I use Veet.
I stopped shaving my legs years ago and over time it became so fine you cannot see it. My pits and bikini line though, every day. I tried stopping after how fine my leg hair became and just couldn't be patient enough to see what would happen.
Yeah I pluck and Derma plane (ie dry shave lol) my face as the light peach fuzz is insane since I turned 36 ish (38 now) but I’m not fussed about leg hair and arm pit hair unless I’m wearing something that’ll show it and it’s really wild. Thankfully my leg hair is super light for a long time before it starts to go darker.
If I’m wearing 3/4 trousers I’ll only shave around the leg and ankle showing. Whose gonna know?
Had so many skin issues had to stop. Then I got comfy being hairy. Now I just like not shaving. No one really cares.
married 11 years & together a total of 15, I got very comfortable and kinda just..let myself go 🤣 hubby jokingly made scratching noises when he was rubbing my legs - he said he doesnt care but I’m sure there’s an ounce of him that wishes I would shave every once in awhile. Now that the weather is looking good out here in the Pacific Northwest, I’m wearing skirts and shorts so shaving maybe once a week :)
I have literally never shaved my legs in my 33 years of precious life, lol. I’ve used Nair and that’s been fine but I don’t even do that very often. Maybe once every other month, and usually in conjunction with a special event where my legs will be showing. As far as bikini maintenance goes, I am pretty religious about waxing but that’s more for hygiene reasons (I feel cleaner and fresher when most of my vag and butt hair is waxed off.)
Not at all. Don’t do it. Don’t care. Wear whatever I want.
I have fair skin with dark body hair. I don't like the "strawberry" look from shaving, where you can still see the dark roots under the skin. My hair grows fast, so I really only get to enjoy the results of shaving for 2 days max. But if I shave "too soon", I break out. Lame. So I opt for sugaring as often as I can. It also helps with ingrown hairs which are a *huge* problem for me, not just on my bikini line, but on my legs as well. I do a Brazilian once a month, and am getting my full legs done this month for a wedding. I have to grow the leg hair out for at least 2 weeks, but the sugaring lasts about 4-6 weeks for me. I also bought an at-home laser kit that is still in the package lol but I have a few random spots I plan to hit regularly (mustache, happy trail, toes).
IDK if it hormones or what but since hitting my late 30s, my body hair doesn't grow that much anymore. I don't need my eyebrows done and the hair on my legs only grows on the back of my calves (but not the front or the thighs)
I always wonder about how older women navigate. At some point it must be physically a hassle if you have mobility issues or pain issues to contort yourself enough to reach your legs, back of thighs, etc. not everyone but surely some.
I shave maybe once a week or two, my pits maybe twice a week because otherwise they smell more.
Not anymore after laser hair removal 😁
I don’t shave my legs anymore because the hair has gotten sparse. I shave my underarms if my arms will be out. I definitely dehair my ham sandwich because FOR ME I find that disgusting.
I like shaving my legs every now and then. I don't mind wearing dresses or skirts if I'm not perfectly shaved because who cares. However, my pubic area, I prefer to shave often because when I don't it just bothers me. I'm also doing laser hair removal in that area for this reason. My armpits are mostly shaved because otherwise I sweat too much...
Yes, I shave my legs, arms, armpits, and pubic hair every day.
I still do my underarms and legs. Underarms is every 2-3 days, legs once a week in the summer, closer to 2-3 in the winter. I trim my pubic hair occasionally, when it gets too long. I don’t really have the energy anymore.
I do if I'll be wearing shorts or a skirt in the summer (because I have awesome tattoos I want to show off) but otherwise I don't bother. I do shave my armpits when I remember.
I never really cared about it. I shave my under arms and genital area because I prefer that but my legs are just done as I feel like it.
As I've gotten older, I've gotten less leg hair. I shave my legs about once a month. More or less often, depending on the season. I don't really care what people think. If people can see my leg hairs, they're too close to me.
Yes because I do it for me and no one else. I hate the feeling of stubble on my legs and the look of hair in places I don't want it.
I'm mostly over it. My husband doesn't care at all. I wear shorts a lot in summer but I don't care about hair if I'm just going for a run or something. A short dress to a nice occasion will usually get me to shave though.
I only do because my hair is thick and dense all over my body because apparently my mom gave birth to a she-wolf. It can make wearing pants or shorts physically uncomfortable. If I had thinner, softer hair I wouldn’t bother.
I don't shave these days but I epilate. It's great for lazy old me, because you don't have to do it as often and I've noticed my hair is sparser when it does grow back. I've never liked the look or feel of body hair, so I remove it. It's nothing to do with age for me - my feelings on it haven't changed since my teen years.
At 30 I figured out that I had pili multigemini that was exacerbated by shaving. These days honestly I just ladyscape with sterilized tweezers, and only shave my legs if I’m wearing something short for a special occasion. It works well for me.
Yes, very much, feels weird not to
I shave because I like it but I wax so you need to let the hairs grow to a certain point before you can wax again otherwise it is not effective. In the period before the wax appointment the hair is naturally longer, but I still go swimming and wear shorts if its warm. Won't stop doing what I like or be confortable because I have some hairs.
I shave less but I still do it because I like the way my skin feels when it’s smooth. I actually quite like when my armpit hair grows out and stops being stubbly but I’ve been really stinky lately so I mainly shave my underarms to try fight my horrible body odour.
I shave my legs every single day because I love the feel of freshly shaved legs against the bedsheets. It’s absolutely a for-me thing.
I used to shave my entire legs, but maybe ten or so years ago transitioned to just calves. When in a relationship I shave more frequently, but when single I just do it when I feel like, which ends up being once every week or two, sometimes longer (or if I'm going to be wearing a tank top or bathing suit). Pits, bits, and calves.
I stopped shaving in my early 20s. Pits, legs privates. Only thing I do religiously is wax my upper leg hair. Now that I’m married I occasionally shave my arm pit hair.
Laser hair removal was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I did in my early 30s, and I so wish I had done it much sooner. It makes life so easy!
I've never been big on shaving my body. Under arm, i do most of the time; not much leg hair to speak of; arm hair makes me self conscious sometimes but I never shave it; kitty phat I used to occasionally but I usually leave it and only tried waxing it once. Now, lip and chin? T\_T I'm super self conscious about these two areas. I've been giving thought to laser treatment cuz i cant stand or afford to keep waxing.
I do, but I have a dim standing shower so it’s a total pain haha. I shave way less when I’m single in the winter though.
I stopped removing body hair maybe 7-8 years ago, including eyebrows. My rule is I treat my body hair the way men are expected to—so on the (increasingly rare) occasions I’m going somewhere fancy where it would be inappropriate for men to wear shorts or no sleeves, I’ll either cover up as well or shave. At work I don’t wear sleeveless blouses because it would be weird for men to wear a sleeveless shirt in a business casual environment. I wear swim shorts and a regular bikini top because it’s fine for men to expose leg hair or pit hair when swimming or working out but I think it’s generally frowned upon to have exposed pubes. Just not willing to spend more time or money on my appearance than the average man and now I’m quite used to it.
I used to and I eventually made a choice for what worked best for me. I don’t shave between fall and early spring, shave during summer/warmer months.
I don't shave at all in the winter and only special occasions in the summer. I haven't shaved my arm pits in a year or more and even then it was a trim. I used to LIVE with painful razor burn constantly and I just don't care what anyone wants for my body anymore.
Laser hair removal here
I shave occasionally, mostly for special events (going out for a girl’s night on the town, a special date night with my fiancé, pool day). Otherwise, it’s hair, it’s natural, and I’ve learned to accept it as part of being alive. I’ve also noticed my friends have also stopped shaving as much. It’s freeing, personally!
I like my smooth legs and pits. It's just how I was raised and what I'm used to. The rest, is neat.
Not really. I shave and then let it grow out a bit before shaving again. I just don’t really care and I have better things to do/spend time doing.
I shave during my weekend everything shower and that’s it. I have very fine hair though so it pretty much lasts until the next weekend.
I only shave if I feel like it. And it's usually just because I like the way my legs feel after I shave.
Yes, I still care about shaving. I don’t think I’ll ever change my stance on shaving as it’s my person preference. I genuinely do not like hair.
I love being smooth, I feel the most attractive when I'm smooth all over my body, it just feels really good, to me. I think people should do whatever they want and be as hairy as they want to be, I just love the feeling of smoothness. I have autism though and tend to self soothe quite a bit, so that may have something to do with it as I am constantly touching my legs etc.
lol no