Who is out with their hairy legs this summer?

submitted by materialrealityplz from self.GenderCritical

Summer's here in the northern hemisphere and it's beach time, while sorta, since the pandemic is putting a bit of a dent in that. But how are you all dealing with being hairy and wearing shorts? I haven't shaved for a few years now, but this is the first summer I'm gonna go out in busy public spaces and be hairy and proud. But there is still a layer of a feeling of shame. Like, I don't mind being hairy, by myself, and I don't care about strangers, but it's the thoughts of family and friends that stresses me out. Even though I know it's silly (and I hate, HATE, the idea that women are always supposed to be hair free), it's hard. I know I just need to do it and get over it. How are other people doing?

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[–]1352DogwoodAvenue 17 insightful - 1 fun17 insightful - 0 fun18 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Act like it's their problem not yours, because it is.

Maybe you'll inspire some other ladies out there, who knows?

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Maybe you'll inspire some other ladies out there, who knows?

Hopefully! We need to liberate more women from this dumb shit, lmao. It's expensive, it's a waste of time, it's says we can be shamed and cowed by the gaze of men/society... etc.

[–]Camberian 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I never shaved. Anywhere. So yes, of course I wear shorts and skirts with unshaven legs. And I do have dark and plenty hair.

[–]Lemonade_Masquerade 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I have anxiety about my natural legs. I don't really -care- if anyone notices, but I guess that's what makes anxiety irrational. Honestly, the best thing to help get me over my initial fears was having a daughter and being really motivated to let her see hairy legs as normal and okay. Thick, black, sasquatchesque hair, too. Beaches and swimming pools were easy for me. Shopping was harder. And I still wear pants when visiting family, which has been the hardest for me. (Pre-pandemic, of course. Right now I'm just settled in for perpetual lock down)

I just hate that I know people see it as not just weird or unusual, but disgusting and dirty.

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

visiting family

Yes! This is the hardest!

It's so crazy that it's seen as disgusting, when on men it's fine. Like basically all arguments people make about it fail because it's okay on men. Anyway, there just needs to be more of us so it becomes normal! :3

[–]milpathecat 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Me, the air on my leg hairs feels so nice <3

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes! It really does doesn't it? Hair really enhances the feel of the wind. :D

[–]msteacherlady 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

How stupid is this; I started shaving when I was 13. Why? Well, I started getting major BO, my mother suggested shaving my pits, and somehow I got it in my head to do my legs too. I remember being extremely neurotic about it in high school such that one time I felt like I was dying all day because I noticed a patch I missed on my damn ankles. At almost 40 years old, this has been the first time I have gone without shaving for more than a day on purpose (didn't shave on a seven-day hike a few years ago and I felt sooooo disgusting.)

Like, I've got three months worth of growth going on here, and it's the best of possible situations. I have light colored hair. It's fine. My husband has actually been nagging me to grow it out for years. I live in an area where lots of other women don't shave or wear bras. Yet, I feel terrible. I hate how the wind blows through it. I don't like what it looks like. If I had expressed this on reddit the handmaidens would have jumped in to rescue me from the second wave but I'm sticking it out not because what other people think but because not shaving has saved me so much time and razor burn. It's such a stupid practice and I regret that it ever became such a normal part of my routine that I feel weird not doing it.

I will add that I never ever shaved my pubic hair. Hats off to Cathy from high school who did, and then burned herself with aftershave, which kept the rest of us girls from ever trying. But a big "fuck you" to American Pie for making it seem like such a hot thing back when we were still kids.

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I hate how the wind blows through it.

:o I actually really love how the wind feels through it! haha. But I can see you are still unpacking a lot of about you feel about it. When you really step back, it seems silly - it's just our natural hair - but it really does have so much baggage wrapped up in it.

[–]msteacherlady 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Ha ha, you get me! Like, we're mammals, what's the big fuss? I swear, the world (well, the patriarchy) comes up with SO MUCH stuff to waste our time and money on, and it just makes me so mad to think it got to me. I used to fancy myself as the type that could see through such bs!

[–]Irascible-harpy 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

The things our mothers said... Can you imagine telling your insecure preteen daughter that she needs to shave to deal with body odor?

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Oh, that's actually a thing. The hair acts as a place for bacteria to congregate aside from the skin and has a tendency to hold onto odor.

[–]aellope 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I've actually heard the opposite, that more surface area from the hair allows the moisture to dissipate faster so that bacteria has less time to grow.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wouldn't that help men smell less disgusting, since they have longer body hair and Fry Guys living in their pits?

Eh, this study didn't use women but do they ever? Laser hair removal seems to go either way on the topic. I guess it's a try it if one wants and make a hypothesis on what's found since all bodies are unique. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4793925/

[–]Irascible-harpy 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I've done some digging on this. I heard the same thing from my husband when I stopped shaving. Fortunately he said it jokingly and encouraged me to do whatever is most comfortable, but I was curious. I've seen studies that indicate this, but the degree of the increase seems to be negligible in most cases. I haven't found a study I would consider totally conclusive and meaningful. On the other hand, telling your girl that she she should shave to deal with body odor seems like a good way to give her a complex toward her body hair. It's like, even if it does make a small difference, the overwhelming majority of body odor is just going to be regular bathing, deodorant, and personal hygiene.

[–]msteacherlady 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

My poor mother, a product of the environment in which she was born. She was so frustrated for most of her life. Now she doesn't give. a. shit. I'd hate to bring it up with her because she probably can't believe she gave me that advice either!

[–]CaliforniGinger 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I realize this is harder for women with dark hair... sometimes I shave my legs because I like the smooth feel, but it helps that my family is also a bit lazy about grooming/neuroatypical so don't notice. I wear long pants at work for work reasons so it's never noticed there. Do you get lots of comments or looks when you have hair or is it an anxiety thing?

[–]hylia 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️I only shave when I want to.

[–]grassfed 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Ew

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I let my winter coat grow in during the colder months, but after a while it starts to itch and get irritating. Summer, eh. I've mostly just worn pants, but I'm not brave enough to go full shorts. Also, can anyone else distinctly recall the sensation of having to wear pantyhose over hairy legs? I liken it to spiders on amphetamines.

[–]YourSister 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Every summer! Bring them out, sisters!

[–]Irascible-harpy 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I stopped shaving almost entirely when I got a puppy ten months ago. I was getting up constantly and dealing with 3am and 8am baths because of constant diarrhea (parasites). No more accidents, but I've found I just can't be bothered anymore. Occasionally I'll shave just to "start over", but it's every two months if that.

[–]profmittensworth 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm all about my leg hair. It's stopped growing now. I've realized my skin feels a lot nicer. When I moisturize, it really sticks and my skin is feeling really smooth and not itchy. I didnt realize how shaving made me so goddamn itchy.

[–]Shinjin_Nana 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I shave maybe once a month maybe once every six weeks. I work from home and never wear shorts or skirts without tights so it's not an issue. I only shave when the hairs get long and prickly and uncomfortable.

I'm a smooth pit enthusiast though, and think that men should have to shave their hairy ass pits like women do. A single millimetre of pit hair and it's razortime. XD

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I haven't shaved my armpits either and the hair is pretty long there, but I don't want to shave anything. :x

[–]PurpleAmathea 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Thus far no one's commented. Maybe that's just where I live and where you live is worse, but I do generally try to assume that

  1. Most people are not all that interested in you and won't even notice or care
  2. The people who notice, and care, and comment to you? Are completely nuts, and it's a reflection on them, not you, so you can just ignore it.

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, I also don't really have an interest in strangers either, tbh! haha. It's mostly friends and family that stresses me out.

[–]Death_Tephra 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It's super hot where I live so dressing scantily is almost required. I see lots of hairy ladies in skirts and shorts. And many of them are under 21. I'm proud of them. I shave my armpits about once a month because it just gets too sweaty and uncomfortable.

[–]materialrealityplz[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Really? That's great! I really... have never seen hair on a woman here (legs or armpits), in a middle sized southwestern Ontario city. Could just be I don't get out enough idk, lol.

[–]TwinTeaLeaf 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I've never cared much about leg hair but because of a disability I can rarely handle shaving my legs. I still enjoy my shorts and dresses so I've come to accept my furry legs as a fact of life. Even lately, I'm doing a lot better but I've still been keeping my leg hair long because I'm out of the habit of shaving. There are many things in life that require my attention more than my leg hair ever should. After getting used to the weird looks I get as someone in her 20's using a cane to walk, I'm not self conscious about my leg hair anymore.

[–]yishengqingwa666 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Have been for over 25 years. Zero fucks to give. Give it time, you too will give no fucks.

[–]slushpilot 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You can always use "covid hair" as a humorous excuse to deflect.