Discomfort With Body Hair (Bullet List Followed By Rant)

[GrownupGirl]

For years I hated shaving my legs and armpits. Especially my legs because there's much more to shave. As a teenager I would cut myself a lot, my legs would feel weird afterwards, especially when I wore long pants over them, and then the stubble that came up only a day or so later would feel like a pincushion, and then I'd have to shave it all off again. Shaving cream or gel was a mess and I hated it. I was glad when it wasn't summer because I didn't have to wear shorts or a bathing suit, so I'd my leg hair grow until they looked like a gorilla's.

But now I shave whenever I take a bath or shower. I don't use shaving cream anymore, and I don't cut myself anymore, either. I guess my skin toughened up as I got older?

 

[damoisellepeachy]

I’m a girl and I have mixed feelings about my body hair. When I first started to shave I thought I’d be consistent with it until I found myself getting lazy with it. I dislike shaving for the amount of time it takes but I also love the smooth feel of when I shave. I guess it really depends when I feel like shaving

I never shaved my arm hair tho. I only ever shaved my legs

 

[Vitamin Sea]

I live in a society where slight faux pas like forgetting to wax the legs or underarms can be a hot and undying topic among gossip girls.

I dislike body hair but I hate toxic femininity all the more.

Everyone should be allowed to live freely in any way that they want, with or without body hair.

I just bought an epilator online and it should arrive in a few days. I think it is a lifetime investment and you should try it too.

 

[100skerls]

I hate it too but shaving is prickly. Sometimes even more uncomfortable. I’m going to buy a personal laser hair removal gun. Look into it for when you move out. Also why not just shave if you want to? They can’t glue your hair back on you. Screw public opinion if that’s what’s holding you back. I’m a woman and I don’t shave because to me it makes the discomfort worse.

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

Okay, so, I really hate having body hair. Here is why:

• It's uncomfortable and itchy.
• It just traps sweat (especially in the private areas of my body).
• It gets all greasy because it traps skin oils, as well.
• Not to mention how it feels when some clothes are up against it.
• Butt hair (especially between the crack) feels weird.
• It's uncomfy and just doesn't feel right.
• Armpit hair feels funny when it rubs up against armpit skin.
• It doesn't feel comfortable whether or not I'm wearing clothes.
• Sometimes when my body hair shifts across my skin, I immediately think a spider or insect is crawling on me (I'm terrified of both).
• Feels very strange when it is wet.
• If I get a cut or scrape on my legs or arms, the blood can get trapped by it, which is terrible considering how quick blood dries. It's hard to simply wipe dried blood off of body hair, which is also dry. Not to mention some of the blood can get under it.
• Pubic hair is unusually much more rough, course, and itchy compared to every single other strand of hair on my body. Why is it so dang rough and itchy? I hate it!

Now onto the rant: My parents won't let me shave my body hair because it is, for some reason, inappropriate. However, it's perfectly fine if a girl shaves her body hair, and is in fact apparently what a girl should do. This double standard fact that, apparently, I cannot go out to eat at a place like Cracker Barrel (which is far from a nice restaurant) in a tank top because, apparently "nobody wants to see my armpit hair," despite the fact that not many people would give a crap about seeing another human's armpit hair, and also the fact that my armpit hair isn't going to be seen well most of the time. The only time somebody could see my armpit hair well is if I stretch. Even then, most people wouldn't give a crap.

I can't wear a tank top when going out for dinner due to the incredibly rare possibility that somebody might see my armpit hair and be disgusted by that, but I can't solve that issue by shaving my armpit hair off, despite having a perfectly good razor because shaving armpit hair is seen as "unmanly" and "gross." Yeah, that perfect logic totally checks out (sarcasm).

It's like being given a computer with a fried CPU, and you have a perfectly good spare CPU lying around that you can put in it, but you aren't allowed to use it for some reason, because the person who gave you said computer knows you aren't certified in fixing computers, so it would be inappropriate for you to replace the CPU.

I freaking hate body hair. It's gross, it traps sweat and oil secretions, it's rough, it's course, it's itchy, and I just want to get rid of the freaking disgusting stuff. Screw body hair! I hate it! Ugh! It messes with my sensory issues and I just freaking hate it!

If I were you, I wouldn't listen to them. I mean, there are women who prefer not to shave (me), and ladies would love a shaved man, too. But it is your decision, not your family's. Your wellbeing matters more than the social stigma. If it's uncomfortable, shave it.

 

[4gottenLoreKali]

I relate to this feeling, although not to the extent as you. My partner really likes how much of a hairy bear I am, and I never really took pride in my body until I met him. I'm a bit more comfortable with my body hair than when I was going through puberty, I just wish it wasn't so damn thick and in weird places (my upper back, buttcrack, perineum or "taint / gooch", palm side of my forearms, even my areolas (around my nipples), and of course my hobbit feet, etc.). If I could get it laser'd off in those areas, removing the follicles and therefore the chance of it ever growing back, that would be dope.

Also, bravo for articulating your sensory reasons for not liking body hair so thoroughly. As an Aspie I'm sure you know well how frustrating it is to be annoyed by a nerve / sensory issue that's so "niche" that you struggle to find words to describe it, so I thank you for taking the words right outta my mouth.

It seems like your parents need to pull the stick outta their rear ends and let you cultivate your appearance how you see fit (within reason of course). Do what makes you feel happy, as you continue to realize and further define your best possible vision of yourself that you'd like to present to the world.

 

[Outdated]

He was worried about it. His father had always been bald.

Male pattern baldness comes from the matriarchal DNA. From your mother. My old man was so jealous, my brother and I will have full heads of hair until death, by age 45 all he had left was a mud flap.