Is it really unheard of for a female adult not to shave?

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:07 pm

All these shaving and waxing threads got me thinking. Is it really so unheard of for an adult to not to touch their body hair? I know its cultural, Im in N. America.

I have not trimmed/ shaved/ waxed etc. any of my body hair besides eyebrows since I was a teen. I think I did my lower legs and underarms for my wedding but Im not even sure. DH said he likes my body the way it is and does not encourage hair removal unless I want it.

I usually wear long skirts with knee socks or black tights. When I do wear nude tights I wear 60 denier so you cant see my legs unless you look real close.

None of my many drs or bra fitters have ever commented about the hair. Are they probably talking about me behind my back?

When you read this post were you thinking ewwww gross or whatever to each his own.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:15 pm

Most people, definitely almost all non frum people, expose their legs or underarms in public. So the fact that you take measures not to just puts you in the minority of people who make that choice. I don't think your doctors or bra fitters are talking about you but I think from reading your post you recognize that most people in our culture do remove that hair.

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:17 pm

I don't like the overly plucked look. I very occasionally tweeze my eyebrows when there are stray hairs that stand out - just to clean it up a little. I don't touch my mustache because it's barely visible. I have an annoying hair that grows on my chin which I get rid of whenever it grows long enough to get at with tweezers.

I don't wax anything. I shave my lower legs and armpits once a week for most of the year and more frequently during the summer.

Ze hu. I don't like starting with anything that requires maintenance. I have no patience for such things. I only get manicures for a simcha to make my mother happy and I very rarely wear make-up. B"H I have a DH who prefers an all-natural wife.

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:25 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

op here
Only from years of reading imamother did I learn that most people shave.

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:30 pm

amother wrote:

op here
I also only get manicures for siblings bar mitzvahs/ weddings just to make mom happy. And I also almost never wear makeup.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:37 pm

amother wrote:

op here
Only from years of reading imamother did I learn that most people shave.

You never went to a pool? Your decision to cover your legs with long skirts and thick socks/ stockings was unrelated to shaving?

Barbara

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:48 pm

amother wrote:

I hate the look of armpit hair and of hair at the bikini line (the LINE -- ie, what shows when you're in a bathing suit).

That said, I know people who don't shave their pits or their legs, and I figure its their business, not mine. I do have to say that its relatively rare. I also have to say that an employer once asked me to talk to a colleague who did not shave her pits, but sometimes wore sleeveless dresses. I refused.

I don't think I've ever met an adult woman with unibrow, though.

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:48 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

You never went to a pool? Your decision to cover your legs with long skirts and thick socks/ stockings was unrelated to shaving?

op here
I dont think Ive been to a pool since my days in sleepaway camp.

My decision to wear long skirts is because I find knee socks much more comfortable than stockings. I only wear stocking for shabbos and simchas. My decision to wear thick nude tights was for tznius. I wanted it to be obvious that my legs are covered. I am not saying that thin nude stockings are wrong. I took this on as a personal kabbalah.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 7:50 pm

amother wrote:

So at the pool you didn't notice that your armpits were hairy and other people's weren't? Covering your legs is totally your business, and I respect your choices Smile

(same for hair removal btw)

amother

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 8:04 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

So at the pool you didn't notice that your armpits were hairy and other people's weren't? Covering your legs is totally your business, and I respect your choices Smile

(same for hair removal btw)

op here
I didnt enjoy most sports including swimming. Most of the time I just sat at the side reading and didnt pay attention to the girls in the pool. I think I did shave my underarms when I was a counselor and had to swim the the kids. I dont remember if I shaved my legs or not.

But I always assumed that people only shaved when their body parts are exposed. Until imamother I never realized that people shave even if their arms and legs are covered.

little_mage

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 8:18 pm

I grew up secular, which probably has at least something to do with it. I do prefer longer skirts, but I still shave both my legs and my armpits. At this point in my life, people aren't seeing under my arms, although they might see my lower legs. Personally, I just prefer the way it looks/feels. I don't usually bother to tweeze my eyebrows, although they could probably use it, and I almost never wear makeup. Hubby couldn't care less, but figures as long as I'm happy, I should go for it.

farm

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 9:47 pm

You asked what I am thinking when reading your post- truthfully, I am thinking to each there own and do whatever makes you feel comfortable with your body. BUT if you were doing your laps in the lane adjacent to mine and your armpit hair was clearly visible, I would be bothered enough to see if there is another available lane further away from you for me to continue my laps.

Raindropsonrose

Mon, Sep 29 2014, 10:17 pm

farm wrote:

Assuming people shower before swimming, which they should, why would armpit hair bother you more than hair on someone's head?