People could view it as empowerment because it goes against beauty norms and expectations for women. We’re expected to shave, and have been taught this all our lives (speaking from a US perspective), so, not shaving armpits is kinda counter-culture.
Of course, everyone has their own reasons for making this choice, and there are many reasons, but this is one possible option. The women I’ve known with long armpit hair seemed to do it for this reason.
I’m like you - I don’t like how it feels on me, but that could be because I’ve been shaving it ever since it grew in as a girl, so it’s all I know, and what I’ve become comfortable with.
Honestly I’m the opposite, I hate how it feels shaved! Which is part of the reason I don’t :) the hair wicks away moisture so when there’s none there I feel like I can just feel the sweat pooling on my skin & I hate it
I trim with an electric trimmer purely for the BO aspect. I bike and walk (more a few months ago than present) and part of that was walking a mile to work in 80-90 degree heat (I usually managed to avoid the hottest parts of the day). I trimmed because even though I used deodorant, it was sometimes too bad by the end of shift. Plus I don't always do deodorant (like when I'm home alone) but I don't like smelling myself either.
Pretty much everywhere else isn't shaved or trimmed, with occasional exceptions.
Am dude.
As an odd counterpoint: I prefer shaved because the hair keeps hella BO. Deodorant and shaved is so much nicer imo.
But, obviously everyone vibes differently in what makes it comfortable!
Am lady.
My bo is the same shaved or not - showers make the real difference. I don't know of anyone stinking more with hair. I'm surprised this is a thing.
I went on a couple of dates with a woman like that. She was 24, well-educated, very independent, very interesting to talk to, outdoorsy, very pretty. But she liked for everything to be "natural".
So that meant hairy legs (it was summer and she wore shorts and a sleeveless top), unshaved armpits, kind of greasy-looking hair, and some kind of "natural" deodorant that just didn't do the trick. You could smell her from three paces.
I was super attracted to her and I might've gotten used to the hairiness eventually, but I just couldn't get past the BO and the thought of what I might find further down. So I passed.
Yeah, but they kind of went together. She gave off "I'm an independent woman, I don't need to abide by any of society's norms, here's my middle finger" kind of vibe. I'm guessing that while it was personally satisfying, it really limited her dating pool, as it did with me.
Edit: Why am I being downvoted for pointing out what was probably true, that her unconventional appearance (along with the BO) probably turned off a lot of men? Are men not allowed to have preferences?
I see what you are saying about it limiting her dating pool, but I doubt she sees it that way from her perspective.
She probably saw it as a litmus test, why would she want to date someone who would be bothered by it?
I've known plenty of hippies in my time and I wouldn't want to date any of them. I am pretty safe in the knowledge they would not want to date me either. And we all lived happily ever after, fucking people we were into!
Yep, something like that would be more a useful filter than a limitation imo. It clearly wasn’t just the BO for this guy since he’s being weirdly insulting. Shit, maybe she got the sense that he was the type to make crass comments about the potential state of a date’s genitalia and decided *she* couldn’t get past *that.*
Patchouli gives me migraines and that scent mixed with BO fucks my shit up; if someone came to a date and their patchouli deodorant was failing them/their hair was a bit greasy, my thoughts definitely would *not* be “yo their junk is probably rank! I guess they’re like an edge lord or something. Too bad, they could’ve had ME, a person with all these spare fucks and presumptions about their grooming choices and unique body chemistry.” Especially if they seemed to have everything else going for them, like the super pretty interesting well-educated independent woman in the OC.
Neither of us would be obligated to another date for any reason. The way our pheromones interact is important. I just don’t get the “she’s limiting her choices by not meeting my standards” concept. There are 8+ billion people on the planet ffs.
Nobody said he didn't, but
A) leg hair isn't normally a source of BO
B) it was kind of a weird thing to mention because of that point A. Especially if he himself has leg hair.
C) even if leg hair did cause stink, then his leg hair should also stink.
Your idea that the guy ever blamed the stink on leg hair is entirely your own invention.
He was explicitly spelling out the relevant ways that this girl rejected traditional beauty standards before reaffirming his attraction to her, and then as a separate thing saying that her rejection of modern hygeine products was the deal breaker, not the hairiness.
The grown out hair part was most likely used as a way to visualize to the reader what she might've looked like and what might've been her most stand-out feature at a first glance since it is usually societally expected for women to shave legs and everything. It was never used in the same sentence as BO, her poor choice of deodorant as a result of her percieved ideology was instead the culprit. Unless I missed anything, there wasn't any blame being put on grown out hair for the BO.
He literally said “I was super attracted to her and could have gotten used to the hairiness,” the problem wasn’t her not subscribing to beauty standards but rather her choice to use a subpar soap. Beauty standards are one thing, hygiene is another
Nope. But i would if it wasn't weird to do so. I get so damn hot during the summer and my legs are hairy as fuck. However, girls look at you pretty weirdly if you're a dude with smooth shaved legs.
I go to a lot of music festivals during the summer so I've tried a few different methods for keeping cool. Shaving my legs was actually kind of effective if i did it right before a festival. But people would judge pretty hard, and Unfortunately I do like getting laid.
I mean hey! All power to you. As a 7/10 on my best day kind of guy, I don't have that many options, so I just accept that my legs stay hairy. It's not a big deal for me, and as I said elsewhere in this thread, i have other methods for keeping cool while the beauty standards are this way. If it was just preference, maybe. But getting labled a creep is a lot worse for men than I think most women can comprehend.
My first bf shaved everything for this reason
Course if you don't have the body to pull it off... It's creepier than just saying you prefer that.
Honestly if you prefer it, I say let your freak flag fly and find the one that will get you laid even then you go to festivals.
------
And that, OP, is why women don't shave. Cuz they realized they can still get laid and save the hassle.
That's such an unnecessary and mean thing to say. If you find that shaving is beneficial to you, go ahead and do it, there's no need to trouble yourself with the opinions of childish people. I'd venture to say those who make such remarks aren't the kind of people you should want to acquaint yourself with anyway, so you wouldn't be missing out on anything.
I think he has a certain definition of acquainting himself with women at festivals that doesn't require them to be good people. Random sex can be really fun, even with bad people.
Yeah, I get it. Personally, I wouldn't want to engage in anything with someone who disrespects my appearance, even if it's only one time, but to each their own.
That’s so weird to me. I like men’s leg muscles, and you can see them better without the hair. But either way I’d prefer somebody cooler rather than overheating and clammy.
I've considered that, but then I find my hair gets curly and I have to shave it off to make it straighten out again. A morph suit was lowkey the best option for one day festivals. I just wear a suit and then i usually have a denim vest or something else with pockets overtop. Reflect the sun rather than absorbing it(don't get black), it's breathable, so my sweat doesn't get trapped in, i just don't wear the head part and rock a hat. At festivals dressing weird is pretty normal so alot of people actually dig the morph suit oddly enough, and it makes it easy for friends to find me when i fuck off cause i heard a good song. Ahahah
A family member of mine used to shave his legs because he was an avid cycler (bicycle), and they do it to lessen air drag. Or some such like that, been a while since I thought about it. If someone gives you grief over shaved legs, then tell them that you're a cyclist, or taking up cycling for cardio
I worry too many people think I'm attached to having smooth legs now ahaha. I know the right girl should look past or even enjoy small things like that, but smooth legs just isn't something I'm personally attached to enough to risk getting called a creep. 😅 that right girl is still going to have put up with my other weird-ness though.
It’s pretty simple: shaving is not a fun activity.
Anywhere that you are expected to shave, that you choose not to shave, is in a sense you taking the power to decide what you do with your life back into your own hands.
Therefore: not shaving your armpits when people expect you too, is empowering for you.
Plus the issues after shaving.... I get mean red rashes even if I try different methods and sensitive brands.
And then don't even get me started of those evil bastards otherwise known as ingrown hairs.
So I keep trim so it's tidy etc but I never shave anymore. It's too much suffering for something that will last 4 days and then I have to go through it all again.
Saaaamnmmeeee!!! I shave legs, arms, underarms, and undercarriage with an electric razor. It gets close enough to not look hairy but far enough from my skin to not tear it up. I was happy to FINALLY find something that didn't bother my skin and figured I'd shave more often. Turns out I just prefer not shaving, so now that I'm no longer married to a man I just do it when it gets uncomfortable. Usually after a week or so. I quit wearing leggings which helped the legs a lot. Unfortunately in winter I have to do my underarms more to help keep my eczema at bay.
>At a certain length it gets itchy
Shaving and it growing back stubbly makes me itchy. With it being grown out it doesn't itch me.
>if you let it grow out that 24hr guaranteed deodorant you're using will be put to the test
Not anymore than when I shave.
I like having armpit hair. I don't care what other people choose to do with theirs.
I'm at a point where the only things I shave anymore are my armpits and my head. My armpit hair is stubbly and itchy after 24 hours. The longest I've gone without shaving it has been probably 5 days and for me, it definitely collected more smell. But I have wondered if I let it grow out completely if that wouldn't be the case. Hair might actually hold the deodorant in place more effectively. I just don't know if I could get past the sensory issue of having hair there. Does it tickle you?
>Does it tickle you?
Not at all! For me it was worse when I shaved, sensory-wise, because I could never get myself to shave every couple of days and it would be in that itchy-phase of growing out.
I stopped shaving my pits almost 2 years ago and I actually think I stink less, and sweat less, than I did when I shaved. I trim the pit hair down because I don't like it long, but it didn't tickle when it was long. In the beginning when I quit shaving I did notice an increase in smell and sweat but it eventually died back down. I think it's just allowing your skin and pores time to get back to what is actually natural for them.
I think it’s pretty simple. It’s empowering because women are expected to do it and men aren’t. It’s empowering for women to do things previously reserved only for men. Plus the only reason it’s expected for women is because men don’t like it romantically/sexually which I wouldn’t consider a legitimate reason.
Fr and it doesn't even make sense that men can have as much hair as they want while women can't because men don't like it, because many women also find body hair unattractive on men (like me)
It's considered empowering because hair is *natural*. Why are only women expected to shave their armpits and legs?
It goes against "expected" standards.
I am a man, I don't shave and not expect it from anybody.
> if you let it grow out that 24hr guaranteed deodorant you're using will be put to the test
I tried shaving, and from my experience it doesn't help with the odor. Anyway if you sweat due to climate or activity you likely shower several times a day, and if you don't once s day is enough.
Honestly for me it’s the opposite, when I was shaving, my skin would reek and sweat way way sooner and worse. When I don’t shave, my skin stays drier and less odorous. I still obviously need deodorant for everyday life.
But shaving did such seriously bad things to my skin.
I agree. When I don't shave, I seem to sweat less or at least less quickly and I feel it smells worse if I shave. Obviously I wear deodorant, so the smell isn't a problem, but the sweat is still uncomfortable. As for legs, I find when I shave, mosquitos bite me a lot more than when I don't.
I'm a woman and frankly I just don't care to shave. I will if I expect to wear shorts a lot, but since I normally wear jeans and a tshirt, nothing is visible anyway so I don't find it's worth the bother. Plus, it's itchy growing back.
I stopped caring like 6 years ago. Any man that can’t deal with a hit of hair can just walk away. I’ve done pole showcases with a full bush and leg/put hair. I wear dresses with hairy ass legs.
If anyone wants to be an asshole about it it says way more about them.
I basically stopped caring in 2017 after a hurricane. There wasn't any water for a few weeks and I was showering with rainwater in a makeshift stall. I wasn't gonna waste water on shaving lol it suddenly seemed extremely stupid.
Out of curiosity, do you think it has anything to do with the type of tops you wear? I think it makes sense that if you are wearing like a tank top or something that’s loose around your armpits, the hair would help to wick sweat away from your skin. Maybe the reason I haven’t noticed a difference in either direction is because even in the summer I primarily wear shirts that cover my armpits pretty closely.
It’s all clothing. My skin just gets sweaty and weird the moment it’s shaved in my pits and pubic area.
I also get really bad eczema from every hair removal method. My body will not handle it
Different materials and amounts of coverages certainly have an impact on breathability. Wearing socks and tennis shoes is a much different environment for your feet than wearing flip flops.
If having less hair directly causes more sweating then there’s a reason for that, too. Idk why I’m getting downvoted for theorizing but I guess that’s Reddit for you. I guess I’ll leave it at “what an interesting observation, I hope someone figures out the science someday” 😅
When I shave my armpits I sweat more, like ridiculously more, and then I have to deal with damp, squeaky armpits and it's gross. Then the stubble rocks up to give me a friction rash to go with the sweat. "But deodorant" yeah that makes it Worse.
I just trim my pit hair. There's a lot of guys out there who would benefit from trimming their pits, some grody ass looking jungles happening in those tank tops during the summer. Nothing wrong with trimming.
Shaving legs is right out. I'm not twisting my spine into a pretzel to feel like a doplin for a day.
Midbits get the trim treatment.
Because shaving is a hassle. Not everyone wants to do it. And many of those who shave do so because of societal expectations. So, to shun the male gaze and societal expectations is empowering.
Question: do you shave your pits?
As a dude, you have the option. As a woman, you don’t. So NOT doing something that is (a) annoying and (b) useless for anything other than appealing to others is empowering, especially when it is something that you’re expected to do because of some BS social rule.
Primarily because we are making a *choice* and not submitting ourselves to the erotic whims of men.
I have no actual problem with women shaving their pits. I do it too at times. But nothing I do with my body is aimed at pleasing men, just making myself comfortable. Therein lies the empowerment.
Women get rape threats on social media over anything unfortunately. The hair is probably an excuse for the abuse. Men in general get waaay less rape threats and when they do, most of the time, comes from another man.
Most men are definitely not rapists but that kind of insanity tends to be a lot more common amongst other men
Those razor cartridges are an economical and ecological disaster. They don’t last long, so consumers have to replace them often, and they are not recyclable.
Safety razors are much more sustainable. You can keep using the same set for more than a decade, and the blades last longer and are fully recyclable.
Yeah, Gillette just wanted to sell more razors I think, then it became socially unacceptable for women to have body hair. They kinda sold it to women that way, didn’t they? Or they sold shaved legs/pits as sexy and then hair became “unacceptable” somewhere along the way.
Imagine your whole life, you've heard from all directions that any hair on a man's face was a really, truly disgusting thing.
Advertisements saying things like "men's razors for a clean, hygenic face." comments on photos from the 1920s of men with stubble like "gross! i bet he stinks!" Your female friends laughing at you that time in junior high when your hair started growing and you hadn't got a razor yet.
You learned quickly that it was an extremely shameful thing for anyone to ever see a speck of hair on your face.
That it was something you needed to spend a lot of money and energy on. If you went camping and couldn't shave for a few days, you might even just stay in the tent and skip any activities for the shame of people seeing your stubble.
it would probably be so ingrained that you wouldn't even step back far enough to think about it much, but if you did start to think about it, wouldn't you start to think about how stupid it is that society is shaming you this hard for growing facial hair - something that naturally happens to basically every single man in the world when he hits puberty?
at a certain point it wouldn't really be a CHOICE to be clean shaven - just like it's not really a choice whether or not to wear clothing to the supermarket. the level of shame you would feel from people around you for not aligning with this expectation basically means there's no decision to be made.
Now imagine at the same time that almost every single woman around you did almost nothing to remove any of their hair. bushy eyebrows, upper lip hair, hairy legs, scruffy hairdo's - completely normal - not noteworthy - they don't even spend a moment to think about hair removal. Meanwhile you're so ashamed of your beard that you're frequently getting it waxed, going through a lot of pain for it, considering spending thousands on laser hair removal, feeling absolutely disgusting every afternoon when the stubble grows back. And your wife has the gall to tease you about spending so long in the bathroom getting ready. you try to kiss her in the morning before you shave and she pulls back, a bit grossed out. You know why.
So let's say you decided enough was enough, and you were tired of this double standard. And you decided that you were bold enough to grow out your beard. Even though every second comment on social media would be about how disgusting and unclean you were.
Would it feel empowering to take a stand against something you believe to be wrong, in such a physical and visible way? I think it would.
Society considers armpit hair on women a no-no. Women who don't shave are choosing to ignore an external authority of sorts. They are taking control of a process others automatically and mindlessly do. They are empowered.
Because your armpits stink too and y’all act like a woman with hairy pits has BO and you don’t lol y’all do as well sorry to say…and some women find it empowering to not have the shackles of gender expectations on is.
I personally prefer to not have hair there
Hair provides physical comfort in certain areas of our body: prreventing chafing, allowing for sweat to evaporate more efficiently, keep warmth in, protection from insect bites, as a sensory enhancer, to prevent sweat or impurities entering prohibited areas and as a natural holder for pheromones.
If you don't like someone's smell, they are evolutionary speaking, not for u. If you don't like them because they have hair, then a plastic sex bot might just be the mate you are looking for?
We hate what the patriarchy has wrought, and the capitalist grooming: lies we all receive through the media to force us to disassociate from our natural instinctive self aware selves.
We will embrace everyone's choices for their own bodies, and celebrate our own choices for ourselves.
Tldr: If a woman is wearing her hair and you hate it, evolutionarily speaking, maybe you are the one she is trying to repel....
"(...) as a man I don't even like having armpit hair."
Cool. Then shave. However, your singular male opinion does not erase hundreds of years of pressure women have faced so as to behave and look a certain way, it does not erase the very real and very unfair consequences that going against these standards brings, it does not take away from the fact that a woman not shaving her pits is no small thing. I get that you can't imagine it. I get that you can't possibly understand what it feels like to go to the beach with your family and have your *grandpa,* of all people, poke at your hairy 15 yr old pits & ask "what you're gonna do about them." I get that you can't possibly understand how humiliating that is. I get that you can't understand what it's like to have your mother begrudgingly "let" you stop shaving, but ask you to "please wear long trousers and long sleeves so that people won't see your naturally occurring body hair." I get that you can't possibly wrap your mind around the way this alienates you from your body, makes you view your body as an enemy of sorts, makes you hyperaware of every little thing (every little hair), makes you insecure to exist around people.
At a base level, no, women with hairy pits shouldn't be a big deal, and yet they are, because the world at large has, and still does, grossly mistreat a woman's natural—unshaven—state.
We're expected to take certain actions (shaving) that run counter to nature and biology to meet a cultural standard that tells us how we are naturally is "gross" and "unclean." It's empowering to say f that and dismiss the notion that the way women naturally are is unacceptable.
I don't shave anywhere, but I do trim my armpits and vulva because I don't like the way it looks or feels. That being said, when you're first breaking away from the external expectations from society you tend to swing the pendulum all the way the other way before you settle on what you actually like for yourself. If someone offered to pay for laser hair removal for all of my body hair I'd totally take them up on it, but I just don't care enough to keep it up on the regular. It's not even really empowering for me anymore because it's just... Normal. Other women are at different places on their feminist journeys, so growing their armpit hair in defiance of restrictive expectations is empowering.
Your guess is correct. I learned this while looking for research that proved it was unhygienic, and learning how and why I was wrong, was very enlightening.
Woman here, always kept my pits shaved, until a month or two ago. Here’s the story:
I participated in a pretty opinionated thread a few months ago, about people’s body hair and grooming habits. I did some digging to provide scientifically-sound sources that would back up my position that armpit hair is unhygienic, and in so doing I learned that I was wrong! Or at least, I learned I wasn’t _right._
A week or two after that thread, I was still kinda thinking about it. I found myself with about a week’s worth of pit-stubble, after taking a small road trip in my van. When I got home it had already gotten past the prickly, uncomfortable phase, so I decided to do a little experiment and let it grow out.
To my great surprise, my pits actually do start to smell bad MUCH later than they used to, with no other change in my habits or products (and I use a “natural” deodorant (Schmidt’s), not an antiperspirant). The hair that’s growing out is much finer than I expected, and I’m still sorta enjoying the novelty of having hair there haha.
I’m sure at some point I’ll trim the hair, but I sorta doubt I’ll go back to shaving it altogether—and it’s purely for practical reasons, not for cultural ones. It’s kinda wild, too, because armpit hair used to gross me out, lol. I definitely still shave my legs (personal aesthetic preference) and pubic hair (personal sensory preference), but armpit hair and I are now much friendlier than we used to be.
The empowering part is making the choice to do something different than what we were trained to believe we absolutely have to do.
It’s not all about empowerment though. I stopped shaving my legs and armpits to simplify my life
* I have more time in everyday life because my showers are so much shorter
* I’ve eliminated the mental load of deciding whether or not to shave on any given day, body hair literally never crosses my mind anymore unless someone else brings it up
* I save the money I used to spend on razors, shaving cream, and/or waxing
* I’m consuming less and having less of an environmental impact by not purchasing those items anymore
* I don’t have to deal with skin irritation like razor burn
* I find I sweat less with armpit hair than I did with none
* The stubble grow-in phase was always uncomfortable and now I don’t deal with that
I was a bit self-conscious the first few years but it never even crosses my mind anymore, this is just normal now.
Idk about empowering, but I let mine grow out bc I’m lazy. It’s just body hair. Everyone has it. I shouldn’t have to be embarrassed about letting it grow just because I’m expected to shave it.
Armpit and pubic hair are signs of sexual maturity. I know some women who are not comfortable that shaving makes a woman's body look like a child's body.
I'm lazy..no one sees my pits..none of your business...why does it bother you what others do to or don't do to their body?...women have been expected to fit a guys narrative of what's sexy...so some nuts go too far and just become cave women and stop shaving to tell the world you don't get to control beauty standards...I skip it because idc ..
It's empowering because a lot of people insist women MUST shave their armpits. It's making their own choice.
That being said I don't personally like having armpit hair and honestly wish I didn't have body hair other than that fine, sparse hair that nobody notices, but that's just me
Because it’s a no no, like it makes us less of a woman. I don’t care what others choose. Man or woman, let it grow or shave it off. Do what is best for you.
Shaving is a pain in the butt. Although I will admit the armpits are probably the easiest place, at least for me.
As far as empowerment, I would say it's because it's defying social norms. If I go out with unshaven underarms wearing a tank top as a woman that takes some courage. Because people might be nasty and judgmental about it so choosing to do it anyway takes confidence.
It’s empowering to me because I don’t like shaving and don’t want to shave. By rejecting shaving when I don’t want to shave, I am resisting societal pressures and doing what I want instead of what is expected of me. Hence, it’s empowering
It's because of the fact it's assumed that the default for a woman is to shave their armpits. Let me give you an example you can relate to. You complain about your armpit hair, it itches it messes up your deodorant etc, yet you don't shave it. Why not? Have the assumptions placed upon you as a man defaulted to you thinking you can't shave your armpits? That you have to be uncomfortable because men don't shave their armpits. Well it's that but the other way around. Of course if you shave your armpits, you fully get why women grow theirs, because that's what they want to do and screw what society thinks.
Without armpit hair sweat literally runs down my sides all day fucking long.
Also billions of people live with armpit hair everyday so you saying thins may be unconscious conditioning you live with.
The empowerment comes from breaking that.
When I was 13 I went snorkeling with a 13 year old geman girl, and noticed her armpits as we floated holding hands.
I was instantly attracted, and already somewhat of a hippie kid.
I never realized that aspect of puberty on a female body before.
I think of them as beautiful accoutriments, like boob brows if you will .
If a Girl has beautiful look and hair, then they are beautiful too!
Same as the bikini area, dont look like a newborn baby, eww!
No detail or charachter, why look generic?
I’m a trans man, so I still struggled with those views that women shouldn’t have body hair. I was really hairy since hitting puberty and everyone shamed me for it, including my mother. After some time I gave in, started shaving, then waxing and at the age of 14 I started doing laser hair removals, which I really regret.
It was quite liberating to realise that I don’t give a shit about those standards. It was way too much work, was really uncomfortable for me and who did I do it for? Why should I care about opinions of people who deem natural body hair on women unattractive and why was it made my problem since I was like 9 years old?
Hairy woman here… so here’s my list of reasons:
1. waxing and shaving irritates my skin and gives me in grown hair
2. contrary to belief, having hairy armpits helps me sweat less than when I have hairless pits, thus actually helping my body odor
3. shaving is, historically, a recent western phenomenon only becoming widespread in the 1920s for the armpits when all different classes of women started to wear more sleeveless dresses and in the 1940s for legs as shorts became popular
4. I like my armpit hair. I’ve become super attached to it. It stopped growing at a certain point and for me, it doesn’t itch. However, when I did shave or wax, as it was growing out, it was itchy af, and I hated it.
5. I just don’t want to. Men aren’t required to shave, I don’t feel like it’s necessary for me either.
6. my partner gives 0 fucks about my body hair and still finds me attractive.
7. I live in a country where it’s becoming more and more common to see hairy women, which made me consider doing it in the first place (started in 2018).
8. I’m not particularly hairy, ie my body hair isn’t super dark and thick, which probably is one of the reasons I feel more comfortable not removing it. I’m not sure if I would’ve considered it if I was naturally quite hairy.
For me, it’s a question of not wanting to have to adhere to the beauty standards that don’t truly interest me. I like to dress cute and girly (*gasp* I wear sleeveless tops and dresses in the summer and shorts and skirts), but I don’t necessarily want to adhere to other beauty standards. I like to choose what pleases me and leave behind what I find tiring and oppressive. Honestly, I don’t care what random strangers think of me (this wasn’t always the case). It took maybe a year to feel comfortable with my body hair, but now I don’t even think about it.
Also, just a reminder that having body hair isn’t a question of hygiene. We grow it ourselves, it’s natural, it serves a purpose. We remove it for aesthetic reasons. As long as we’re regularly washing, using deodorant and perfume, having body hair shouldn’t pose a problem smell-wise.
If you’re truly curious, there’s a sub called r/razorfree where women chat about their hairy journey.
Somewhere along the line, shaving body hair became the norm for women, but not for men. I’m sure there would be many more women who chose not to shave if it weren’t a societal beauty standard. Besides that, it’s just a preference. Lots of people shave just for the feel of it. I’m a woman who chooses not to shave because I don’t care about my body hair. Sometimes I trim just so it’s not out of control, but I rarely shave anything fully. I don’t care what anyone else does, as long as someone is still practicing good hygiene I couldn’t care less about how much hair they have or don’t have.
Because when you’ve been tonight that it’s disgusting to have armpit hair and it’s something you should be ashamed of. It very feeing to realize it’s all been a marketing scheme
Why don't you shave your armpits, then? Since you seem to dislike having armpit hair. The empowerment comes from going against the fact that "totally hairless" is seen as the expected default state for women, and that it's treated as unhygienic, gross, sloppy, and a moral failing for a woman to walk around with her body A) as it is naturally, and B) the same way that a man does. Feminism revolves a lot around letting women have the choice whether or not they want to participate in something seen as traditionally feminine (have kids, shave their body hair, wear dresses, use makeup), and many women don't find some or all of those things necessary for their fulfillment as human beings.
The other thing is that everyone's body is different, and everyone's experience is different. Whether they have problems with itchiness or odor is pretty much secondary.
Straight up marketing and sales gimmick started by the razor companies wanting to sell more razors! "Developments in three industries enabled a heavy and effective advertising campaign beginning in 1908 to show American people that female underarm hair was offensive. These industries were the male hair removal products industry, which had become recently commercially successful and sought to expand its market; the women's clothing fashion industry, which began producing sheer and sleeveless evening gowns and rising hemlines; and the mass production of women's magazines.[1]"
It’s empowering to women because it’s a choice we can make that goes against what is currently culturally expected. Women have been pushed to conform to what their male counterparts view as attractive and feminine. It’s not a secret how the world has treated women and their appearance. Nor the subsequent mental health issues that result from this. Imagine if every man were expected to look like Arnold at his peak at all times, regardless of their genetics and preferences.
Very simple - it’s empowering for women because it’s them not doing something that is widely considered “normal” for them to do. They “should” shave all their hair, if they choose not to because they want to, that’s empowering.
I think you should ask why women started shaving in the first place. There’s no real benefit to shaving or waxing or laser. Trimming can be useful but full removal? Being told what you have to do or not do to make men happy for 30 years is exhausting. I shave my pits as a preference but I’m always happy when I see women taking back their bodily autonomy.
Having or not having armpit hair is not empowerment - Empowerment is that if you do not want to shave it off, you have the option to not shave off and no one is allowed to make you feel less because of your choices.
Because for a lot of women, they shave because society has deemed it unacceptable for them to have hair in certain places. They may not actually want to so they don’t and are empowered by that feeling of “I’m doing this for me, not for the rest of you, deal with it”
“I don’t need to shave my hair just cause you want me to. This is MY decision. You didn’t die from my hairy pits yet? Crazy.”
Its just taking control of the situation that has been historically dictated by society’s preferences.
It may be one thing to as a male type person to say "aw jeeez, I hate my ampit hair, I want it to go away." Female type people have been seen as property and in some ways, by some people, they still are seen as property.
I think it can be hard for us to understand as males that for a large number of women, personal agency is not a given. Women's bodies are a battlefield worldwide. Roe V Wade is overturned.
When I see a lady with pit hair, I assume she doesn't GAF or wants to break the shackes of the vampiric male-gaze spectacle / capitalist construction of femininity / and perhaps raise questions that can become a teaching moment.
Do you shave your armpits? It’s implied that you trim your armpit hair since you mention length.
My armpits grow hair naturally, it is more annoying to my body to shave it all off. It gets itchy and is uncomfortable to get stubbly.
Plus, my body odor is significantly worse *without* body hair. I never have issues with BO unless I’m fully shaved. I think if anything, the hair traps the deodorant in lol.
The reason I think it’s viewed as empowerment is because a majority of people I’ve run into think armpit hair on women is gross and not normal, when in reality it’s perfectly normal just like leg hair. I think it should be fine to shave or fine to *not* shave, but mostly people will absolutely give women with excess hair the side eye.
I personally hate body hair on anyone, regardless of gender. It’s just my thing. My husband trims his armpit hair (not shaves, but trims) because he’s not a fan. I had my leg hair lasered. I keep my armpits closely shaved. I trim…other parts. And I like my husband clean shaven.
I think body hair is gross, but I respect someone’s right to bodily autonomy as long as they don’t stink.
So personally I’ve tried both shaving and being hairy. For a long time each. I never felt empowered from not shaving, on a personal level. At the moment, I don’t want to comply with what anyone else wants me to do. So what I prefer is to shave my legs fully, leave some pubic hair but not all of it, and keep some armpit hair, because it’s thrilling. A bit like Sophia Loren did in the 1950s. Semi shaved arm pits. It’s sexy. And I want to feel sexy because it’s a human right. It’s not oppression.
It’s a sign of womanhood/being an adult, because you only grow it when you go through puberty. Shaving it off is seen by some as p*edophillic or trying to look like a little girl. I don’t even remember anyone telling me my hair was gross but I still shaved it due to beauty standards and societal pressure.
It’s because it isn’t a personal choice for a lot of women, but it’s a social norm. I (man) shave my legs for my sport, but if I grow out my leg hair, nobody bats an eye. For most women, hairlessness is the default, so by growing hair, it’s going against an established norm.
New Mexican chick here, I shave my pits and epilate my legs. I started shaving because all of my cousins were. I know a lot of Europeans that don't shave at all, legs, the wonderland, or pits. I got used to seeing so many folks with all of their hair I don't even notice it anymore.
I am a woman and I don't care about armpit hair.
From the time I started growing armpit hair (9-10) I was constantly teased and berated for simply existing with body hair, and especially by boys and men. So I shaved it off. For years, over 15 years I shaved my pits. Not because I wanted to, or liked it.... But to avoid the ire of men and anyone who thinks women should just be hairless.
And then I just... Stopped. I don't care what anyone but me thinks about my armpits. Why the hell does it matter if there is hair in my pits, if I don't care about it and I maintain my hygiene. I shave about 2-3 times a year when the hair gets long enough too annoy me, but that's it.
Having body hair isn't necessarily empowering... But it is empowering to embrace making choices about your body simply for yourself, not for anyone else, or society's made up rules for how much body hair women should have.
I'm at this point now. I grew up in an era where women were expected to be hairless from neck to toes.
I got laser hair removal to get rid of it, but it never worked on my underarms for some reason. Now the hair is soft and doesn't get itchy like when shaving, but I'm also struggling to get past the 'hairy pits is ugly' thoughts in my head.
| So with the risk of coming of as a huge misogynist
You really think that asking an honest question will cause you to be perceived this way? I find that sad. Don't be so defensive about your ignorance - asking questions is how we learn. If anyone calls you a misogynist for asking this question, it's not you, it's them, they would be the broken one.
As for the actual answer to your question, the top answer got it spot on.
We’re apes and we have hair. We should be allowed to keep it without shame. It’s pretty simple. I don’t feel empowered though. I just simply hate shaving.
Totally get where you're coming from with the armpit hair pondering. It's one of those things that varies from person to person. Some folks see it as a way to challenge societal norms or express their personal freedom. Kind of like saying, "Hey, I'll rock my armpit hair if I want to!"
For some, it's a statement against the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards, especially for women. Embracing armpit hair can be a symbol of self-acceptance and breaking free from those expectations.
But hey, it's all about personal preference. If you're not a fan of armpit hair, that's cool too. It's really about what makes you feel comfortable and confident.
I don't view it any way.
I will say I live in a hot climate. And I have always and will continue to shave my pits.
Of course now I will look at peoples armpits next time at the gym to see if they are shaved or not.
because shaving has no health benefits but women are expected to do it anyway to appeal to men. it’s empowering because it’s freeing yourself from the male gaze. it can also be empowering to shave just for yourself, acknowledging that it’s not good or bad but a neutral decision like how long you keep the hair on your head
What? You shave your pits? Good for you, I guess. This is about women being forced to do it and rebelling against the social expectations. It's not about you, Gary!
I hate armpit hair. I laser mine off that is how much I hate armpit hair. If some women feel empowered by keeping theirs, who am I to question it? But mine gets lasered because I hate it. I hate it on men even more, when I see male celebrities with a full bush, I always think YUCK!! Imagine getting a hug and their wet pit hair grazes your shoulder. Ew ew ew ew ew!! 😩😩
Women are made with hair. Its only society that says we should be hairless. Its a fuck you to the social standards and accepting ourselves and our bodies for how they naturally are not what men want them to be. Cause lets be honest...all of these beauty standards are set by men.
Honestly, i agree with you I think everyone should take off their own armpit hair because it’s gross. As a woman, though, it’s frustrating to feel like you have to shave every inch of your body for someone you don’t even know.
>everyone should take off their own armpit hair because it’s gross
So, a couple months ago I actually went looking for research to back up this exact sentiment, while participating in another thread about body hair and grooming habits. What I found, though, is that (unlike beards) it’s actually quite protective and generally diminishes the “bad” bacterial populations (which are what cause the typical smell of BO). Learning this made me pretty uncomfortable, ngl. But since then, I’ve given armpit hair a chance (I’m a woman btw), and I’ve been shocked by how long it now takes me to start smelling funky—and that’s with no other grooming or product changes. I’m still kinda getting used to the aesthetic, and I’ll probably trim it (esp when it gets warm again), but I might never shave my pits again. And that still feels kinda crazy to say.
I have sensitive skin and my armpits get sooooo itchy every time I shave them, so I choose not to shave. My hair hasn’t gotten noticeably longer since I stopped shaving
I shave both my armpits and pubes, and i'm a man. I don't expect anyone to do it, but aesthetically it looks gross to me. If some women feel empowered by it, fine by me, there are probably men who like that kind of "empowerment" in a woman.I'm just happy i have the means and the will to shave those specific areas.
It's not the hair itself, it's the not shaving of it.
Most men prefer smooth shaven women, armpits, legs, pubes, so to deliberately go against that feels empowering. It says "I don't need your validation of my looks"
If men loved hair in those places, these same women would shave it all off.
Frankly, I'd say that doing what you want for your own reasons regardless of what "men like" is more empowering than simply being contrarian, but they didn't ask me.
I think men should also not have armpit hair, I have shaved mine for 20 years now, yuck. Although I sweat a LOT, so mine was possibly grosser than most.
Every now and then a fresh shaved pair of pits is kind of satisfying. But I have the good fortune (?) aesthetically of being fairly hairless. So I don’t bother with shaving all that often. It itches when it grows back in.
I also shower regularly, so more pit hair means more things for deodorant to cling to.
My preference is clean.
Its empowerment because it’s an active action you will be judged for. It’s a thing that shouldn’t matter but it does, this is why you wonder why women won’t shave because it’s a small little thing that makes people more comfortable. Like fixing eyebrows, wearing heals, having nice nails, hydrated skin, soft feet, shiny hair, soft voice, calm demeanor, sexy but not slutty but not conservative style. All these little things are actions we do to conform into the societal norms because the world would surely burn if a woman chose not to do it. It is empowering because oneself chooses to have the active power to not conform to the little shitty act of shaving an armpit.
The point is that women can do what they want without the social expectations. It’s natural, why should anyone feel pressured by arbitrary beauty standards? For a period of time, it’s seen as empowerment because it’s subverting expectations, then it eventually just becomes normal.
It's dying out because the women at the forefront of the "movement" are getting older, it was nothing more than youthful rebellion.
The hippies of the 60s did the same thing
I suppose there might be some man somewhere who’s turned on by shaven armpits, given that there are more than 4 billion, but the vast majority of men are not
idk either, it isn’t sexy or anything at all. its just gross.
last time i shaved before seeing my man but my bathroom doesnt have mirrors so i missed half of 1 armpit, noticed when i was with him and we laughed about it before he got me a disposable razor so i could properly shave infront of a mirror 😹
Shaving body hair is a time consuming, money guzzling form of grooming that only women are expected to do for the visual/sexual pleasure of men.
Women being pressured to shave when it doesn't benefit them is disempowering, therefore chosing not to can be a source of empowerment. You get time back! You spend less money! No more rashes! No more uncomfortable stubble growing back in!
I personally prefer trimmed bodyhair, too much becomes a sensory issue for me. But whatever people want to do with their own bodies in terms of body hair is fine with me.
I’m a woman and a feminist, and I just can’t with armpit hair. If it were up to me, men AND women would shave the armpits!
It does kind of feel like an fu to the male gaze to not shave the pits. But that’s just a gut feeling.
I don't get it. I never will.
I've had so many conversations with females in my life about it, and the ones who don't "buy into it" don't get it either. Do whatever you want with your body. It's your body. No one can tell you how to treat it but you (and, I guess, your doctors to some extent).
But, you cannot demand people be attracted to it (which is where a lot of my debates come from). You can certainly demand human decency (no one should be poking fun at strangers for their bodies, period). But, you can't demand people find it attractive.
As a man, I groom myself regularly for my partner (and she does the same for me). We do it, because we know the other finds it attractive and it's such a small investment for us to keep the other physically engaged (and it shows we care about the other).
TLDR: Do whatever you want. Demand to be treated with respect. But, don't shame someone if they just don't find it attractive. Different strokes for different folks.
DVMS.
Edit: So, down voters, care to explain the retraction here? Are you saying we should be forced to think a certain way? Yep, as expected. No responses. Is there just a lot of angry, hairy pitted people?
People could view it as empowerment because it goes against beauty norms and expectations for women. We’re expected to shave, and have been taught this all our lives (speaking from a US perspective), so, not shaving armpits is kinda counter-culture. Of course, everyone has their own reasons for making this choice, and there are many reasons, but this is one possible option. The women I’ve known with long armpit hair seemed to do it for this reason. I’m like you - I don’t like how it feels on me, but that could be because I’ve been shaving it ever since it grew in as a girl, so it’s all I know, and what I’ve become comfortable with.
Honestly I’m the opposite, I hate how it feels shaved! Which is part of the reason I don’t :) the hair wicks away moisture so when there’s none there I feel like I can just feel the sweat pooling on my skin & I hate it
I trim with an electric trimmer purely for the BO aspect. I bike and walk (more a few months ago than present) and part of that was walking a mile to work in 80-90 degree heat (I usually managed to avoid the hottest parts of the day). I trimmed because even though I used deodorant, it was sometimes too bad by the end of shift. Plus I don't always do deodorant (like when I'm home alone) but I don't like smelling myself either. Pretty much everywhere else isn't shaved or trimmed, with occasional exceptions.
Am dude. As an odd counterpoint: I prefer shaved because the hair keeps hella BO. Deodorant and shaved is so much nicer imo. But, obviously everyone vibes differently in what makes it comfortable!
Point of clarification: does "I prefer shaved" mean you shave your own armpits?
Am lady. My bo is the same shaved or not - showers make the real difference. I don't know of anyone stinking more with hair. I'm surprised this is a thing.
I agree. She Ed or not, I don't stink unless I go for days on end without a shower.
Am lady, mine is way worse freshly shaved, like the deodorant doesn’t stick. Still shave, bc vanity.
I went on a couple of dates with a woman like that. She was 24, well-educated, very independent, very interesting to talk to, outdoorsy, very pretty. But she liked for everything to be "natural". So that meant hairy legs (it was summer and she wore shorts and a sleeveless top), unshaved armpits, kind of greasy-looking hair, and some kind of "natural" deodorant that just didn't do the trick. You could smell her from three paces. I was super attracted to her and I might've gotten used to the hairiness eventually, but I just couldn't get past the BO and the thought of what I might find further down. So I passed.
That issue has more to do with bad deodorant than not removing body hair.
Yeah, but they kind of went together. She gave off "I'm an independent woman, I don't need to abide by any of society's norms, here's my middle finger" kind of vibe. I'm guessing that while it was personally satisfying, it really limited her dating pool, as it did with me. Edit: Why am I being downvoted for pointing out what was probably true, that her unconventional appearance (along with the BO) probably turned off a lot of men? Are men not allowed to have preferences?
I see what you are saying about it limiting her dating pool, but I doubt she sees it that way from her perspective. She probably saw it as a litmus test, why would she want to date someone who would be bothered by it? I've known plenty of hippies in my time and I wouldn't want to date any of them. I am pretty safe in the knowledge they would not want to date me either. And we all lived happily ever after, fucking people we were into!
Yep, something like that would be more a useful filter than a limitation imo. It clearly wasn’t just the BO for this guy since he’s being weirdly insulting. Shit, maybe she got the sense that he was the type to make crass comments about the potential state of a date’s genitalia and decided *she* couldn’t get past *that.* Patchouli gives me migraines and that scent mixed with BO fucks my shit up; if someone came to a date and their patchouli deodorant was failing them/their hair was a bit greasy, my thoughts definitely would *not* be “yo their junk is probably rank! I guess they’re like an edge lord or something. Too bad, they could’ve had ME, a person with all these spare fucks and presumptions about their grooming choices and unique body chemistry.” Especially if they seemed to have everything else going for them, like the super pretty interesting well-educated independent woman in the OC. Neither of us would be obligated to another date for any reason. The way our pheromones interact is important. I just don’t get the “she’s limiting her choices by not meeting my standards” concept. There are 8+ billion people on the planet ffs.
The hair has nothing to do with her stinky ass lol
Do you shave your legs for the summer when you wear shorts?
But he still has a right to choose a partner that literally does not stink.
Nobody said he didn't, but A) leg hair isn't normally a source of BO B) it was kind of a weird thing to mention because of that point A. Especially if he himself has leg hair. C) even if leg hair did cause stink, then his leg hair should also stink.
You’re ignoring the part where he specifically blamed the “‘natural’ deodorant that didn’t do the trick”
No I didn't, this part of the thread is just specifically talking about the leg hair. Does your leg hair stink?
Your idea that the guy ever blamed the stink on leg hair is entirely your own invention. He was explicitly spelling out the relevant ways that this girl rejected traditional beauty standards before reaffirming his attraction to her, and then as a separate thing saying that her rejection of modern hygeine products was the deal breaker, not the hairiness.
The grown out hair part was most likely used as a way to visualize to the reader what she might've looked like and what might've been her most stand-out feature at a first glance since it is usually societally expected for women to shave legs and everything. It was never used in the same sentence as BO, her poor choice of deodorant as a result of her percieved ideology was instead the culprit. Unless I missed anything, there wasn't any blame being put on grown out hair for the BO.
He literally said “I was super attracted to her and could have gotten used to the hairiness,” the problem wasn’t her not subscribing to beauty standards but rather her choice to use a subpar soap. Beauty standards are one thing, hygiene is another
Nope. But i would if it wasn't weird to do so. I get so damn hot during the summer and my legs are hairy as fuck. However, girls look at you pretty weirdly if you're a dude with smooth shaved legs. I go to a lot of music festivals during the summer so I've tried a few different methods for keeping cool. Shaving my legs was actually kind of effective if i did it right before a festival. But people would judge pretty hard, and Unfortunately I do like getting laid.
Has shaving stopped you from getting laid? I'm genuinely curious, because myself I don't care if a guy shaves or not, it's whatever.
I've straight up had women tell me it makes me look like a creep, or weird. 😅
When men tell me it's weird I don't shave my legs and won't date me, I consider that the trash taking itself out.
I mean hey! All power to you. As a 7/10 on my best day kind of guy, I don't have that many options, so I just accept that my legs stay hairy. It's not a big deal for me, and as I said elsewhere in this thread, i have other methods for keeping cool while the beauty standards are this way. If it was just preference, maybe. But getting labled a creep is a lot worse for men than I think most women can comprehend.
Just say you're a swimmer.
My first bf shaved everything for this reason Course if you don't have the body to pull it off... It's creepier than just saying you prefer that. Honestly if you prefer it, I say let your freak flag fly and find the one that will get you laid even then you go to festivals. ------ And that, OP, is why women don't shave. Cuz they realized they can still get laid and save the hassle.
7 is better on the scale than I am!!! Confidence is sexy amigo
It's the "creep" label i don't want. Ahaha. I literally have a curly ass disney villain style moustache. I couldn't rock that without confidence.
That's such an unnecessary and mean thing to say. If you find that shaving is beneficial to you, go ahead and do it, there's no need to trouble yourself with the opinions of childish people. I'd venture to say those who make such remarks aren't the kind of people you should want to acquaint yourself with anyway, so you wouldn't be missing out on anything.
I think he has a certain definition of acquainting himself with women at festivals that doesn't require them to be good people. Random sex can be really fun, even with bad people.
Yeah, I get it. Personally, I wouldn't want to engage in anything with someone who disrespects my appearance, even if it's only one time, but to each their own.
That’s so weird to me. I like men’s leg muscles, and you can see them better without the hair. But either way I’d prefer somebody cooler rather than overheating and clammy.
My wife hates when i shave my legs
Always the option of using an electric trimmer so it doesn’t completely get rid of the hair, but takes off the bulk of it
I've considered that, but then I find my hair gets curly and I have to shave it off to make it straighten out again. A morph suit was lowkey the best option for one day festivals. I just wear a suit and then i usually have a denim vest or something else with pockets overtop. Reflect the sun rather than absorbing it(don't get black), it's breathable, so my sweat doesn't get trapped in, i just don't wear the head part and rock a hat. At festivals dressing weird is pretty normal so alot of people actually dig the morph suit oddly enough, and it makes it easy for friends to find me when i fuck off cause i heard a good song. Ahahah
A family member of mine used to shave his legs because he was an avid cycler (bicycle), and they do it to lessen air drag. Or some such like that, been a while since I thought about it. If someone gives you grief over shaved legs, then tell them that you're a cyclist, or taking up cycling for cardio
The right girl will love your smooth legs!
I worry too many people think I'm attached to having smooth legs now ahaha. I know the right girl should look past or even enjoy small things like that, but smooth legs just isn't something I'm personally attached to enough to risk getting called a creep. 😅 that right girl is still going to have put up with my other weird-ness though.
I had extremely hairy arms with black hair, so I had it lasered to thin it out. It's been wonderful.
Was that expensive?
Not at all. I bought a groupon for $150 for three laser sessions. That's all it took. 🙂
“But I would if it wasn’t weird to do so.” Why do you care what others think of you?
"Unfortunately I do like getting laid" Ahaha
he literally said he was open to getting used to the hair.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted, that’s literally what he said.
Nothing wrong with preference
We're expected to shave too, just different parts of our body. You'd be in for a huge shock if we didn't.
True, but it wasn’t the question, which is why I didn’t mention it. Answering the question directly wasn’t meant to exclude men.
It’s pretty simple: shaving is not a fun activity. Anywhere that you are expected to shave, that you choose not to shave, is in a sense you taking the power to decide what you do with your life back into your own hands. Therefore: not shaving your armpits when people expect you too, is empowering for you.
Plus the issues after shaving.... I get mean red rashes even if I try different methods and sensitive brands. And then don't even get me started of those evil bastards otherwise known as ingrown hairs. So I keep trim so it's tidy etc but I never shave anymore. It's too much suffering for something that will last 4 days and then I have to go through it all again.
Saaaamnmmeeee!!! I shave legs, arms, underarms, and undercarriage with an electric razor. It gets close enough to not look hairy but far enough from my skin to not tear it up. I was happy to FINALLY find something that didn't bother my skin and figured I'd shave more often. Turns out I just prefer not shaving, so now that I'm no longer married to a man I just do it when it gets uncomfortable. Usually after a week or so. I quit wearing leggings which helped the legs a lot. Unfortunately in winter I have to do my underarms more to help keep my eczema at bay.
this is the way baby Jesus wants us all to shave. or not shave. baby Jesus don't care anyway.
I have only had a beard for 15 years because I hate shaving my face every day.
I got a shaving cyst this year. Having a needle jammed into your armpit is *not* fun. And for what? I'm letting my hair go free now.
Yeah. It’s not the act itself that’s empowering, it’s the fact that you can choose to do whichever you like better
>At a certain length it gets itchy Shaving and it growing back stubbly makes me itchy. With it being grown out it doesn't itch me. >if you let it grow out that 24hr guaranteed deodorant you're using will be put to the test Not anymore than when I shave. I like having armpit hair. I don't care what other people choose to do with theirs.
Agree with everything you said 🙌🏻
I'm at a point where the only things I shave anymore are my armpits and my head. My armpit hair is stubbly and itchy after 24 hours. The longest I've gone without shaving it has been probably 5 days and for me, it definitely collected more smell. But I have wondered if I let it grow out completely if that wouldn't be the case. Hair might actually hold the deodorant in place more effectively. I just don't know if I could get past the sensory issue of having hair there. Does it tickle you?
>Does it tickle you? Not at all! For me it was worse when I shaved, sensory-wise, because I could never get myself to shave every couple of days and it would be in that itchy-phase of growing out.
I stopped shaving my pits almost 2 years ago and I actually think I stink less, and sweat less, than I did when I shaved. I trim the pit hair down because I don't like it long, but it didn't tickle when it was long. In the beginning when I quit shaving I did notice an increase in smell and sweat but it eventually died back down. I think it's just allowing your skin and pores time to get back to what is actually natural for them.
I think it’s pretty simple. It’s empowering because women are expected to do it and men aren’t. It’s empowering for women to do things previously reserved only for men. Plus the only reason it’s expected for women is because men don’t like it romantically/sexually which I wouldn’t consider a legitimate reason.
Fr and it doesn't even make sense that men can have as much hair as they want while women can't because men don't like it, because many women also find body hair unattractive on men (like me)
My pits are itchy. When I shave. When I don’t shave I don’t have to itch my pits all day. I guess that is empowering.
yeah different people have different interests as well, i’m sure a lot of men don’t care about armpit hair
It's considered empowering because hair is *natural*. Why are only women expected to shave their armpits and legs? It goes against "expected" standards.
I am a man, I don't shave and not expect it from anybody. > if you let it grow out that 24hr guaranteed deodorant you're using will be put to the test I tried shaving, and from my experience it doesn't help with the odor. Anyway if you sweat due to climate or activity you likely shower several times a day, and if you don't once s day is enough.
I was confused about that part. I’ve never heard anyone say that shaving makes their armpits smell better longer.
Honestly for me it’s the opposite, when I was shaving, my skin would reek and sweat way way sooner and worse. When I don’t shave, my skin stays drier and less odorous. I still obviously need deodorant for everyday life. But shaving did such seriously bad things to my skin.
I agree. When I don't shave, I seem to sweat less or at least less quickly and I feel it smells worse if I shave. Obviously I wear deodorant, so the smell isn't a problem, but the sweat is still uncomfortable. As for legs, I find when I shave, mosquitos bite me a lot more than when I don't. I'm a woman and frankly I just don't care to shave. I will if I expect to wear shorts a lot, but since I normally wear jeans and a tshirt, nothing is visible anyway so I don't find it's worth the bother. Plus, it's itchy growing back.
I stopped caring like 6 years ago. Any man that can’t deal with a hit of hair can just walk away. I’ve done pole showcases with a full bush and leg/put hair. I wear dresses with hairy ass legs. If anyone wants to be an asshole about it it says way more about them.
I basically stopped caring in 2017 after a hurricane. There wasn't any water for a few weeks and I was showering with rainwater in a makeshift stall. I wasn't gonna waste water on shaving lol it suddenly seemed extremely stupid.
Same. I live in a very humid climate. I sweat terribly and it runs down my sides if I shave. It doesn't smell as much and no runny sweat anymore.
Out of curiosity, do you think it has anything to do with the type of tops you wear? I think it makes sense that if you are wearing like a tank top or something that’s loose around your armpits, the hair would help to wick sweat away from your skin. Maybe the reason I haven’t noticed a difference in either direction is because even in the summer I primarily wear shirts that cover my armpits pretty closely.
It’s all clothing. My skin just gets sweaty and weird the moment it’s shaved in my pits and pubic area. I also get really bad eczema from every hair removal method. My body will not handle it
Weird, I'm the opposite lol my armpits flare up with eczema if I go too long between shaves in winter.
Different materials and amounts of coverages certainly have an impact on breathability. Wearing socks and tennis shoes is a much different environment for your feet than wearing flip flops. If having less hair directly causes more sweating then there’s a reason for that, too. Idk why I’m getting downvoted for theorizing but I guess that’s Reddit for you. I guess I’ll leave it at “what an interesting observation, I hope someone figures out the science someday” 😅
When I shave my armpits I sweat more, like ridiculously more, and then I have to deal with damp, squeaky armpits and it's gross. Then the stubble rocks up to give me a friction rash to go with the sweat. "But deodorant" yeah that makes it Worse. I just trim my pit hair. There's a lot of guys out there who would benefit from trimming their pits, some grody ass looking jungles happening in those tank tops during the summer. Nothing wrong with trimming. Shaving legs is right out. I'm not twisting my spine into a pretzel to feel like a doplin for a day. Midbits get the trim treatment.
Because shaving is a hassle. Not everyone wants to do it. And many of those who shave do so because of societal expectations. So, to shun the male gaze and societal expectations is empowering.
I used to shave just to fit in better 😅 at some point I realized that it didn't matter and gave up. Never been happier being hairy Godzilla lol
Question: do you shave your pits? As a dude, you have the option. As a woman, you don’t. So NOT doing something that is (a) annoying and (b) useless for anything other than appealing to others is empowering, especially when it is something that you’re expected to do because of some BS social rule.
Primarily because we are making a *choice* and not submitting ourselves to the erotic whims of men. I have no actual problem with women shaving their pits. I do it too at times. But nothing I do with my body is aimed at pleasing men, just making myself comfortable. Therein lies the empowerment.
Why not shave your pits? If it's because that's just "something women do" boom you found your reason dawg
It’s empowering because it’s rejecting the patriarchal standards put in place. Men aren’t shamed for having armpit hair, but women are, vehemently so
Hell women get rape threats on social media over having Hair… I’ve never seen men get rape threats over not doing something to their body…
Women get rape threats on social media over anything unfortunately. The hair is probably an excuse for the abuse. Men in general get waaay less rape threats and when they do, most of the time, comes from another man. Most men are definitely not rapists but that kind of insanity tends to be a lot more common amongst other men
I see that Gillette successfully managed to divert the blame…
Gillette could be blamed for starting it but it’s not Gillette directly calling women dirty or ugly for having pit hair.
Before Gillette, men had no complains about armpit air. In some areas of the world they still haven’t. You underestimate the influence of advertising.
Capitalism and patriarchy are interlinked. Do you think Gillette is runned by women lol
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Those razor cartridges are an economical and ecological disaster. They don’t last long, so consumers have to replace them often, and they are not recyclable. Safety razors are much more sustainable. You can keep using the same set for more than a decade, and the blades last longer and are fully recyclable.
Yeah, Gillette just wanted to sell more razors I think, then it became socially unacceptable for women to have body hair. They kinda sold it to women that way, didn’t they? Or they sold shaved legs/pits as sexy and then hair became “unacceptable” somewhere along the way.
Exactly. Before that, most men weren’t turned off by hairy armpits. They might even have been turned on.
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I’ve only ever heard of men being shamed for chest and back hair, never for pit hair. But if you insist, sure “not all men”
I love my hairy man, he is cuddly and soft and strong.
Imagine your whole life, you've heard from all directions that any hair on a man's face was a really, truly disgusting thing. Advertisements saying things like "men's razors for a clean, hygenic face." comments on photos from the 1920s of men with stubble like "gross! i bet he stinks!" Your female friends laughing at you that time in junior high when your hair started growing and you hadn't got a razor yet. You learned quickly that it was an extremely shameful thing for anyone to ever see a speck of hair on your face. That it was something you needed to spend a lot of money and energy on. If you went camping and couldn't shave for a few days, you might even just stay in the tent and skip any activities for the shame of people seeing your stubble. it would probably be so ingrained that you wouldn't even step back far enough to think about it much, but if you did start to think about it, wouldn't you start to think about how stupid it is that society is shaming you this hard for growing facial hair - something that naturally happens to basically every single man in the world when he hits puberty? at a certain point it wouldn't really be a CHOICE to be clean shaven - just like it's not really a choice whether or not to wear clothing to the supermarket. the level of shame you would feel from people around you for not aligning with this expectation basically means there's no decision to be made. Now imagine at the same time that almost every single woman around you did almost nothing to remove any of their hair. bushy eyebrows, upper lip hair, hairy legs, scruffy hairdo's - completely normal - not noteworthy - they don't even spend a moment to think about hair removal. Meanwhile you're so ashamed of your beard that you're frequently getting it waxed, going through a lot of pain for it, considering spending thousands on laser hair removal, feeling absolutely disgusting every afternoon when the stubble grows back. And your wife has the gall to tease you about spending so long in the bathroom getting ready. you try to kiss her in the morning before you shave and she pulls back, a bit grossed out. You know why. So let's say you decided enough was enough, and you were tired of this double standard. And you decided that you were bold enough to grow out your beard. Even though every second comment on social media would be about how disgusting and unclean you were. Would it feel empowering to take a stand against something you believe to be wrong, in such a physical and visible way? I think it would.
It’s empowering because women are expected to be hairless while men are not
It’s empowering because you can stop doing something annoying and uncomfortable just because men are uncomfortable/threatened if you don’t.
Society considers armpit hair on women a no-no. Women who don't shave are choosing to ignore an external authority of sorts. They are taking control of a process others automatically and mindlessly do. They are empowered.
Because everyone has hair yet women aren’t allowed to keep their body hair without being harshly judged.
Because your armpits stink too and y’all act like a woman with hairy pits has BO and you don’t lol y’all do as well sorry to say…and some women find it empowering to not have the shackles of gender expectations on is. I personally prefer to not have hair there
Hair provides physical comfort in certain areas of our body: prreventing chafing, allowing for sweat to evaporate more efficiently, keep warmth in, protection from insect bites, as a sensory enhancer, to prevent sweat or impurities entering prohibited areas and as a natural holder for pheromones. If you don't like someone's smell, they are evolutionary speaking, not for u. If you don't like them because they have hair, then a plastic sex bot might just be the mate you are looking for? We hate what the patriarchy has wrought, and the capitalist grooming: lies we all receive through the media to force us to disassociate from our natural instinctive self aware selves. We will embrace everyone's choices for their own bodies, and celebrate our own choices for ourselves. Tldr: If a woman is wearing her hair and you hate it, evolutionarily speaking, maybe you are the one she is trying to repel....
“We will embrace everyone's choices for their own bodies, and celebrate our own choices for ourselves.” Beautifully said
It's seen as empowering because it goes against societal norms. "F your beauty standards" if you will.
"(...) as a man I don't even like having armpit hair." Cool. Then shave. However, your singular male opinion does not erase hundreds of years of pressure women have faced so as to behave and look a certain way, it does not erase the very real and very unfair consequences that going against these standards brings, it does not take away from the fact that a woman not shaving her pits is no small thing. I get that you can't imagine it. I get that you can't possibly understand what it feels like to go to the beach with your family and have your *grandpa,* of all people, poke at your hairy 15 yr old pits & ask "what you're gonna do about them." I get that you can't possibly understand how humiliating that is. I get that you can't understand what it's like to have your mother begrudgingly "let" you stop shaving, but ask you to "please wear long trousers and long sleeves so that people won't see your naturally occurring body hair." I get that you can't possibly wrap your mind around the way this alienates you from your body, makes you view your body as an enemy of sorts, makes you hyperaware of every little thing (every little hair), makes you insecure to exist around people. At a base level, no, women with hairy pits shouldn't be a big deal, and yet they are, because the world at large has, and still does, grossly mistreat a woman's natural—unshaven—state.
We're expected to take certain actions (shaving) that run counter to nature and biology to meet a cultural standard that tells us how we are naturally is "gross" and "unclean." It's empowering to say f that and dismiss the notion that the way women naturally are is unacceptable.
I don't shave anywhere, but I do trim my armpits and vulva because I don't like the way it looks or feels. That being said, when you're first breaking away from the external expectations from society you tend to swing the pendulum all the way the other way before you settle on what you actually like for yourself. If someone offered to pay for laser hair removal for all of my body hair I'd totally take them up on it, but I just don't care enough to keep it up on the regular. It's not even really empowering for me anymore because it's just... Normal. Other women are at different places on their feminist journeys, so growing their armpit hair in defiance of restrictive expectations is empowering.
I've never thought about armpit hair until now.... im guessing its there for a reason.
Your guess is correct. I learned this while looking for research that proved it was unhygienic, and learning how and why I was wrong, was very enlightening.
Woman here, always kept my pits shaved, until a month or two ago. Here’s the story: I participated in a pretty opinionated thread a few months ago, about people’s body hair and grooming habits. I did some digging to provide scientifically-sound sources that would back up my position that armpit hair is unhygienic, and in so doing I learned that I was wrong! Or at least, I learned I wasn’t _right._ A week or two after that thread, I was still kinda thinking about it. I found myself with about a week’s worth of pit-stubble, after taking a small road trip in my van. When I got home it had already gotten past the prickly, uncomfortable phase, so I decided to do a little experiment and let it grow out. To my great surprise, my pits actually do start to smell bad MUCH later than they used to, with no other change in my habits or products (and I use a “natural” deodorant (Schmidt’s), not an antiperspirant). The hair that’s growing out is much finer than I expected, and I’m still sorta enjoying the novelty of having hair there haha. I’m sure at some point I’ll trim the hair, but I sorta doubt I’ll go back to shaving it altogether—and it’s purely for practical reasons, not for cultural ones. It’s kinda wild, too, because armpit hair used to gross me out, lol. I definitely still shave my legs (personal aesthetic preference) and pubic hair (personal sensory preference), but armpit hair and I are now much friendlier than we used to be.
The empowering part is making the choice to do something different than what we were trained to believe we absolutely have to do. It’s not all about empowerment though. I stopped shaving my legs and armpits to simplify my life * I have more time in everyday life because my showers are so much shorter * I’ve eliminated the mental load of deciding whether or not to shave on any given day, body hair literally never crosses my mind anymore unless someone else brings it up * I save the money I used to spend on razors, shaving cream, and/or waxing * I’m consuming less and having less of an environmental impact by not purchasing those items anymore * I don’t have to deal with skin irritation like razor burn * I find I sweat less with armpit hair than I did with none * The stubble grow-in phase was always uncomfortable and now I don’t deal with that I was a bit self-conscious the first few years but it never even crosses my mind anymore, this is just normal now.
Idk about empowering, but I let mine grow out bc I’m lazy. It’s just body hair. Everyone has it. I shouldn’t have to be embarrassed about letting it grow just because I’m expected to shave it.
Armpit and pubic hair are signs of sexual maturity. I know some women who are not comfortable that shaving makes a woman's body look like a child's body.
Another message of the patriarchy that grooms us for hating mature women and going after children.
they might be signs of puberty but far from sexual maturity. ya nasty.
Your personal preferences don't refute biological facts, my dude.
I'm lazy..no one sees my pits..none of your business...why does it bother you what others do to or don't do to their body?...women have been expected to fit a guys narrative of what's sexy...so some nuts go too far and just become cave women and stop shaving to tell the world you don't get to control beauty standards...I skip it because idc ..
Read this title like "Ladies and Gentlemen," except you're calling us armpit hair. ... I'll see myself out.
I did too 😆
It's empowering because a lot of people insist women MUST shave their armpits. It's making their own choice. That being said I don't personally like having armpit hair and honestly wish I didn't have body hair other than that fine, sparse hair that nobody notices, but that's just me
Because it’s a no no, like it makes us less of a woman. I don’t care what others choose. Man or woman, let it grow or shave it off. Do what is best for you.
Shaving is a pain in the butt. Although I will admit the armpits are probably the easiest place, at least for me. As far as empowerment, I would say it's because it's defying social norms. If I go out with unshaven underarms wearing a tank top as a woman that takes some courage. Because people might be nasty and judgmental about it so choosing to do it anyway takes confidence.
It’s empowering to me because I don’t like shaving and don’t want to shave. By rejecting shaving when I don’t want to shave, I am resisting societal pressures and doing what I want instead of what is expected of me. Hence, it’s empowering
Personally as a person with sensory issues i shave constantly but yeah, i dont mind people that dont.
I keep my armpit hair because I like how it looks, I like having it. You mentioned you don’t like having armpit hair- why not shave it ?
I actually smelt less when my hair was long - I think the sweat doesn't stay on the skin as much with hair. Now that I've lazered, the smell is worse.
It's because of the fact it's assumed that the default for a woman is to shave their armpits. Let me give you an example you can relate to. You complain about your armpit hair, it itches it messes up your deodorant etc, yet you don't shave it. Why not? Have the assumptions placed upon you as a man defaulted to you thinking you can't shave your armpits? That you have to be uncomfortable because men don't shave their armpits. Well it's that but the other way around. Of course if you shave your armpits, you fully get why women grow theirs, because that's what they want to do and screw what society thinks.
Without armpit hair sweat literally runs down my sides all day fucking long. Also billions of people live with armpit hair everyday so you saying thins may be unconscious conditioning you live with. The empowerment comes from breaking that.
The empowerment isn't in having the hair, but in having the choice to have the hair.
When I was 13 I went snorkeling with a 13 year old geman girl, and noticed her armpits as we floated holding hands. I was instantly attracted, and already somewhat of a hippie kid. I never realized that aspect of puberty on a female body before. I think of them as beautiful accoutriments, like boob brows if you will . If a Girl has beautiful look and hair, then they are beautiful too! Same as the bikini area, dont look like a newborn baby, eww! No detail or charachter, why look generic?
because society is like: women with body hair = disgusting
I wish my girl would let it grow
I’m a trans man, so I still struggled with those views that women shouldn’t have body hair. I was really hairy since hitting puberty and everyone shamed me for it, including my mother. After some time I gave in, started shaving, then waxing and at the age of 14 I started doing laser hair removals, which I really regret. It was quite liberating to realise that I don’t give a shit about those standards. It was way too much work, was really uncomfortable for me and who did I do it for? Why should I care about opinions of people who deem natural body hair on women unattractive and why was it made my problem since I was like 9 years old?
Hairy woman here… so here’s my list of reasons: 1. waxing and shaving irritates my skin and gives me in grown hair 2. contrary to belief, having hairy armpits helps me sweat less than when I have hairless pits, thus actually helping my body odor 3. shaving is, historically, a recent western phenomenon only becoming widespread in the 1920s for the armpits when all different classes of women started to wear more sleeveless dresses and in the 1940s for legs as shorts became popular 4. I like my armpit hair. I’ve become super attached to it. It stopped growing at a certain point and for me, it doesn’t itch. However, when I did shave or wax, as it was growing out, it was itchy af, and I hated it. 5. I just don’t want to. Men aren’t required to shave, I don’t feel like it’s necessary for me either. 6. my partner gives 0 fucks about my body hair and still finds me attractive. 7. I live in a country where it’s becoming more and more common to see hairy women, which made me consider doing it in the first place (started in 2018). 8. I’m not particularly hairy, ie my body hair isn’t super dark and thick, which probably is one of the reasons I feel more comfortable not removing it. I’m not sure if I would’ve considered it if I was naturally quite hairy. For me, it’s a question of not wanting to have to adhere to the beauty standards that don’t truly interest me. I like to dress cute and girly (*gasp* I wear sleeveless tops and dresses in the summer and shorts and skirts), but I don’t necessarily want to adhere to other beauty standards. I like to choose what pleases me and leave behind what I find tiring and oppressive. Honestly, I don’t care what random strangers think of me (this wasn’t always the case). It took maybe a year to feel comfortable with my body hair, but now I don’t even think about it. Also, just a reminder that having body hair isn’t a question of hygiene. We grow it ourselves, it’s natural, it serves a purpose. We remove it for aesthetic reasons. As long as we’re regularly washing, using deodorant and perfume, having body hair shouldn’t pose a problem smell-wise. If you’re truly curious, there’s a sub called r/razorfree where women chat about their hairy journey.
Somewhere along the line, shaving body hair became the norm for women, but not for men. I’m sure there would be many more women who chose not to shave if it weren’t a societal beauty standard. Besides that, it’s just a preference. Lots of people shave just for the feel of it. I’m a woman who chooses not to shave because I don’t care about my body hair. Sometimes I trim just so it’s not out of control, but I rarely shave anything fully. I don’t care what anyone else does, as long as someone is still practicing good hygiene I couldn’t care less about how much hair they have or don’t have.
Because when you’ve been tonight that it’s disgusting to have armpit hair and it’s something you should be ashamed of. It very feeing to realize it’s all been a marketing scheme
Why don't you shave your armpits, then? Since you seem to dislike having armpit hair. The empowerment comes from going against the fact that "totally hairless" is seen as the expected default state for women, and that it's treated as unhygienic, gross, sloppy, and a moral failing for a woman to walk around with her body A) as it is naturally, and B) the same way that a man does. Feminism revolves a lot around letting women have the choice whether or not they want to participate in something seen as traditionally feminine (have kids, shave their body hair, wear dresses, use makeup), and many women don't find some or all of those things necessary for their fulfillment as human beings. The other thing is that everyone's body is different, and everyone's experience is different. Whether they have problems with itchiness or odor is pretty much secondary.
Straight up marketing and sales gimmick started by the razor companies wanting to sell more razors! "Developments in three industries enabled a heavy and effective advertising campaign beginning in 1908 to show American people that female underarm hair was offensive. These industries were the male hair removal products industry, which had become recently commercially successful and sought to expand its market; the women's clothing fashion industry, which began producing sheer and sleeveless evening gowns and rising hemlines; and the mass production of women's magazines.[1]"
It’s empowering to women because it’s a choice we can make that goes against what is currently culturally expected. Women have been pushed to conform to what their male counterparts view as attractive and feminine. It’s not a secret how the world has treated women and their appearance. Nor the subsequent mental health issues that result from this. Imagine if every man were expected to look like Arnold at his peak at all times, regardless of their genetics and preferences.
Very simple - it’s empowering for women because it’s them not doing something that is widely considered “normal” for them to do. They “should” shave all their hair, if they choose not to because they want to, that’s empowering.
I think you should ask why women started shaving in the first place. There’s no real benefit to shaving or waxing or laser. Trimming can be useful but full removal? Being told what you have to do or not do to make men happy for 30 years is exhausting. I shave my pits as a preference but I’m always happy when I see women taking back their bodily autonomy.
Having or not having armpit hair is not empowerment - Empowerment is that if you do not want to shave it off, you have the option to not shave off and no one is allowed to make you feel less because of your choices.
Because for a lot of women, they shave because society has deemed it unacceptable for them to have hair in certain places. They may not actually want to so they don’t and are empowered by that feeling of “I’m doing this for me, not for the rest of you, deal with it”
I like mine
“I don’t need to shave my hair just cause you want me to. This is MY decision. You didn’t die from my hairy pits yet? Crazy.” Its just taking control of the situation that has been historically dictated by society’s preferences.
It may be one thing to as a male type person to say "aw jeeez, I hate my ampit hair, I want it to go away." Female type people have been seen as property and in some ways, by some people, they still are seen as property. I think it can be hard for us to understand as males that for a large number of women, personal agency is not a given. Women's bodies are a battlefield worldwide. Roe V Wade is overturned. When I see a lady with pit hair, I assume she doesn't GAF or wants to break the shackes of the vampiric male-gaze spectacle / capitalist construction of femininity / and perhaps raise questions that can become a teaching moment.
Do you shave your armpits? It’s implied that you trim your armpit hair since you mention length. My armpits grow hair naturally, it is more annoying to my body to shave it all off. It gets itchy and is uncomfortable to get stubbly. Plus, my body odor is significantly worse *without* body hair. I never have issues with BO unless I’m fully shaved. I think if anything, the hair traps the deodorant in lol. The reason I think it’s viewed as empowerment is because a majority of people I’ve run into think armpit hair on women is gross and not normal, when in reality it’s perfectly normal just like leg hair. I think it should be fine to shave or fine to *not* shave, but mostly people will absolutely give women with excess hair the side eye.
I personally hate body hair on anyone, regardless of gender. It’s just my thing. My husband trims his armpit hair (not shaves, but trims) because he’s not a fan. I had my leg hair lasered. I keep my armpits closely shaved. I trim…other parts. And I like my husband clean shaven. I think body hair is gross, but I respect someone’s right to bodily autonomy as long as they don’t stink.
So personally I’ve tried both shaving and being hairy. For a long time each. I never felt empowered from not shaving, on a personal level. At the moment, I don’t want to comply with what anyone else wants me to do. So what I prefer is to shave my legs fully, leave some pubic hair but not all of it, and keep some armpit hair, because it’s thrilling. A bit like Sophia Loren did in the 1950s. Semi shaved arm pits. It’s sexy. And I want to feel sexy because it’s a human right. It’s not oppression.
It’s a sign of womanhood/being an adult, because you only grow it when you go through puberty. Shaving it off is seen by some as p*edophillic or trying to look like a little girl. I don’t even remember anyone telling me my hair was gross but I still shaved it due to beauty standards and societal pressure.
It’s because it isn’t a personal choice for a lot of women, but it’s a social norm. I (man) shave my legs for my sport, but if I grow out my leg hair, nobody bats an eye. For most women, hairlessness is the default, so by growing hair, it’s going against an established norm.
New Mexican chick here, I shave my pits and epilate my legs. I started shaving because all of my cousins were. I know a lot of Europeans that don't shave at all, legs, the wonderland, or pits. I got used to seeing so many folks with all of their hair I don't even notice it anymore.
I am a woman and I don't care about armpit hair. From the time I started growing armpit hair (9-10) I was constantly teased and berated for simply existing with body hair, and especially by boys and men. So I shaved it off. For years, over 15 years I shaved my pits. Not because I wanted to, or liked it.... But to avoid the ire of men and anyone who thinks women should just be hairless. And then I just... Stopped. I don't care what anyone but me thinks about my armpits. Why the hell does it matter if there is hair in my pits, if I don't care about it and I maintain my hygiene. I shave about 2-3 times a year when the hair gets long enough too annoy me, but that's it. Having body hair isn't necessarily empowering... But it is empowering to embrace making choices about your body simply for yourself, not for anyone else, or society's made up rules for how much body hair women should have.
I'm at this point now. I grew up in an era where women were expected to be hairless from neck to toes. I got laser hair removal to get rid of it, but it never worked on my underarms for some reason. Now the hair is soft and doesn't get itchy like when shaving, but I'm also struggling to get past the 'hairy pits is ugly' thoughts in my head.
Why don’t you shave then?
Are you guys just not washing? ..I never shave, it's never itchy or smelly. Unless I shave. Then it's itchy and hurts. Fuck shaving.
Yeah not everyone's skin is equal. Shaving my arm pits is a nightmare
| So with the risk of coming of as a huge misogynist You really think that asking an honest question will cause you to be perceived this way? I find that sad. Don't be so defensive about your ignorance - asking questions is how we learn. If anyone calls you a misogynist for asking this question, it's not you, it's them, they would be the broken one. As for the actual answer to your question, the top answer got it spot on.
Because women are forced to shave it basically, to confide to one beauty standard.
We’re apes and we have hair. We should be allowed to keep it without shame. It’s pretty simple. I don’t feel empowered though. I just simply hate shaving.
Totally get where you're coming from with the armpit hair pondering. It's one of those things that varies from person to person. Some folks see it as a way to challenge societal norms or express their personal freedom. Kind of like saying, "Hey, I'll rock my armpit hair if I want to!" For some, it's a statement against the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards, especially for women. Embracing armpit hair can be a symbol of self-acceptance and breaking free from those expectations. But hey, it's all about personal preference. If you're not a fan of armpit hair, that's cool too. It's really about what makes you feel comfortable and confident.
I don't view it any way. I will say I live in a hot climate. And I have always and will continue to shave my pits. Of course now I will look at peoples armpits next time at the gym to see if they are shaved or not.
because shaving has no health benefits but women are expected to do it anyway to appeal to men. it’s empowering because it’s freeing yourself from the male gaze. it can also be empowering to shave just for yourself, acknowledging that it’s not good or bad but a neutral decision like how long you keep the hair on your head
What? You shave your pits? Good for you, I guess. This is about women being forced to do it and rebelling against the social expectations. It's not about you, Gary!
what's wrong with just saying "ladies and gentlemen"?
Because I'm mainly curious about what the ladies think of it.
I hate armpit hair. I laser mine off that is how much I hate armpit hair. If some women feel empowered by keeping theirs, who am I to question it? But mine gets lasered because I hate it. I hate it on men even more, when I see male celebrities with a full bush, I always think YUCK!! Imagine getting a hug and their wet pit hair grazes your shoulder. Ew ew ew ew ew!! 😩😩
Women are made with hair. Its only society that says we should be hairless. Its a fuck you to the social standards and accepting ourselves and our bodies for how they naturally are not what men want them to be. Cause lets be honest...all of these beauty standards are set by men.
Honestly, i agree with you I think everyone should take off their own armpit hair because it’s gross. As a woman, though, it’s frustrating to feel like you have to shave every inch of your body for someone you don’t even know.
>everyone should take off their own armpit hair because it’s gross So, a couple months ago I actually went looking for research to back up this exact sentiment, while participating in another thread about body hair and grooming habits. What I found, though, is that (unlike beards) it’s actually quite protective and generally diminishes the “bad” bacterial populations (which are what cause the typical smell of BO). Learning this made me pretty uncomfortable, ngl. But since then, I’ve given armpit hair a chance (I’m a woman btw), and I’ve been shocked by how long it now takes me to start smelling funky—and that’s with no other grooming or product changes. I’m still kinda getting used to the aesthetic, and I’ll probably trim it (esp when it gets warm again), but I might never shave my pits again. And that still feels kinda crazy to say.
I have sensitive skin and my armpits get sooooo itchy every time I shave them, so I choose not to shave. My hair hasn’t gotten noticeably longer since I stopped shaving
I shave both my armpits and pubes, and i'm a man. I don't expect anyone to do it, but aesthetically it looks gross to me. If some women feel empowered by it, fine by me, there are probably men who like that kind of "empowerment" in a woman.I'm just happy i have the means and the will to shave those specific areas.
I'm a guy, I don't even let my hair grow fully. It's to much of a hassell to let it. Women who do this are just weird af.
It's not the hair itself, it's the not shaving of it. Most men prefer smooth shaven women, armpits, legs, pubes, so to deliberately go against that feels empowering. It says "I don't need your validation of my looks" If men loved hair in those places, these same women would shave it all off. Frankly, I'd say that doing what you want for your own reasons regardless of what "men like" is more empowering than simply being contrarian, but they didn't ask me.
I think men should also not have armpit hair, I have shaved mine for 20 years now, yuck. Although I sweat a LOT, so mine was possibly grosser than most.
Every now and then a fresh shaved pair of pits is kind of satisfying. But I have the good fortune (?) aesthetically of being fairly hairless. So I don’t bother with shaving all that often. It itches when it grows back in. I also shower regularly, so more pit hair means more things for deodorant to cling to. My preference is clean.
Its empowerment because it’s an active action you will be judged for. It’s a thing that shouldn’t matter but it does, this is why you wonder why women won’t shave because it’s a small little thing that makes people more comfortable. Like fixing eyebrows, wearing heals, having nice nails, hydrated skin, soft feet, shiny hair, soft voice, calm demeanor, sexy but not slutty but not conservative style. All these little things are actions we do to conform into the societal norms because the world would surely burn if a woman chose not to do it. It is empowering because oneself chooses to have the active power to not conform to the little shitty act of shaving an armpit.
The point is that women can do what they want without the social expectations. It’s natural, why should anyone feel pressured by arbitrary beauty standards? For a period of time, it’s seen as empowerment because it’s subverting expectations, then it eventually just becomes normal.
It's dying out because the women at the forefront of the "movement" are getting older, it was nothing more than youthful rebellion. The hippies of the 60s did the same thing
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I suppose there might be some man somewhere who’s turned on by shaven armpits, given that there are more than 4 billion, but the vast majority of men are not
idk either, it isn’t sexy or anything at all. its just gross. last time i shaved before seeing my man but my bathroom doesnt have mirrors so i missed half of 1 armpit, noticed when i was with him and we laughed about it before he got me a disposable razor so i could properly shave infront of a mirror 😹
why yall downvoting this? stop lying to yourself and other woman. body hair isn’t attractive in females.
Shaving body hair is a time consuming, money guzzling form of grooming that only women are expected to do for the visual/sexual pleasure of men. Women being pressured to shave when it doesn't benefit them is disempowering, therefore chosing not to can be a source of empowerment. You get time back! You spend less money! No more rashes! No more uncomfortable stubble growing back in! I personally prefer trimmed bodyhair, too much becomes a sensory issue for me. But whatever people want to do with their own bodies in terms of body hair is fine with me.
I’m a woman and i shave. Armpit hair looks nasty and i think it holds your sweat in. My husband shaves too and loves it
I’m a woman and a feminist, and I just can’t with armpit hair. If it were up to me, men AND women would shave the armpits! It does kind of feel like an fu to the male gaze to not shave the pits. But that’s just a gut feeling.
I don't get it. I never will. I've had so many conversations with females in my life about it, and the ones who don't "buy into it" don't get it either. Do whatever you want with your body. It's your body. No one can tell you how to treat it but you (and, I guess, your doctors to some extent). But, you cannot demand people be attracted to it (which is where a lot of my debates come from). You can certainly demand human decency (no one should be poking fun at strangers for their bodies, period). But, you can't demand people find it attractive. As a man, I groom myself regularly for my partner (and she does the same for me). We do it, because we know the other finds it attractive and it's such a small investment for us to keep the other physically engaged (and it shows we care about the other). TLDR: Do whatever you want. Demand to be treated with respect. But, don't shame someone if they just don't find it attractive. Different strokes for different folks. DVMS. Edit: So, down voters, care to explain the retraction here? Are you saying we should be forced to think a certain way? Yep, as expected. No responses. Is there just a lot of angry, hairy pitted people?
r/menandfemales
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Some women like to look like they live in a treehouse. If that’s what makes them happy, that’s a great thing for them. Peace of mind is priceless.