hairy armpits

Women, do you shave yours? If so, how often and with what? If not, why?

Men, do you mind if a woman you are intimate with shaves her underarms or not?

Ah armpit hair! Since I grew up in cultures where shaving one's armpits was seen as odd or even barbaric, I only ever shaved when living in the US and then only when absolutely necessary (special event/sleeveless dress). Most other countries think we're strange beyond words for shaving underarms.

I stopped shaving in college and never looked back. I've shaved my legs a few times since then, mostly when my mother paid me cash to be clean-shaven for a family wedding (she was happy to pay, I was happy to endure the stubble). My husband loves my hairiness; boyfriends before him were a mixed bag of acceptance and putting up with it because I'm a damn awesome girlfriend.

Personally I think that if we could all be a bit hairier and more naked in front of one another we'd be a lot better off.

Jessica Gorton wrote:
Personally I think that if we could all be a bit hairier and more naked in front of one another we'd be a lot better off.

Honestly I don't know if I could get any hairier.

Matu wrote: Men, do you mind if a woman you are intimate with shaves her underarms or not?

Mostly I like consistency. Things that are not attractive: razor burn, ingrown hairs, and stubble.

I've known hairy pitted women who wore it well and some that didn't. I guess it's like a mustache. Yes for some and no for others. My preference is clean shaven but hey... who am I to tell anyone what to do? I clear cut mine for a while, so I know what it's like to have razor burn in the pits (and elsewhere). Not fun. But... it does make it a lot easier to find ticks

I say leave it natural...but then I am of Native American decent and we are almost "hairless" and pluck out (even under arms) where it is most of the time anyway...

It is most likely a "subspecies" and "cultural thing." Does make staying clean in the bush easier (I mean the Wilderness type of bush...not any other...you are all so bad...I see y'all snickering...stop it...now I'm laughing...silly rabbits...)

Hair holds scent.
If I'm going to be working hard but still have to be with regular folk without clean up it's easier to do a quick swipe with the razor.

Definitely unshaven here; I stopped shaving in high school. My husband doesn't care. In fact, none of my boyfriends ever cared, even at 17.

About smelly armpits...just as a personal anecdote: my husband and I switched to eating paleo and I notice that he and his pits don't stink when he sweats any more. He says I don't either, but I was never very sweaty to begin with And like Paul, I'm no soap and no poo (husband is just no poo).

I love hair. For me it's all about equality. Women, do what you what with your body.
Americans now have an abhorrence for any hair on men or women. The Hollywood and porn trend is to be shaven. Haircuts are super short, militaristic. The newest high fashion hair cut trend for men and women are downright Third Reich. American culture has an obsession with youthfulness, cleanliness, purity, and militarism. What a difference from the 1960s and 70s!

Here's a cover version of the song HAIR by a great band THE COWSILLS - Hair (1967-69) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFy-yzj02FE

Edited: removed the word "sick", poor choice, my apologies.

....i guess it is a matter of choice, as it should be...it just seems like so much work once you start to maintain.....I managed to shave pits once since highschool and that was for someone elses comfort....my husband and peer group are definitely into leaving it natural.

and to follow Rick's music reference.....

Rick Roman wrote:...sick abhorrence for any hair on men or women...

Hi Rick, et al,

Uhmmmmm...can we use a different work besides "sick?"

I agree that anyone should do what makes them personally comfortable..."leave it natural," was meant for all to do what is natural to them...

Having been raised withing a "desert tribal tradition" and with very strong Asian influences (potty trained by Asukiya-Daiku's -数奇屋大工 Wife and started practicing Korean style Taoism in 1968 ) I come from a "cultural mindset" that does adhore...FURRY! So yes my arms have no hair, everywhere else there may be a bit of fur is clipped short and I do where a "high and tight," military style hair cut...I am not sick. Yes, many Americans (and other cultures as well) do not like hair at all...there is nothing wrong with that either...

If you like furry...be furry...if you don't that is o.k. too....

Hell yes Judith! That is one beautiful and sexy woman! Iconic image! It's also one of the greatest rock albums of all time (IMHO).

Jay C. White Cloud - You are correct, poor choice, no offense intended, my deepest apology.

No worries Rick...I do agree that some are "obsessive" about it and look down upon their "furry" kin...that is...well a little "sick" isn't it...so we do agree 100% on that obsessive condescension...We also agree that that is absolutely an iconic album and any hetero ♂ that would find her unpleasing probably has some funny ideas about beauty...she is gorgeous...fur and all...

Alfrun Unndis wrote:Hair holds scent.
If I'm going to be working hard but still have to be with regular folk without clean up it's easier to do a quick swipe with the razor.

yep, this is when i shave my pits, and usually only for the smell factor.
though every once in a great while i shave everything, but i have incredibly thick dark hair and everywhere! i am a furry person its in my genetics.. i do sometimes wish i was one of these ladies with really fine soft light colored hair, i would never shave, but thats not the way it is. when i do shave i get horrible rash and itchiness and its downright painful as it grows back.

i personally dont mind body odor, plain old sweat smell from my self of other people. maybe i am just accustomed to it, because even stuff that doesnt smell very good doesnt bother me. i have come to realize though that most people arent like this, and i have gotten some rude comments about it. i'm inclined to think - well thats their problem....but it becomes sort of weird ...so if i am going to be around more conventional type people or have the rare occasion of dressing up or something i will shave and endure the pain of it growing back.

what i dont like is when people smell like that fakey sweet perfumy stuff, deodorant or perfume...which of course is everywhere. its weird maybe...but i find that smell much worse than regular sweat.

I go both ways...
I even like a woman with a some facialhair.
On the other hand I have shaved every part of my body at one point or another.
Stubble is a bitch, on ones skin or against ones tongue
Variety is delicious.
Compelled conformity is dismal. .

I shave my armpits once a week. I've used the same razor for the past seven years, so it doesn't cost anything, either. I tried going without shaving a summer during high school, and I really didn't like the feeling of long hair there. So I shave it for comfort. On the other hand, I've never shaved my legs. I have really fair hair, and I always wear long pants/skirts anyway, so I saw no reason to shave it. I thought, at the time, that I'd shave them if my future husband didn't like hairy legs, but my husband was thrilled when we were dating to find out I'd never shaved them. So, they remain unshaven to this day. Much less work!

I might have talked about this in a podcast, but I have several opinions and experiences with shaving or not shaving.

Obnoxious opinion: women have hair. Prepubescent girls do not.

I used to shave. As a teen, I started shaving my pits and my legs from just above my knees to my ankles. Not my thighs. What I noticed is that where I shaved, it seemed to create more hair growth. I started having hair follicles with two hairs sprouting out, not just one. And I didn't have that happening where I wasn't shaving. Hm.

Then, had my first child and hormones wreaked havoc with my skin. Shaving any where - pits, legs, etc. - created ingrown hairs that turned into walnut sized boils. UGH. and OW. So I stopped. (Apologies for the TMI to squeamish folks.)

I began shaving again briefly while working a corporate job, but since then, I've happily gone without shaving. Not shaving = less time, less money, less water.

In professional scenarios, even on hot days, I wear loose shirts over my tank tops, and long skirts or pants, so no one has to observe hairy pits or legs.

Now, I feel it's almost a point of woman/frugal/eco pride, if you will. I'm not a girl, and I'm not bound to "fashion" that potentially creates health issues for me.

In Kundalini yoga (http://live.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/daily-routine/hair-care), students are taught not to shave or cut any hair. You hold your energy there, and everywhere you have hair is a very important energy point. (think of all the important glands housed in your armpits and other haired regions). I did this yoga for sometime and decided to give the hair growing thing a shot to see if I did feel any different. I can go without shaving my legs, but can NOT deal with the stubble elsewhere. I also feel cleaner when I do it. I know it's all psychological, but it makes me feel good to shave.

Another thought about the whole smelly hair thing. I found that deodorant made my husband smell. He has never shaved his pits, and he used to be quite a stinky individual. More than 12 hours without a shower could make surrounding people's eyes water. He stopped using deodorant, and now smells rather fresh for up to 4 days in the winter.

But I agree, we all need to do what makes us feel good about ourselves.

This is something I have thought about a lot and i enjoy hearing other people's thoughts! For a while this year I let my armpits grow all the way out. My partner was totally fine with it because he is all about letting me do what I want with my body. But one day I asked him which he preferred and he said he liked it short but it was up to me. So I thought about it and I thought it was really no different than me telling him that I like his hair on his head longer, or I prefer him to have a beard. I am not going to love him any less if he has it short but I just like it better, so normally he has it longer. To me it is just a matter of balancing two things - staying true to your own self, desires, and comfortability while still doing stuff for your partner because you love them.

That is a nice pov, Cassie.

Just the other day, a woman-friend on FaceBook said some funny things about letting her leg and pit hair grow for the first time. She said that now that she has hairy legs, she can feel the breeze on her legs and LOVES it! Ha!

Though she said she bleaches the hair on her legs and in her pits (don't know if she was joking or serious on that part).

Bleaching as in to change the color?! Or to somehow get rid of it? Either way, I hope she was joking! My mom uses Nair which I THINK is some sort of lotion/chemical that essentially burns the hair off. She has used it for years and I can imagine it is terrible for her. I used it once when I was about 15 and it hurt so bad I never used it again. Ah, the things women endure for "beauty".

I definitely go back and forth on this idea & topic. Though, I prefer waxing over shaving because it lasts longer but it is painful and can cause skin irritation.

I do tend to yield to my partner’s preference on this, when I have a partner. It’s not a non-negotiable for me but I prefer to be more natural, especially during seasons when I’m not wearing short sleeve tops.

I think every woman should try it at least once… and if nothing else to evaluate our own beauty standards, understanding how culture, upbringing, and media has shaped our opinions on what we think is beautiful & desirable for ourselves and others.

It’s a good experiment. I thought I’d feel more comfortable having hairy underarms in public the more I tried it… but I still feel an unspoken societal pressure and nervous about people’s reactions. I still don’t find women having hairy underarms ‘beautiful’ or ‘normal’ but it’s been nice fighting the beauty norms internally & externally.

As an educator and caregiver of children, I have attempted to normalize natural beauty without makeup or chemicals. I think it’s important to grow up feeling comfortable in our own skin… and hair.

I also think like most aspects of our body… hair serves a beneficial purpose. (I’d love to do a research article on that one day.)