Comments on: Razors and Lasers: A Rant

By: » Avoid Catastrophe. Shave Your Legs! The Pursuit of Harpyness

» Avoid Catastrophe. Shave Your Legs! The Pursuit of Harpyness — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:01:37 +0000

[...] no secret hairlessness is a compulsory component of “femininity.” Adhering to feminine beauty standards is [...]

By: » Seriously? Seriously?! The Pursuit of Harpyness

» Seriously? Seriously?! The Pursuit of Harpyness — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:00:47 +0000

[...] memorable phrase: “heres [sic] some pretty hairy man-hating sites.” Guess he read my post about not shaving my legs all year long, although he clearly missed Pilgrim Soul’s post on [...]

By: The Social Construction of Femininity « The Radical Notion

The Social Construction of Femininity « The Radical Notion — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:02:47 +0000

[...] The Pursuit of Harpyness: Razors and Lasers: A Rant [...]

By: ahimsa

ahimsa — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:12:14 +0000

Is anyone here old enough to remember the original book The Joy of Sex published in 1972? (or perhaps you’ve seen an old copy in a used book store?)

I was about 11 or 12 when I first saw it (my friend and I got it from her parents’ book shelves) and one of the things I remember was that the woman in the drawings was not shaved. Hairy underarms. I even remember thinking about it at the time (after my initial “gross” because it didn’t conform to what society thought was sexy) that it was cool to be more natural. Most things considered “natural” were very “in” in the 1970s.

Just a little food for thought from the “wayback” machine. It’s too bad that porn seems to have narrowed the the options for what is considered sexy (I know nearly nothing about porn, actually, but I learn a little by reading these blogs).

For what it’s worth, neither my husband nor I shave anything (he has a beard that he keeps trimmed). Both of us are quite happy with each other’s furry bodies.

I do confess to being a bit of a hypocrite. I generally wear trousers and shirts so the shaving, or lack thereof, is completely unnoticed. But if I ever wear a tank top (or shorts), which is very rare, then I succumb to peer pressure and shave my armpits (or legs). I never wear skirts/dresses so that’s not a problem! It’s too bad that there is so much societal pressure out there to conform. I do my best to ignore society’s stupid double standards but this one is pretty deeply embedded in my brain and hard for me to fight.

By: HanaMaru

HanaMaru — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:31:44 +0000

I do my own waxing at home*, which required a big initial cost, and about $15 every few months for supplies. I have gotten pretty lazy about my legs in the winter since I realized my husband doesn’t much care or notice, though I like the feel of hairless skin.

Does anyone actually know how many women get brazillian waxes or shave their pubes? It’s so high maintainance and I don’t want it to be the norm, but I personally enjoy the increased sensation I get during sex. Right now I could probably french braid my leg hair, but my vulva is totally hairless. I might grow it out to try the Bart Simpson, though.

*I do NOT recommend this for anyone who does not have professional training(I went to cosmetology school for 1500 hours). Many things can go wrong if it’s not done right.

By: katie80andstuff

katie80andstuff — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:17:21 +0000

Loving this post. Hair removal is something I’ve been struggling with for a while. I have many women friends who don’t shave at all, and while I’m currently not shaving my arm pits, I’ve gotten my lower legs (ankle to knee) waxed for the first time. It’s growing back in, and I feel a lot less self-conscious about my hairiness (it really does grow in finer and softer after waxing).

I wish I could be resistant to that social pressure in the way my friends are, but it’s difficult. I SWEAR people are looking at my hairy pits in yoga when we’re doing sun salutations!

By: Lyndsay

Lyndsay — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:17:09 +0000

I didn’t think I had THAT much hair but I notice my legs feel colder outside after the few times I shave in winter. Also, feeling smooth skin rub against jeans is a weird feeling at first.

By: Tea

Tea — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:32:37 +0000

In high school, I wore pants all the time. ALL the time, even though I shaved my legs obsessively. I spent as much time worrying about whether or not someone would notice a stray hair as I did with a razor in hand.

It’s a bit different now, though. I practically live in shorts. I shave when fit takes me during the cold months, and enough during the warm months that I don’t get disapproving looks at the beach.

(I’m terrified of cutting that bit at the back of my leg, just above the heel. It’s pointy and it hurts. I’m cringing just thinking about it.)

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:55:58 +0000

@Nepenthe: I cannot pretend to know what trichotillomania is like and how that must exacerbate the shaving issue. I pluck hairs with with my fingernails because I am very compulsive about things like that (biting cuticles and knuckles until they bleed, etc.). I really hope you resist pressure to do anything that exacerbates your trichotillomania.

By: Nepenthe

Nepenthe — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:47:57 +0000

It’s amazing how strong the pressure is to shave. I can’t shave because I have trichotillomania and will spend literally hours on end pulling out stubble if I have any. My parents, especially my mother, give me crap for it constantly. I’ve had to sit them down and explain to them that having bald legs is not worth spending all my time picking the hairs off myself until I die of sepsis from the resulting infections. They still give me shit.