Woman shows off pits after not shaving for 18 months

TeletextPear

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article4297680.ece

This woman appeared on This Morning, saying she had given up on shaving because she was sick of having to conform to 'gender norms'.
In one way I think fair play to her for not shaving just because she feels she has to, but I just couldn't do it myself. Even the tiniest bit of underarm stubble has to go, so I could never imagine letting it get to her stage.

What does everyone else reckon?

MagicMarker

I reckon I'm glad I don't watch This Morning if this is the kind of crap they have on it.

Babybuff

furry

cursai

You never mentioned she had hairy legs. Next shell be swigging from a pint glass.

Novella

If she doesn't wanna shave, cool. Not my cup of tea, but each to their own and all that.

CathyMoran

Not everyone has underarm hair, who cares, she is not hurting anyone.

Monty Burnz

It doesn't look great tbh, but I feel like a total hypocrite because I don't like the expectation that women modify their appearance in ways that men aren't expected to. Although I suppose we are usually expected to shave our faces, or maintain a neat beard. But still.

hungrypig

this morning seems like a really riveting show with important news items like this. i think i will write to the producers and ask them to do a feature on this weirdo i know who doesn't wear false tan:eek:

Wibbs

Let's keep this thread in the spirit of this forum. Any AH stylee posts will be deleted. One already has. Nothing wrong with AH BTW. One of my fave forums, but horses for courses. Thanks.

hungrypig

hi wibbs, are you aware that many women would be offended by the nature of this post so the odd sarcastic comment should be tolerated

Galwayguy35

I would imagine the fact that she was shaving them for so many years is what made them grow back so fuzzy. Personally I find it a a bit offputting on a woman but each to their own.

Susie_Q

I thought she came across very well. She was articulate and cute and very clear in her intentions to show the natural form of a woman. Grown women are not naturally hairless; this is what they look like without the preening and pruning routines. If people are offended by it then colour me baffled.

I did the same when I was about 20, I didn't shave for about 2 years. Men never had a problem with it (and I never had a lack of admirers), but the amount of comments I got from women was unreal. They seemed incredibly uncomfortable with it, something I'm still wondering about to this day... they could never explain why they felt that way.

CathyMoran

I have no under arm hair or leg hair - there is no harm in this lady not shaving.

Scarinae

When I first read this I was thinking it was a coincidence because someone posted something similar on the Vagenda blog last week, but it turns out it's the same girl - that post is here. A version of it went on the Guardian webpage too.

A Scene From My Life
Small child: Why do you have hair under your arms?
Me: Because when girls and boys grow up into women and men they grow hair under their arms
Small child: My Mum doesn’t have hair under her arms.
Me: She shaves it off.
Small child: She doesn’t
Me: She does. Ask her.
Small child: Mum, do you?
Mother of small child: Yes
Small child: Why?

Exactly, small child. Exactly.

RacoonQueen

I don't shave/get laser because I'm expected to, I do it because it feels a lot more comfortable that way and I don't like the look of it. TBH I rarely shave my legs unless they hair gets noticable, nothing to do with how I look to other people it about what makes me feel comfortable.

I find that 'women shave because they're expected to' comment really annoying. Don't tell me how I think. I don't give a crap what other people think of me...

Monty Burnz

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I find that 'women shave because they're expected to' comment really annoying. Don't tell me how I think. I don't give a crap what other people think of me...

Bear in mind though that that's how you feel, but not necessarily how others feel.

Dudess

I'm not sure shaving is conforming to gender-based expectations - underarm/pubic area: it feels cleaner. I'd feel manky and uncomfortable if I let the hair in those areas grow significantly. Body hair that's black can be quite thick too.

Also, shaved legs look better to many (maybe that's conditioning but that doesn't make it less real).

Throughout time, tons of grooming rituals that aren't natural have become the norm - not sure they're worthy of being politicised. Although I suppose the fact such rituals aren't expected of men to the same extent is what some wish to raise.

Teyla Emmagan

It's just so weird to see a woman who is otherwise beautifully groomed with a pair of men's armpits. Great for her if she is happy like that (and she's very brave), but I wouldn't leave the house without getting rid of those. Her legs don't bother me as much for some reason (not the first time I've seen a girl with hairy legs).

I would also think that you would be much more likely to end up with BO with unshaved armpits.

hungrypig

its not dirty, women who don't shave wash just as much as other people. its not the fact that its a grooming ritual, its the fact that women who do not want to participate in this ritual are ridiculed and accused of being unhygenic

evilmonkee

My skin can get quite irritated by hair in my armpits (but not by shaving), perhaps that would stop if it grew past stubble length but my skin wouldn't survive the period in between.

Wibbs

hungrypig wrote: »

hi wibbs, are you aware that many women would be offended by the nature of this post so the odd sarcastic comment should be tolerated

Oh sure I'm well aware* of that HP, I'm just heading off the usual and all too regular and trite responses that subjects like this tend to attract.


*makes a nice change for me.

Giselle

Hairy pits, while I appreciate her bravery in both sprouting and displaying them, are off-putting to look at. I shouldn't feel like that, but I do.

Its like pube-fro's. Its natural, its normal, and nobody should be called dirty or have their personal hygiene called into question.

But they don't look very feminine, do they?

Lia_lia

Wow, I didn't know armpit hair could grow that long!


I have very, very little body hair so I only shave my armpits once every week ..often less. Sometimes I go for weeks without shaving them because they just don't really grow hair, and it's very blonde anyway.

Only shaved my legs once or twice. Can't be bothered. Not much hair there and it's really blonde. Funnily enough I always shave "down there".

Why are they showing this on tv anyway? Who cares? Loads of women don't shave.

Sea Filly

MagicMarker wrote: »

I reckon I'm glad I don't watch This Morning if this is the kind of crap they have on it.

Found myself happening upon this while eating my breakfast - gross, could not physically swallow my next spoonful for fear of it coming back up.

ted1

I worked as a life guard for years, and have seen many women that don't shave particular French and Italians and both the female and male staff found it very unsettling. We discussed it in length and decided we would rather see an over weight elderly hairy man in Speedos than an attractive girl with hairy arm Pitts.

I do think that our view may be a cultural one, and males and females from these countries would strongly disagree with us.
So I guess the moral of the story is each to their own.

Galwayguy35

Some of the guys I work with shave their armpits as they say its easier to lift weights etc in the gym with no underarm hair.

Susie_Q

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I would also think that you would be much more likely to end up with BO with unshaved armpits.

Does that mean that all men have BO??

ted1

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I would also think that you would be much more likely to end up with BO with unshaved armpits.

The opposite, hair acts as a temperature regulator.

Shocked Michelle said that girls were under an extreme amount of pressure to shave from a very early age.

I didn't have any "extreme pressure"

anyway if they want to do it off they go but not for me, and don't tell me i'm only "conforming" because I am not

Ickle Magoo

Sea Filly wrote: »

Found myself happening upon this while eating my breakfast - gross, could not physically swallow my next spoonful for fear of it coming back up.

Would you have such an extreme reaction to seeing a man's armpit hair? Perhaps that just exemplifies the "social conditioning" the lady in the the article is referring to?

As for the article, I think if you don't want to shave then knock yourself out - but making a point of going on national television and trying to make a political statement out if it is a bit much. There are lots of things we are socially conditioned to do, not all of them bad or deserve to be deemed extraneous by all.

In 2012 I have the both the freedom of choice & technological means to decide whether, what and how much body hair to remove, according to my own personal preferences. I'm not sure why someone who chooses to retain maximum body hair can't just acknowledge & embrace their choice, rather than trying to justify it by inferring those who make a different choice have been brainwashed.

cynder

I caught a flight home from the uk and this woman sat down next to me, I nearly pucked. She was wearing a vest and skirt and was very much a hippy, plenty of times her arms went over her head exposing my face to an hairy hairy underarm and she stank. She kept on trying to make conversation but my stomach was churning every time I had to face her. I couldn't escape from her either.

Her legs were hairy too.

It wouldn't of bothered me too much if she didn't smell of Bo.


I would have had the same reaction to a man.

barleybooley

CathyMoran wrote: »

I have no under arm hair or leg hair - there is no harm in this lady not shaving.

:O Lucky you!

Remember the outrage when Julia Roberts showed up to the Notting Hill premier with underarm hair? Ridiculous reaction to it, I mean surely there are more important things to get upset about?



Anyway, not my cup of tea personally given that I'm really dark and really hairy but that's me. I think women tend to do things (like shaving and doing their make-up and the like to satisfy other women. I know that when I go out, I could look well to the opposite sex without going to the levels I do but I do it for myself so I feel comfortable in the girls bathroom. But again, that's just me.

boomkatalog

Its more about fashion now, isn't it? Why do we do any of the grooming we do that men don't? Back in Mona Lisa's day women had no eyebrows :pac:

If someone wants to grow out their eyebrows, pubic hair, underarm hair, leg hair, upper lip hair, that's their choice but I wouldn't. I don't think its a women's lib issue, I think its more about fashion and trends, and there will always be people who don't conform.

Of course we shave because we're expected to.

People give the whole "it feels better, it's more hygienic, I shave for myself" excuses, but ultimately, if long armpit hair was in fashion there'd be people out there getting extensions. And regular old Joanne Soap probably wouldn't, but she wouldn't be shaving her pits either.

So shave, trim, or let it grow naturally, but let's not pretend we're not influenced by the norm. We are, and it doesn't make us brainwashed or oppressed, it just means we're smart enough to figure out how to adapt to what's in fashion.

mrsdewinter

boomkatalog wrote: »

Its more about fashion now, isn't it? Why do we do any of the grooming we do that men don't? Back in Mona Lisa's day women had no eyebrows :pac:

If someone wants to grow out their eyebrows, pubic hair, underarm hair, leg hair, upper lip hair, that's their choice but I wouldn't. I don't think its a women's lib issue, I think its more about fashion and trends, and there will always be people who don't conform.

So true - it does come down to fashion and social norms.

I feel a little disappointed with my own reaction - even though it's been years since I first saw those Julia Roberts pics, I still cringe a little when they appear.

Not good...

Dudess

Julia Roberts looks gorgeous in that pic - that's what should have been the main talking point IMO! I don't think her pit hair looks even that bad. There could be heavier. Kinda think fair play to her - I definitely wouldn't do it though. But Brazilians, Hollywoods - DEFINITELY just a fashion thing. I certainly wouldn't bother with anything more than the basic tidy-up down there.

Dudess

true-or-false wrote: »

Of course we shave because we're expected to.

People give the whole "it feels better, it's more hygienic, I shave for myself" excuses, but ultimately, if long armpit hair was in fashion there'd be people out there getting extensions. And regular old Joanne Soap probably wouldn't, but she wouldn't be shaving her pits either.

So shave, trim, or let it grow naturally, but let's not pretend we're not influenced by the norm. We are, and it doesn't make us brainwashed or oppressed, it just means we're smart enough to figure out how to adapt to what's in fashion.

True for some, but I don't personally care about what's in fashion, and hair genuinely does make me feel skanky. I'm very dark and it can be wiry and uncomfortable. Then again though, if body hair was acceptable, I'd probably be less vigilant about maintenance all right, due to sheer laziness. :pac:
My leg hair is fairish though, for some reason, and that involves far less maintenance than the underarms/downstairs regions.

cynder

Lots of men shave their faces, tbh I prefer a clean shaven man.

I hate facial hair on a man.. But That's just me...

true-or-false

true-or-false wrote: »

Of course we shave because we're expected to.

People give the whole "it feels better, it's more hygienic, I shave for myself" excuses, but ultimately, if long armpit hair was in fashion there'd be people out there getting extensions. And regular old Joanne Soap probably wouldn't, but she wouldn't be shaving her pits either.

So shave, trim, or let it grow naturally, but let's not pretend we're not influenced by the norm. We are, and it doesn't make us brainwashed or oppressed, it just means we're smart enough to figure out how to adapt to what's in fashion.

I started shaving when I was 10 because the hair annoyed me
I got a razor from the house bathroom and started using it
I don't care if you think I was being brainwashed or fashionable, but I'm tired of hearing that that could be the only reason

I also keep up the hair removal in general regardless of whether anyone else is likely to see it, because I prefer it that way

AhInFairness

Social conditioning or not, personally I don't like having underarm hair. Its a personal preference.

I'm lucky though that my body hair is extremely fair so it's not noticeable to others, but I notice it I never wear skirts so I'm never too pushed about my legs but my underarm hair would bother me.

It wouldn't bother me on someone else, so long as they're clean and fragrant

timewilltell

It was the bitchiness of Secondary School that made me began shaving my legs... TBH I often go a while without shaving them, but the hair doesn't really grow.

Underarm hair though, no, Im sorry, that has to be shaved. I have this uncontrollable urge to track Emer down and shave her underarms.... It'd be orgasmic.

orchidsrpretty

I very rarely shave my legs out of laziness( my boyfriend loves it...not) but I don't mind. I do shave my armpits every week or two though, as I don't wear deodorant either and if I have had s particularly sweaty day, even after scrubbing in the shower it can be difficult to smell fresh.
God, makes me sound like a smelly slob, but I'm not!

RacoonQueen

true-or-false wrote: »

Of course we shave because we're expected to.

People give the whole "it feels better, it's more hygienic, I shave for myself" excuses, but ultimately, if long armpit hair was in fashion there'd be people out there getting extensions. And regular old Joanne Soap probably wouldn't, but she wouldn't be shaving her pits either.

So shave, trim, or let it grow naturally, but let's not pretend we're not influenced by the norm. We are, and it doesn't make us brainwashed or oppressed, it just means we're smart enough to figure out how to adapt to what's in fashion.

What rubbish. Who expects me to remove hair? I'm such a stubborn bitch that if I felt I was expected to shave I probably wouldn't do it.

Fact is having no underarm hair or pubic hair is more comfortable. I certainly wouldn't grow it all if it suddenly became in fashion. Maybe you do, but dont' assume other people do it for the same reasons as you do. Now I swim so much it just gives another benefit.

Polloloca

My legs don't bother me as long as they don't get very hairy, and I HATE shaving my legs. My armpits however, I shave every morning without thinking if I need to or not. I can't imagine leaving it unshaven. I was always self conscious of body hair.

RacoonQueen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

What rubbish. Who expects me to remove hair? I'm such a stubborn bitch that if I felt I was expected to shave I probably wouldn't do it.

Fact is having no underarm hair or pubic hair is more comfortable. I certainly wouldn't grow it all if it suddenly became in fashion. Maybe you do, but dont' assume other people do it for the same reasons as you do. Now I swim so much it just gives another benefit.

Having no underarm hair or pubic hair is more comfortable.

What I'm saying isn't that if it was suddenly in fashion we'd all change. I'm not talking fads, or trends, I'm talking long term social norms. What I'm saying is that if no one had ever shaved their legs, ever, do you really think you would have taken it upon yourself one day to take out a sharp knife and start cutting it off?

And there's also no need to be getting aggressive with me, I'm only trying to participate in the discussion.

boomkatalog

Motorist wrote: »

SNIP

Point taken, but please, less graphic :pac:

RacoonQueen

true-or-false wrote: »

Having no underarm hair or pubic hair is more comfortable.

What I'm saying isn't that if it was suddenly in fashion we'd all change. I'm not talking fads, or trends, I'm talking long term social norms. What I'm saying is that if no one had ever shaved their legs, ever, do you really think you would have taken it upon yourself one day to take out a sharp knife and start cutting it off?

And there's also no need to be getting aggressive with me, I'm only trying to participate in the discussion.

Sure if no one ever started wearing clothes none of us would wear them now. If people started walking round in the nip would you stop wearing clothes?

There was no aggression in my post. Don't be so sensitive.

Jesus Wept

What a rebel.

RacoonQueen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Sure if no one ever started wearing clothes none of us would wear them now. If people started walking round in the nip would you stop wearing clothes?

That's my point exactly though.

RacoonQueen

true-or-false wrote: »

That's my point exactly though.

We started wearing clothes out of necessity not to copy other people. Evolution meant we had less body hair and in order to keep warm we wore clothing. As it happens, it's believed that body hair is reducing with each generation as we have no real need for it anymore. Nose hair and head hair have genuine functions. Most other types of hair are no longer needed for what their purpose is believed to be.

Wibbs

Motorist when a previous post of yours is deleted, take the hint and don't post it again. Thank you.