


Friday, October 22, 2010

Hairy haunches poll

I'm getting quite overdue on a good waxing mostly because I haven't had the time to do it myself and I hate spending the money on having someone else do it, especially since I'm not currently working. It's hard to justify the expense and I'd hate to go back to shaving.

I noticed the other day that I'm looking more simian than smooth and, as I was displaying my burgeoning hirsutude to my husband, he asked me if I was growing things out. That's not my intention, but I did wonder, with the winter months coming on, whether or not I could get away with it. Of course I could from an exposure standpoint but would I, mentally, be able to get away with it.

I'm sure I'll get a few nasty comments about this, but I am conditioned to look at my hairy upper legs and general area and not find it attractive - they look like man pubes - and I don't find it appealing. It certainly would be easier, low-maintenance and probably warmer, but I'm not sure I could stomach it.

So, as I am wont to do, I thought I'd throw in a poll. I'm talking about hair north of the knee and including the bikini line, not the porn star look.

How do you address your bikini line?

What's your opinion on hairy pubes that extend beyond the bikini line? Do you let it grow? Would you?

And, if you dig hard enough, there's an environmental angle in that question somewhere :)


FernWise said...

I really like the wild blackberry bush metaphor.

Anonymous said...

Realistically, somewhere in between black berry bushes and trimming. Most of the time I do nothing, but I do trim a couple of times a year when I feel like it.

Anonymous said...

The funny thing is, for the three years I had dreadlocks, I (mostly) did not shave under my arms. Ya know, the pit hair doesn't go all wild. It mostly sticks to resembling pubescent boy under arm hair. And I was fine with that. I have dreadlocks, I wear baggy jeans. I have armpit hair. BUT...I still Had to shave my legs. Not my upper legs. I've rarely shaved them (still light colored, oddly, though I have dark hair.) But lower leg hair? Gads! It's like a frackin pORcupine. Never grows long enough to be soft, and if it did I'd look like the bearded lady standing on her head.

Anonymous said...

I admit to not doing a lot. But...I'm also single and I think if I weren't I'd probably be a little more motivated.

Interestingly, I do go to a clothing optional women's circle and don't necessarily feel the need to worry in that scenario. Though it's taken time--I felt really self-conscious at first. Swimming is also making me reconsider--I know nobody is really looking that close but I feel nervous if my bikini line isn't smooth, and I have a high cut swimsuit.

hoorayparade said...

i trim. really getting a trimmer was a wonderful turnaround for me because none of my skin on any part of my body agrees with waxing/shaving. my boyfriend doesn't care how hairy i am(which is awesome). I have been doing some electrolysis in another area and plan on moving to different areas of my body as long as i can afford it (bikini line will be the last frontier.)

Robj98168 said...

I trim the hair, but nothing too invasive

To the gentlemen out there- there is a lot to be said for manscaping. And besides if I didn't manscape- I wouldn't have anything to brush, cut and lovingly fondle

Sonya said...

caveat: I am blondish naturally and sparseness with body hair seems to run in my family

I shave my legs mayyybe a couple times a month. My bikini area gets even less attention. I have never been very good at shaving in that area, or maybe my hair is extra resilient, because aside from Nair-ing I have never gotten it smooth. There is always some elusive stubble that causes endless itchiness and irritation. Thus, that area gets bald-ified every couple of months and then is usually allowed to grow out as I curse ever shaving it in the first place.

Anonymous said...

I voted for occasionally, but it has more to do with seasons than anything else - if it's cold, hubs will just have to deal, I mean, I don't make him shave his legs!

Anonymous said...

My legs only get shaven if I'm wearing a skirt without tights. I only shave my bikini area when I'm wearing a swimsuit, which is rarely. Even then, it's just the edges. I hate the ingrown hairs I get from shaving, and I'm too cheap to wax.

owlfan said...

I never shave the bikini line in the winter, never have. I also don't shave my legs above the knee. Just never saw the need, although I've got brown hair, but my upper legs look fine to me and I've never gotten a comment - not even in the catty teen years.

Last few years, I don't shave at all in the bikini area. The scratchy, itchy, soreness just isn't worth it. I got a swimsuit with a pair of swim shorts as bottoms and just don't worry about it. DH says he doesn't care one way or the other, but if not shaving feels better, go for it.

Aydan said...

Board shorts/swim shorts for women are a good solution to feeling like you have to shave your bikini line to go out in public in a swimsuit.

I've never been particularly interested in modifying my body hair unless "strongly encouraged" by parents/lots of teasing, so I let it be.

Kate said...

Of course there's an environmental angle in what we do with pube hair. There's an environmental angle to *anything* that uses material or energy resources. I'm not one to lecture on this issue, as I've dealt with it in the past via both professional waxing and even a little electrolysis (not bikini line for that though). But there's really no way to spin this other than consumption for the sake of aesthetics/vanity. It may be minor consumption or extravagant. In my case it was rather extravagant at one point and very minor now. But if I lived entirely according to my own values, I'd go with the blackberry bush (perhaps trimmed with scissors) as that's the lowest energy option.

Billie said...

Singleness seems to encourage the lack of care taken to shave now that the fall is here and I am not wearing anything that shows anything.

I personally don't care what I look like and since nobody else is looking there... why take the time?

Pony said...

My husband is the last person who would notice anything, so anything I do is strictly what I like. In the summer, I shave my upper leg occasionally (it grows so much slower), which slows down to rarely in the winter. As for my bikini line, I would have to be wearing a bikini to shave just a wee bit off, and that is highly unusual.

GeekGirl said...

I voted for occasionally. Honestly, I shave when I remember which is usually just before I put on a swimsuit. Otherwise I just trim it up here and there with my beard trimmer.

I do shave my legs and pits about once a week. I live in shorts and tanks year around. (If it got cold here I would NOT shave.)

Anonymous said...

I haven't shaved or trimmed *anything* in over 10 years. It's so much easier! And I love the feel of the wind blowing through my leg hair when I'm riding my bike. Occasionally I feel self-conscious, but I figure most people probably don't even notice, but if they do notice and don't like it, that's their problem, not mine. Of course, I'm almost 60 and not working outside the home, so it's probably easier for me to get away with it.

Brad K. said...


My apologies, I chuckled when I read your "My husband is the last person who would notice anything" line.

If you don't shave for your mate, or when you are with your mate - why would you tamper with nature's design?

I think much of fashion - including shaving - anywhere, for either (any?) gender - is more properly suited to mating rituals (the 'selling' of the fertile, nubile, young and about-to-be-bound). But the fashion industry makes money by instead selling the expensive, and energy-profligate, notion as 'cute' or 'beautiful' (as if a bottle or appliance is as important as a smile) - or young.

I liked the Helen Hunt line in the adorable "Return To Me", where she tells Minnie Driver "Whatever you do, don't shave your legs. Hairy legs are your only grasp on reality."

Not to be really blunt, or anything, but if you don't care for the hair around the swimsuit, you might consider a beach or club where clothing is optional. Rather than sex orgies, many (the nationally affiliated organizations) are family oriented, and surprisingly supportive communities.

And at home? let them keep the personal comments to themselves. "If you cannot say something nice. ."

simply_complicated said...

i shave if i'm going to be exposed in public (ie going to a public pool) but as that's a rare occurrence except during the summer, i tend to let the gorilla-girl in me out during the cold months (and in my part of canada, that's pretty much october through may)except armpits. they're a whole different story... i shave them pretty religiously.
i say let out your inner hippy, your gorilla-girl.... let those blackberry bushes flourish, 'cause baby it's cold outside!

Anonymous said...

Yep - I have the wild blackberry (my favorite berry, by the way) bush! Everytime I trimmed or shaved or waxed, it itched uncontrollably and sticks and is totally uncomfortable. So now I let 'er grow. And what a bush! It is a joke between me and my husband. I have often wondered about this topic and what the OB doctors see/think about it. Looks like I am not in the minority, after all. Although, I am sure I have a thicker bush than most...sigh...

Anonymous said...

Unless I'm going swimming I pretty much leave it be. It reduces friction while bicycling to have hair and it prevents getting those icky little prickly new hairs or red bumps.

Jennie said...

When I was a dancer I religiously waxed that hair into a nice landing strip. That was over 3 years ago. Now, it's wild and crazy down there. I happily flaunt my hair, in public pools and hotel hottubs.
Maybe given enough time and enough hairy hotties, the cutural norm will shift enough to allow more women to be free from the hot wax.
I'm doin my part!

Anonymous said...

When I shave my legs I cover the whole leg, and the frequency depends on the season. As for the blackberry bush, I trim with scissors. Nothing drastic, but I like to keep things neat down there, otherwise the monthly mess bothers me, it always makes me think of old guys with beards full of soup and crumb remnants, even though that's an irrational thought.

The Nurturing Pirate said...

Like a previous poster, I have very little body hair. Which is fortunate, because I'm lazy when it comes to shaving. Also fortunate: my dh doesn't really care whether I shave or not.

As for the bikini area, I must have the "micro bush," because it stays neatly contained within the perimeter of my bikini - as long as I'm not wearing an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikini. So no need to contend with that area at all! Yay!

Anonymous said...

Any pubes that stray beyond the bikini line get shaved. HOwever, I don't like those teeny tiny underwear thingies that many girlies seem to wear nowadays, so my guess is that I still have way more hair than they do.

I shave me legs up until the knee, not higher. NOT worth the effort, once you start you have to continue because of the stubble. My thighs are ok as they are.

But here it goes again: different culture than the US American standard, although unfortunately the US standard has become very invasive and many women (especially younger ones) are following it.

Anna Clark (and occasionally Casey Hook) said...

I don't shave- but I've got very blond body hair (at least on my legs) so it's less noticeable on me. Pubes still show of course, but I've decided I don't like bikinis anyway, so I wear very short shorts when I go swimming.

So far I haven't gotten any negative comments- aside from my mother of course.

Anonymous said...

The only times I absolutely make sure to shave my legs are when I'm going to wear a bathing suit or a "nice" dress (like to a wedding or something).

I almost never shave them otherwise and I have no problem going out in public in skirts, sundresses, or any other hairy leg bearing attire (albeit I don't really wear daisy dukes or anything like that).

It doesn't bother my husband and if it did I would probably wonder why I married someone that cared about trivial stuff like that. I've gotten some looks in public and asked about it before, but I usually say something about "gender stereotypes" and then they leave :P

Farmer's Daughter said...

If you're not planning to wear a bikini, then I don't see the point.

And I pretty much am not wearing a bikini any time soon. It's fall in New England anyway :)

Wendy in CO said...

I haven't shaved anything for probably 20 years. When I was a kid, I shaved my legs and underarms, but shortly after getting out of high school, I realized that for me, shaving or otherwise getting rid of my leg and underarm hair was stupid. I bled all over every time I shaved and even depilatories were uncomfortable. And then the hair grew back and itched like crazy! And then it would get all ingrown and itchy and red. And I didn't even consider electrolysis or waxing. One was too expensive and the other was too painful. When I finally let my hair grow, it got soft and comfortable. I like having it now. It took me a long time to be comfortable in shorts or shorter skirts in public, but now I'm okay with it. (My body hair is pretty dark and thick.) I just think of myself as an example to younger women who don't want to shave. "It's fine, Honey. Let it grow!"

Aimee said...

I don't shave. I am lucky that I have rather sparse, blonde hair in all of my areas, and no hair growing where it "shouldn't." Once or twice a year, during bathing suit season, I am shamed into shaving my armpit hair or my bikini line, and I always regret it dreadfully. The same genes that give me sparse blonde hair also give me horribly sensitive skin, and every shaving is followed by two weeks of itchy, painful red bumps.

I know this is a controversial, even offensive position to take, but I feel that the pressure to remove all of our body hair is a kind of misogyny and another way of making women feel bad about their bodies. Just like a previous generation was made to believe that douching was necessary to make their yonis less "icky" or "smelly" or "offensive," this generation faces pressure to modify their bodies because the unmodified female body is "gross."

I call bullshit on that. Sorry, clean shaven ladies, I'm not trying to say y'all are brainwashed, but then again maybe I am.

Shannon said...

I stopped shaving my legs almost a year ago. As I am of Italian decent, my leg hair is dark and thick. I'm cool with it. I DO shave my under arms though. I farm and work up quite a stink. I feel my homemade deodorant works better with better contact. As for the lady bits, I trim moderately right before my moon for comfort.

Anonymous said...

I stopped shaving my upper legs about a year ago. I had shaved since 6th grade, and had no idea what it would look like. My husband thinks it is neat that I discovered this about myself with him and likes it. It saves me time too! It is also a way I remind myself to dress modestly, and I am very fair so I usually wear shorts with my swim suit anyway. At first I couldn’t look at it cuz it grossed me out, but now I am good with it. I still shave my lower legs about once a week because I wear a lot of dresses/ skirts.


Earthdrummer said...

Need to comment! You know sisters, we have hair too!! That's what I yell at my teen age son who casually rubs his toe on my legs and hollers!! We are in a crazy society who dictates what/when/how we should look like; and I for one, hate it!

Here's the truth of it: No one cares. really. it's all commercial b.s. to make us believe that we should look a certain way.

Ok. off the activist soap box!!

*xoxo* Hairy as a bear crone in Ohio!


Angela said...

i live in toronto, am car-free, and regularly wait for public transit in the bitter dead of winter. i make it a point NOT to shave because i CAN tell a major difference in my warmth with and without the gorilla fur on my legs.

ftr, i'm partnered with kids and have dreads. i don't shave my pits. i DO trim the pubes but about once a month or so. i shave below the knee in summer and not very frequently.

that said, when I first started letting things grow wild, I'd have nightmares about it for weeks. I'd worry about being found out or discovered and shunned.

that was about a decade ago and I'm past most of the anxiety. also, I get ferocious razor burn (even with waxing and electric shavers), so that is also a contributing factor to my hairy living.

Anonymous said...

Three words: I am Persian.

A few more... There is no way to feel okay with hair in our privileged-overly-coiffed community. We're either Persian Barbies or Pariahs. Our women wax, shave, sugar, bleach, laser, epilady, LPL, electrolysis...

I'm 22. I've tried all of the above enough times to scare my friends into silence and still to no avail. I am almost at my wits end trying to battle the idea that I have to be a smooth, hairless lover, daughter, and socialite.

Thanks for writing, Crunchy Chicken.

Brad K. said...

Anonymous 8:12,

You face what happens when another person, another social class, or another gender is allowed to dictate your social and cultural value.

Few here in America recall the furor and fervor of those demanding that they be recognized as standing in the sun in their own right.

Today in the US women's rights - women's "liberation" in a lingering, political correctness kind of awareness of remaining inequities. The early actions, marches, and rabble rousing made fundamental changes in how we view ourselves as people, and not just in gender-defined roles.

I could hope that you and those around you become people valued for the person you are and the work you do, and not just a brighter bauble in someone else's cache of cultural and social treasures.

I applaud you, that you recognize the very real forces that pressure you to divert your life and attention to how well you represent someone's household and social standing. Perhaps in time you will grow so much in stature in your own right, that you can "eat their hearts" ("Pride of Chanur" SF novel, C.J. Cherryh).

If you have to sing to yourself, please keep singing the truth.

Anonymous said...

I have found that as I have'older', I care less and less about shaving ANYTHING. I never shave my pits and am not a stinky gal. I shave my legs when I meet with a client and am in a dress or skirt. Otherwise...the nether regions are in full blackberry bush mode. Who cares? No one. Absolutely no one.

Brad K. said...

Anounymous 9:52,


Just think of the time, energy, and attention paid to "the nether regions," when it would be so simple to - - not care from the beginning. Perhaps a focus on sustainable energy and a carbon neutral lifestyle will bring this home to the young people facing years of "trimming" - when it doesn't improve the world, and doesn't make one - or one's partner(s?) - a better person.

As for no one caring, part of building community should include the comforts of companionship. I mean, who will be cooking dinner while you tend the garden, thatch the roof, dry the peppers and beans, grind the wheat, train the dog, kids, donkey, and geese, and read Crunchy Chicken? Just kidding. The reason for companions is to help identify the many joys surrounding us, to help us define and extend the culture we choose for our home (the values, the rituals and traditions of our daily lives).