# In what countries do women NOT shave their legs?



## justjukka

I'm 22 years old, I live in the USA, and I do not shave my legs, simply because I do not see the need.  I _love_ the nice, smooth feeling of my skin (man or woman, who doesn't??), but it only lasts a few hours before the days of stubble begin.  I could never shave every night because it would irritate my skin.  Furthermore, I never enjoyed shaving my legs.

While we were dating, my husband politely tried to convince me to stop shaving a few times.  Stopping never really crossed my mind, thanks to the society in which I was brought up.  I did convince him to stop shaving his face off every other day (trust me, his skin looked irritated enough for that sentence to be viable), so now he keeps a nice, trim beard.

We both shave our underarms, due to body odor, and I don't like the feeling of hairy underarms.

How do these shaving rituals translate into other cultures?


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## SDLX Master

Interesting question. I know for a fact that a few countries on this rock follow strict pogonotomy rituals, primarily connected with religious beliefs.
Over here, it is just done for hygienic purposes.


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## Frank78

In Germany most women below their 50´s or 60´s shave their legs, arm pits and err whatever. If a young girl doesn´t people may think of her that she follows an alternative life-style such as an ecologist, hippie and so on.


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## justjukka

SDLX Master said:


> Interesting question. I know for a fact that a few countries on this rock follow strict pogonotomy rituals, primarily connected with religious beliefs.
> Over here, it is just done for hygienic purposes.



There's really no hygienic purpose for leg-shaving; it's mere vanity.  Growing leg-hair should be on par with a girl's first period.  I don't understand how having legs as smooth as baby's skin screams, "I'M A WOMAN!"  Nor do I see why choosing not to shave makes a woman a hippie.

Convincing women to "remove unsightly hair" from their body was a brilliant marketing strategy back in the 1920s, but it really does nothing for anyone else, and it's a little sad that we, as a society, haven't grown up since then.

The only time anyone really needs to shave hair off any region (in the USA) is prior to a surgery.  Or donating blood.  Tape is does not interact well with hair follicles. 

*EDIT*
There are also athletic reasons for shaving.  Swimming, biking, wrestling tournaments, I think runners even shave their legs.  In wrestling, we could either let the hair grow out (within reason) or hack it off.  Giving someone whisker burn was frowned upon.


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## Grop

France is pretty much like Germany or the US regarding women.

As for men, it depends much on them.


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## SDLX Master

Rozax said:


> There's really no hygienic purpose for leg-shaving; it's mere vanity...


 
I agree with everything you said. When I mentioned hygiene I was not necessarily thinking about legs.


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## rusita preciosa

I'd say in Russia women born in the late 60s - 70s started shaving. I do not think their parents' generation did. I also believe it is more common in large cities than in the country or small towns.

If I see a woman with unshaved legs, my first thought would be she is a new arrival from provinces, rather than that she is a hippy / tree-hugger.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

Rozax said:
			
		

> How do these shaving rituals translate into other cultures?


In my culture, nearly all women shave their legs and underarms. Traditionally, except for the gay community, almost no men used to shave any part of their bodies (apart from their faces, of course), but in more or less recent years (+/- 20 yrs), many men with hairy backs, necks, shoulders, etc. have started to worry about their looks, thus creating a new target market for the beauty industry -highly prosperous, indeed-.


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## mirx

I am there with you Rosax, the culture that I was brought up in taught me that women with hair on their legs are disgusting and dirty. Even though it may no be strictly related to hygenic factors, it does add to the belief that women who do not shave their legs do not take showers either; and are equally negligent with other aspects of their personal care and perhaps with their jobs and ifestyles. And we go back again to the statement by rusita preciosa that mentioned associations with hippie and other alternative life styeles.

This doesn't mean that every woman shaves her legs, I presume most don't do it periodically but rather reserve it for occasions such as dates, or when wearing skirts. In the worst case scenario they can always cover up with clothing.


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## koniecswiata

Adolfo Afogutu said:


> In my culture, nearly all women shave their legs and underarms. Traditionally, except for the gay community, almost no men used to shave any part of their bodies (apart from their faces, of course), but in more or less recent years (+/- 20 yrs), many men with hairy backs, necks, shoulders, etc. have started to worry about their looks, thus creating a new target market for the beauty industry -highly prosperous, indeed-.


 
That's interesting.  A few months ago the New York Times had an article about the increasing tendency for young men in the US to shave their chests, not to mention even legs, groins, and armpits.  There seems to be a growing tendency in the generation under 30 (or under 20?) to see any body hair as disgusting.  Also, this is being furthered by the cosmetics industry--much as was done to women in the 1920s.  It would seem that men are going down the same route.  So, instead of people liberating themselves from these social pressures, they are just expanding to include men.  I guess more money is to be made that way.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

koniecswiata said:


> So, instead of people liberating themselves from these social pressures, they are just expanding to include men



That's it.


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## PABLO DE SOTO

koniecswiata said:


> That's interesting. A few months ago the New York Times had an article about the increasing tendency for young men in the US to shave their chests, not to mention even legs, groins, and armpits. There seems to be a growing tendency in the generation under 30 (or under 20?) to see any body hair as disgusting. Also, this is being furthered by the cosmetics industry--much as was done to women in the 1920s. It would seem that men are going down the same route. So, instead of people liberating themselves from these social pressures, they are just expanding to include men. I guess more money is to be made that way.


 

It is the same in Spain. There is a growing tendecy for men under 30 to shave their chests and legs, especially in the summertime when young men use to wear shorts instead of long trousers even in the daily urban life.
Men over those ages are more reluctant to follow that trend but it is not absolutely unusual.

 For women I would say that almost all of them  shave their legs and armpits. A woman with, say, hairy legs is thought to be untidy.


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## london calling

Grop said:


> France is pretty much like Germany or the US regarding women.
> 
> As for men, it depends much on them.


The same goes for the UK and Italy, although waxing is far more common than shaving (although I actually prefer those "electric tweezers" that a very famous company manufactures).

At the moment here in Italy a lot of the younger men and boys are waxing all over: hairy chests are not considered at all cool!


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## pickarooney

Do many women still shave their legs rather than wax them?


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## Pedro y La Torre

london calling said:


> At the moment here in Italy a lot of the younger men and boys are waxing all over: hairy chests are not considered at all cool!



I can't say the same is true as regards Ireland. Shaven or waxed chests on men would usually be regarded as risible in the extreme, but then again, the Irish usually are a bit behind the rest of Europe... 

Women, from what I've experienced (and once had the misfortune to be subjected to), mostly wax these days.


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## rusita preciosa

pickarooney said:


> Do many women still shave their legs rather than wax them?


It's hard to generalize, but in the US (at least among women I know closely enough to be aware of this detail of their lives), shaving is the most common way. Going to a salon for a wax is usually done before a vacation or an important event. As I understand, electric depilators are not very popular: I had a hard time finding one (and even harder time explaining what that device is). 

In Russia electric depilators are pretty common and women who cannot take the pain, use razors. Waxing depends on whether the woman has the budget and the time.


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## Sepia

That men in the south of Europe shave their legs is really nothing new. A couple of decades agoNorth-European men only did so if they were into bike racing and I have heard various explanations why: For hygienic reasons in case of road rash, easier for the masseur and a few other - at first glance - plausible explanations. 

Then I stumbled over an old French book that dealt with bike races at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as with their participants. He also mentioned the practice of shaving the legs - something, which seemed very normal to do for aestetic reasons. After all, they were out in full view of the public wearing shorts!

This obviously spread, together with the sport, up through Europe, and stayed WITHIN the sport, and to make it socially acceptable they made up other reasons for doing it.


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## pickarooney

rusita preciosa said:


> It's hard to generalize, but in the US (at least among women I know closely enough to be aware of this detail of their lives), shaving is the most common way. Going to a salon for a wax is usually done before a vacation or an important event. As I understand, electric depilators are not very popular: I had a hard time finding one (and even harder time explaining what that device is).
> 
> In Russia electric depilators are pretty common and women who cannot take the pain, use razors. Waxing depends on whether the woman has the budget and the time.



I take it home waxing is not that common then (it's neither expensive nor time-consuming)?


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## leivincas

In Spain I think the most common thing is waxing in a beaty saloon, but some or most of the woman combine it with waxing at home or self shaving (in order to save some money)...but wax is the most common: it can be more expensive, but it is much more effective. It is worth!


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## rusita preciosa

pickarooney said:


> I take it home waxing is not that common then (it's neither expensive nor time-consuming)?


With the little info I have, I’d argue that most women do not use home waxing. 
 
A few years ago home-waxing kits were heavily advertised on TV and the supermarkets promoted them in the aisles, but now I do not see any aggressive promotion and don't remember seeing them at the eye level in supermarkets. That could either mean that they did not prove to be very successful, or just that the demand stabilized and people who routinely use them, stayed loyal and  make an effort to look for them. In my personal opinion, compared to shaving it is too messy and time consuming; and comparing to a salon job, has much inferior results.


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## pickarooney

rusita preciosa said:


> In my personal opinion, compared to shaving it is too messy and time consuming; and comparing to a salon job, has much inferior results.



But you have to do it much less often...  anyway, enough on this


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## se16teddy

I can't say to what extent women in the UK shave their legs. I do remember accompanying some American school kids to Russia in the mid-80s. They took most aspects of the "culture shock" in their stride; but the girls were *genuinely horrified* that women dared to expose their hairy legs in the metro.


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## Einstein

Some friends of mine went to Croatia when it was still Yugoslavia and told me the girls were "attractive but didn't shave their legs". It's probably changed now.
A lot depends on how hairy women are naturally. I also think that unshaven women's legs bother women themselves more than men!


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## Tiger's Eye

That's probably true. While the men I know seem to prefer smooth legs, etc., they do not seem to be as horrified by hair on a women as women are...

And one other comment, related to the home waxing... those products are still out there (in fact they're rather common in my house), and they work as well as anything else. It's nice to wax once in a while as opposed to shaving every day...


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## koniecswiata

I suppose those women were so horrified by hairy legs on other women, because they basic concept of what it is to be a woman and femininity was being shaken to the core!  It's a shame that it takes an artificial process to make someone feel more "complete" or "right."


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## MOMO2

rusita preciosa said:


> With the little info I have, I’d argue that most women do not use home waxing.
> 
> A few years ago home-waxing kits were heavily advertised on TV and the supermarkets promoted them in the aisles, but now I do not see any aggressive promotion and don't remember seeing them at the eye level in supermarkets. That could either mean that they did not prove to be very successful, or just that the demand stabilized and people who routinely use them, stayed loyal and make an effort to look for them. In my personal opinion, compared to shaving it is too messy and time consuming; and comparing to a salon job, has much inferior results.


 
I am Italian. I do not *shave* my legs, armpits and err  or eyebrows ONCE A DAY: I do have them *wax*ed. ONCE A MONTH

I don't like to be a hairy woman. I do not like hairy women. Most women in Italy do wax their legs. Many others shave them.
The choiche depends on how they stand pain .

I ususally go to a beauty salon for this purpose. Over the last years I have come to know that many of the ladies I know do not attend a salon so I assume they do it at home.
I sometimes buy wax strips for using them when I am away for work and I 
*- want*:
to look pretty (at least from my point of view)
*- do not want*:
to experience another salon (Salons for women are like barbers' shops for men) .
I also have an electric shaver for emergencies.ì that I try not to use as piles after shaving become hard and annoying.
In Italy they sell ... what's the word?... razors (look: http://www.gillettevenus.com/en_US/ ) specially made for women. I do not believe they are different from men's but I do not use them so I can't tell.

I know that some women have their arms waxed aswell. Too hairy.

@ Rusita preciosa: I remember those "machines" for home waxing. I don't see them either any longer. But I have one!

Bye


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## SaritaSarang

Rozax said:


> There's really no hygienic purpose for leg-shaving; it's mere vanity.


 
I think that it is hygienic, considering how dirt particles and other bacteria can latch on to hairy legs easier than clean shaven ones.


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## Einstein

SaritaSarang said:


> I think that it is hygienic, considering how dirt particles and other bacteria can latch on to hairy legs easier than clean shaven ones.


By that logic also men should shave their legs.


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## justjukka

pickarooney said:


> Do many women still shave their legs rather than wax them?


I have _never_ waxed my legs, and I don't personally know a single woman who's chosen to do this regularly rather than shaving.


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## justjukka

SaritaSarang said:


> I think that it is hygienic, considering how dirt particles and other bacteria can latch on to hairy legs easier than clean shaven ones.



By that token, we shouldn't have hair on our heads, either. You may find this article interesting, if you think hairless is better.

I'm enjoying my legs being perpetually free from nicks, cuts, and ingrown hairs.  I think that's worth more than a teensy bit more dirt particles latching onto me.


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## justjukka

Einstein said:


> Some friends of mine went to Croatia when it was still Yugoslavia and told me the girls were "attractive but didn't shave their legs". It's probably changed now.
> A lot depends on how hairy women are naturally. I also think that unshaven women's legs bother women themselves more than men!



So far, that does seem to be the case.  There's been only one half-wit who cried out, "SHE HAS HAIR ON HER LEGS!!" in this past year (she looked like she was in her teens; her fellow half-wit laughed), while others seem more perplexed than anything else.


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## Jacobtm

I would suggest that women shaving their legs etc. is more universal than some people would think. 

As a species, we have a lot of ways of sexually differentiating ourselves. It's rare to see a species so sexually differentiated as humans, but humans are an animal that is very sexual. 

We try to exagerate these differences to seem sexier. 

Men are naturally more muscular than women because men have more testosterone than women. Men go to the gym to become more and more muscular. The natural difference in muscle mass is exaggerated to draw more attention from the opposite sex. Being big and muscly is very masculine, and no surprise that women generally prefer muscly men.

In this same way, women are naturally less hairy than men. 

And so, to exaggerate their femininity, which has naturally endowed them with less hair, they reduce their body hair even more. 

So I would guess that, as societies become more open and overt sexual displays become more accepted, more women would shave their legs and more men would go to the gym. 

In societies where people aren't sexually displaying themselves in public, you'd probably find less leg-shaving. If everyone gets married at age 16 and no one gets divorced, then you're not in the sexual market, and attracting a partner becomes much less important. 

If, however, people are shopping around, they'll obviously put much more effort into attracting a mate, and exaggerating your femininity or masculinity seems a common practice all throughout humanity.


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## COF

Shaving your legs and chest is an incredibly effeminate thing to do for a male.


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## mirx

COF said:


> Shaving your legs and chest is an incredibly effeminate thing to do for a male.


 
Tell that to the Italians.


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## Frank06

COF said:


> Shaving your legs and chest is an incredibly effeminate thing to do for a male.


Quite some men do it for professional reasons, others because they like it, or because they simply prefer not to have hair on their body. But anyway, this thread is about *women*.


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## Jacobtm

COF said:


> Shaving your legs and chest is an incredibly effeminate thing to do for a male.



Hell, I know guys who shave their arms who are far from effetes.


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## merquiades

Well, interesting thread!  I hadn't really given much thought to it before.
In the US, I would say almost all women remove leg and underarm hair, and probably do it often.  Being seen with any body hair I think would be considered terrible for a woman.  I also believe American women by in large shave and don't get waxed.  In Europe, it's pretty much the same (I'm talking of Spain and France). The difference is quite a few women don't seem troubled to have some stubble once and a while.  This might be because waxing is much more popular than shaving and perhaps they're waiting...  Besides, you can still find some (granted few) women who do not remove their body hair and don't see troubled by it. 

A new trend indeed is men waxing their chests, backs, shoulders, arms.  It seems to me to be more popular by the day in Europe.  Men on the beach with tons of chest hair, worse yet back or shoulder hair, is increasingly considered gross.  I'm not sure if this change is occurring in the US.  I'm not really there that often.  In my father's generation they'd have been considered very effeminate to say the least.


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## Ushuaia

Here, in Argentina, most women either wax or shave, mainly depending on the amount of body hair. 

I had the same problem you did, Rozax, and a few years ago I stopped waxing my legs. My skin felt and looked wonderful. Then I went to the beach. I still remember the look other women gave me: they seemed OFFENDED by the hair on my legs! (Which makes sense: if you are confident that any _cultural command _is simply proper and right, anybody who dares dissobey it is an offender, in a way.)

A few years later, "permanent" body hair removal became (a little) less expensive and I gave it a try, getting rid of the problem of ingrown hair altogether. 
Being a member of my culture, I like my legs better without hair... but still wish people minded their own business when it comes to the way others choose to look. "Live and let live" is a catchy phrase, but hasn't really caught on... yet!


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## Kumpel

A group of teenage girls, around my age, and I were discussing hair on the region that seems to be repeatedly referred to as _err_ in this thread. The conclusion: women 'should have' bald _errs_, but guys 'should have' some hair down there.

I have a friend (again, my age and female) who has hairy arms. I'd say her arms are much hairier than mine, and I'm quite a hairy guy. She got bullied for a few years because of it - I think that shows the opinions of British teens. This bullying notwithstanding, she hasn't to this day done anything to remove the hair from her arms.

A Polish friend, at the time only recently moved to England, was so shocked that one guy had hairy armpits that he started to tease him. The teasing was reversed when he found out that, in England, it's not common for men to shave their armpits, in fact, it's almost looked down on as emasculation.

Lloyd


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## Fernando

Just to say I envy Kumpel. I hardly have the opportunity to discuss the topic of bald errs with my female friends.


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## Kumpel

Fernando said:


> Just to say I envy Kumpel. I hardly have the opportunity to discuss the topic of bald errs with my female friends.



I'm ginger, and more people than you'd expect feel the need to ask whether 'the carpet matches the drapes curtains' - and so the topic of errs begins... (Not to mention my British charm. )

Lloyd


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## Fernando

I found strange that women enjoyed so much talking about curtains, carpets and the like. Now I understand what they were REALLY talking about.

Even when I lack your British charm, next time the topic of curtains and carpets arise, I will begin the topic about errs. I think they will be pleased.

Thank you, Kumpel.

On the topic again: Considering the length (or rather, their lack of) Spanish shirts this summer, I am quite positive that some kind of hair removing is performed on a regular basis for most Spanish women. How far (how high) the razor or the wax arrives is (on a tiny part) left (unluckily) to my imagination, but I am investigating.


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## Schmizzkazz

> *In what countries do women NOT shave their legs?*


 
I would put the question the other way round: "In what countries DO women shave their legs?"

I suppose those countries are a minority.


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## Black4blue

Turkish women don't do that horrible thing. Cause they use wax, epilator, cream etc which do* not shave* the hair. I think no women should shave. Doesn't it feel weird, like beard?


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## Frank78

se16teddy said:


> but the girls were *genuinely horrified* that women dared to expose their hairy legs in the metro.



They don't have spend money on pantyhose or stockings. 



Kumpel said:


> A group of teenage girls, around my age, and I were discussing hair on the region that seems to be repeatedly referred to as _err_ in this thread. The conclusion: women 'should have' bald _errs_, but guys 'should have' some hair down there.



Do you mean "bald pussies"?  (Warning: NO sexual content)


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## justjukka

Black4blue said:


> Turkish women don't do that horrible thing. Cause they use wax, epilator, cream etc which do* not shave* the hair. I think no women should shave. Doesn't it feel weird, like beard?



Wax or shave, it all results in unnatural hairlessness.


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## justjukka

merquiades said:


> Well, interesting thread!  I hadn't really given much thought to it before.
> In the US, I would say almost all women remove leg and underarm hair, and probably do it often.  Being seen with any body hair I think would be considered terrible for a woman.  I also believe American women by in large shave and don't get waxed.  In Europe, it's pretty much the same (I'm talking of Spain and France). The difference is quite a few women don't seem troubled to have some stubble once and a while.  This might be because waxing is much more popular than shaving and perhaps they're waiting...  Besides, you can still find some (granted few) women who do not remove their body hair and don't see troubled by it.
> 
> A new trend indeed is men waxing their chests, backs, shoulders, arms.  It seems to me to be more popular by the day in Europe.  Men on the beach with tons of chest hair, worse yet back or shoulder hair, is increasingly considered gross.  I'm not sure if this change is occurring in the US.  I'm not really there that often.  In my father's generation they'd have been considered very effeminate to say the least.



I shaved my legs for ten years, but I've never taken a razor to my arms.  Thankfully, arm hair isn't viewed as horrific, though I don't care how horrific people find my leg hair.  I find not shaving a lot more comfortable than stubble.  It's actually given me terrible rashes on my inner thighs.  If a man confronts me about not shaving, I give him a little challenge:  keep your bikini region consistently nice and smooth, and don't scratch in public (because it itches like hades when the hair grows back!).  That's the expectation for women, so these _individuals_ can try it for themselves.  However society moves, I will not expect any of this of my husband.


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## justjukka

Einstein said:


> I also think that unshaven women's legs bother women themselves more than men!



TRUTH!  My female friends were more shocked about my unshaven legs this past summer than my male friends.  My female friends gave me a full interrogation while my male friends simply asked, "You're not shaving your legs anymore?  Okay."


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## Schmizzkazz

May I repeat my question:

I would put the question the other way round: "In what countries DO women shave their legs?"

Imho this leg-shaving is a rather stupid and senseless habit.


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## Wertis

Rozax said:


> I'm 22 years old, I live in the USA, and I do not shave my legs, simply because I do not see the need.  I _love_ the nice, smooth feeling of my skin (man or woman, who doesn't??), but it only lasts a few hours before the days of stubble begin.  I could never shave every night because it would irritate my skin.  Furthermore, I never enjoyed shaving my legs.
> 
> While we were dating, my husband politely tried to convince me to stop shaving a few times.  Stopping never really crossed my mind, thanks to the society in which I was brought up.  I did convince him to stop shaving his face off every other day (trust me, his skin looked irritated enough for that sentence to be viable), so now he keeps a nice, trim beard.
> 
> We both shave our underarms, due to body odor, and I don't like the feeling of hairy underarms.
> 
> How do these shaving rituals translate into other cultures?



Thanks God, I'm a man and don't have such problems.  Otherwise I would have to open a similar thread.  Seriously speaking women in my country who want to look nice and charming have to shave their legs regularly. If they didn't they would have looked like men, which is not a good idea.  I think none of the countries except for those where religion is part of the control system can ever make women shave their legs. But I  can't understand what can make a woman stop looking after her legs and her appearance? Laziness? Impossible because women spend even more time in front of a mirror than an ordinary person at work (that's a joke). On the other hand, I can't think of any men who could ask their girlfriends to have hairy legs. Well, no sense to continue because I know that in Russia almost all women shave their legs. I said "almost" because maybe someone will hint at the reason why some might not do so and then I'll think and respond.


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## Schmizzkazz

> We both shave our underarms, due to body odor, and I don't like the feeling of hairy underarms.


 
That is something that completely puzzles me ....


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## Forero

I have noticed that women look very different from men, whatever they do with their hair, and regardless of whether they wear skirts or pants.

Is it only in America that we dare to exercise the freedom to make our own choices about hair?


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## mirx

Forero said:


> Is it only in America that we dare to exercise the freedom to make our own choices about hair?


 
Of course, like in all other freedoms. 
Anyways, was there or is there some true to that old stereotype of hairy and smelly Europeans? It seems from this thread that americanos, especially brasileiros, are the most strict about bald legs. 

Schmizzkazz, in resonse to your question: If you've read the entire thread you will see that in the majority of countries the majority of women shave their pins.


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## merquiades

mirx said:


> Of course, like in all other freedoms.  Anyways, was there or is there some true to that old stereotype of hairy and smelly Europeans?



Mirx, I believe that old stereotype existed years and years ago, but it started dying out maybe 40 or 50 years ago (just like all those other things like bidets, berets, baguettes, tin cars, net bags etc. you see in l'Américain à Paris, circa 1950).

I remember when I was a teenager in Spain, older women would go one afternoon per week to the beauty shop and do everything they needed to do. Then, their hairdoes, etc. etc. etc. would have to last till the following week...... They were also obsessed with having their houses spotlessly clean but strangely enough not so much their person.
But even then, way back in the late 80's, young women did not partake in this custom.


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## Schmizzkazz

mirx said:


> If you've read the entire thread you will see that in the majority of countries the majority of women shave their pins.


 
Maybe it is the majority of the countries mentioned here.

But NOT the majority of the countries worldwide .... I hope ....


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## rusita preciosa

Schmizzkazz said:


> But NOT the majority of the countries worldwide .... I hope ....


Why so much drama? What's wrong with shaving legs?


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## Schmizzkazz

The drama is on your side.

And leg-shaving is just plain stupid.

That's all there is to it.


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## mirx

Schmizzkazz said:


> The drama is on your side.
> 
> And leg-shaving is just plain stupid.
> 
> That's all there is to it.


 
What about face shaving for men (and women)? What about armpits and bikini wax?


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## merquiades

Personally, I don't believe there is anything wrong with shaving or not shaving (face, legs, torso, underarms). Same with bikini, leg... waxing too.  It's a matter of personal choice for whatever reason. However, I do think there is pressure in Western countries to do so, first for women, now starting for men.  Most people, I hope, are cool with personal choices, but then again magazines and TV impose fashions. It's impossible to please everyone and there will always be some criticism.


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## Schmizzkazz

merquiades said:


> However, I do think there is pressure in Western countries to do so, first for women, now starting for men.


 
Starting for men?


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## koniecswiata

Earlier on someone mentioned that men don't shave their legs.  Actually, it may be starting (unfortunately)--and even more prevalent now among younger Americans is men shaving backs, chests, stomachs, and pubic areas.  You can google the topic.  It has even appeared in a New York Times article not so long ago.  It seems the shaving cream companies, such as Gillette, are really encouraging it, with how-to videos, etc... They even have started to put out ads with attractive young women saying that they find men with body hair disgusting.  Soon, everyone, at least under the age of 40, will be happily shaving away... and Gillette will be making millions of dollars.


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## Mirlo

I do not think that men hair is bad if is moderate.
About shaving legs (women), I think is a religious thing in my country. But most people do shave their legs.


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## Alentugano

Schmizzkazz said:


> Starting for men?


 
Yes, I thing that's becoming more and more a fact, and it will increase in the near future. More and more women are saying that they prefer a men with no body hair. Sign of the times...


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## london calling

Rozax said:


> I have _never_ waxed my legs, and I don't personally know a single woman who's chosen to do this regularly rather than shaving.


In Italy it's the other way round, generally speaking. We rarely shave our legs, usually wax them, use a remover or those special electric tweazers (which I am not allowed to name but the inventor should be made a saint, in my opinion, as a firm believer in defuzzing, as we called it when I was a kid). And yes, a lot of Italian males now shave/wax.


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## sleepwalker

OMG, this topic is so interesting! 

Think about how arbitrary it is that if a girl has hair on her* legs* it's judged and laughed at.. but on your* arms* it's ok, if they're not TOO hairy. 

Why legs-hair is a big no-no, but not arms-hair? It's interesting. 

Generally here the idea is "*the less the better*", for women at least.

During summer is very common even for young men to shave their armpits (or at least to shorten their hair) and to wax their chests and backs.

Personally I don't mind a bit of chest hair, smooth and waxed chest on a men is just too much of a metrosexual for me.. but that's a matter of opinions. 

A hairy back is, I agree, really terrible. 
A lot of disco-goers men have the tendency to pluck their eyebrows..too feminine, it's weird. 

Ok. I'm veering off track. 

I think it's a matter of vanity, aesthetics and social habit when it comes to hair on the legs, it would be a little unacepptable to see a young woman during summer with a skirt and hairy legs.. 

It also depends on the color of your hair, maybe you're a very fair blonde and they're not visible, or you don't have many. 

Other "inacceptable" things for women here are _hair on the upper lip_ and _unshaved armpits_ (ok this last thing is for hygene, I agree). 

Waxing is the most popular thing, for practical reasons though (costs, time etc.) most girls I know use razors or cream, it's quicker, cheaper and painless.. though not so effective and long-lasting. 

Electric-thingys are really painful and make a creepy sound when they "operate"..it can give me nightmares!!  

In the gay community is considered a symbol of "womanhood" not to shave or wax or pluck _anything._ As long as it doesn't result in stink of sweat during summer I'm really ok with seeing hair everywhere on people, I think they're personal choices and I wouldn't dream of laughing at a girl with hairy legs.. but that's not the popular behaviour.  

A lot of my male-friends have to shave their legs and chests..but that's another story, they're in a swimming team, it's also for aerodynamics.


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## RIU

sleepwalker said:


> A lot of my male-friends have to shave their legs and chests..but that's another story, they're in a swimming team, it's also for aerodynamics.



When I see in a public swimming pool, a men look like Chewaca (sorry) with a bathing cap, this rule make me smile. And he is, probably, semi-bald!


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## Sunshine on Leith

Shaving v waxing v electrically plucked..all have advantages and inconveniences.

How about permanent hair removal? By laser, IPL, whatever you think works. 

If you have decided that hair is not for you, in whichever parts of your body, would you commit to it forever? Male or female?


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## Bonz

That's easy, Sunshine; for me it would be the hair that comes out of the ears and also out of the nose. What I want to know is if these hairs are better/easier removed by Laser, IPL, electric tweezers, wax or by plucked by hand.


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## london calling

sleepwalker said:


> Generally here the idea is "*the less the better*", for women at least. *Right! (I've lived in Italy for the last 30 years.) Mind you, I think the same is to be said for the UK - all my girlfriends back home wax or whatever.*
> 
> 
> Electric-thingys are really painful and make a creepy sound when they "operate"..it can give me nightmares!!   *That's what I've been using for the last 25 years at least - you get used to it, believe it.*



I agree with everything you say here, Sleep! 

As to which is the best method, Bonz, I think it's a question of which you prefer. I use electric tweezers because you can do it at home, when you want to or have time to, with no need to take out appointments and once you've bought them you don't have to pay out any more money. Personally, if all these new methods for the permanent removal of body hair really worked (and I don't think they do, based on friends' experiences) I'd put a little cash aside and have it done.


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## Pet Korun

I wax sometimes, it keeps the hair to a minimum and when it grows back it's not stubbly. I use the wax strips that you warm up with your hands, buying the tub of wax is a nightmare of a mess. The strips would work out too expensive if I were to do it regularly.


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## rusita preciosa

london calling said:


> Personally, if all these new methods for the permanent removal of body hair really worked (and I don't think they do, based on friends' experiences) I'd put a little cash aside and have it done.


I think it depends on a person's hair and skin tone. As they explained to me (I'm talking about laser hair removal), the lighter you skin and the darker your hair, the better results you would get. If a person is fair skinned with blond hair, it would be hard to get good results; same for dark skinned / dark-haired people. It is expensive and painful, but really works if the person meets the above requirements.


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## Litchee

Here in France shaving is far from being as popular as it is (or so I gather) in the US. Of course, some women shave, but lots of them wax (at home or in salons) or use electric epilators as well as chemical hair removal creams.
I personally wax at home (I used to have it done in a salon, but these days I can't afford it anymore). So do most of my close female friends/family members. I can't stand the itching that comes 2 or 3 days after shaving, and the fact that you eventually have to do it all. the. time to keep your legs smooth ! Same goes for hair removal creams (the roots of the hairs aren't plucked, so they grow right back), plus they have a truly awful stench that no added perfume can hide.

I officially declare that the rumor about French women not ever shaving or waxing is untrue. I know of very few women that go "natural". Most people are repulsed by hairy legs or armpits on a woman. Personally, I'm not horrified by it (and in the winter I admit I have a tendency to get lazy, much to my boyfriend's regret), but I definitely find shaved/waxed women (including myself) more aesthetically pleasing


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## Sunshine on Leith

Bonz said:


> That's easy, Sunshine; for me it would be the hair that comes out of the ears and also out of the nose. What I want to know is if these hairs are better/easier removed by Laser, IPL, electric tweezers, wax or by plucked by hand.



I cannot give you advice yet about ears and nose hair removal (maybe once the menopause kicks in, I might have to investigate options myself!) but I would think you probably shouldn't totally remove your nose hair, as it is there to protect you from airborn viruses getting up your nose, so probably keeping it trimmed with one of those Remmington things rather than making it blend with your moustache is probably the best option.

Now, ear hair plucked by hand...sounds painful and complicated to do oneself!


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## Bonz

Thank you London and Sunshine on the hair removal advice! I confess I've never thought of making nose hair blend in with my moustache! I don't have a mustache, although now that you mention it, you've opened up useful possibilities... 
Ear hair plucked by hand is a bit painful and complicated but it's not that bad...
Saludos!


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## Sunshine on Leith

What!! You call yourself Mexican and don't have a moustache??? Next you'll be telling me you don't wear a sombrero!


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## Bonz

I actually had a mustache that made me look very much like Pancho Villa, Sunshine. I kept it in my desk drawer for the odd moustache & tortilla party if you must know, but must have lost it at some point. Yes, I don't wear a sombrero (I know--you're bitterly dissapointed..) because (apart from living in Seattle) I am terribly hot-headed and can't stand anything on my head for too long.
Saludos.


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## Sunshine on Leith

It was probably stolen by some jealous colleague. I keep an abanico in my handbag for particularly hot days in Edinburgh (not many, but some indoor places can be quite stuffy) and  I do like to live up to stereotypes!


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## Bonz

I doubt a colleague took it. It was in a drawer in my desk at home. Abanicos and kilt's probably go hand-in-hand (or waist) in a hot summer day in Edinburgh. But a peineta would be very on topic, given the body/hair connection.


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## Sunshine on Leith

You throw moustache & tortilla parties at home????
A guest maybe took it or it will reappear one day, at the back of the sofa, one can only hope, but what if it is bent upwards. then it will be more of a Poirot moustache and you'll be doomed to throw mussels and sprouts parties.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Litchee said:


> I officially declare that the rumor about French women not ever shaving or waxing is untrue. I know of very few women that go "natural". Most people are repulsed by hairy legs or armpits on a woman. Personally, I'm not horrified by it (and in the winter I admit I have a tendency to get lazy, much to my boyfriend's regret), but I definitely find shaved/waxed women (including myself) more aesthetically pleasing



French women definitely seem to have hairier arms, in general, than British or North American women do. Why this is, I cannot say.


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## WME

Many traditionally educated Thai women don't, especially in higher society.
One Thai girl even told me, "Oh we are not like those hairy Europeans, we don't need to".
I also know many cultures where ladies are not supposed to shave their legs until they love their virgin.



Pedro y La Torre said:


> French women definitely seem to have hairier arms, in general, than British or North American women do. Why this is, I cannot say.



This is indeed a cliché. All young ladies, and nearly all women shave their arms.
At least their armpits.


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## merquiades

WME said:


> Many traditionally educated Thai women don't, especially in higher society.
> One Thai girl even told me, "Oh we are not like those hairy Europeans, we don't need to".
> I also know many cultures where ladies are not supposed to shave their legs until they love their virgin.
> 
> This is indeed a cliché. All young ladies, and nearly all women shave their arms.
> At least their armpits.



Really?  I'll have to pay more attention.  That would make stubble on the arm.
I think French women are pretty laid back concerning hairs.  Whatever goes.  Not like other countries where there can be daily obsessions about it (legs and underarms at least)


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## Bonz

All countries. 
In each country of this globe we call Earth, I would not be surprised 
if there is at least one woman who does NOt shave her legs. Or feels 
the need (social, hygenic, aesthetic or what ever, etc.) to do so.


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## The Lord of Gluttony

A woman with unshaved would turn you off?


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## Minnie121728

Well, here in my country, poor woman who doesn't, since it's considered highly untidy and dirty, even men are getting into the same style, me personally love hairy guys, but of course, there is one part of the body that must be at least prune in their bodies, about women, I dont like hair nor in my legs, neither anywhere else.


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