Sweetleaf wrote:
I guess I hope more women going out with body hair can help normalize it, so that provides some motivation even if I am nervous about it.
I think that's great. Even though as I said in my previous post I generally conceal my body hair that I do not shave or trim. It's a tough choice because I don't want to invite comments or looks. But I also wish it could be normalized.
When I was young it was such an effort to try to shave to be socially acceptable. Wearing a bathing suit was kinda hellish, because shaving in that area is so uncomfortable and the hairs often grow back ingrown or create blood blisters. I just hated the upkeep. I think going to a nude beach would have been easier because having body hair when you are naked seems more acceptable than having it show when you are clothed. (And although I don't shave my armpits, if I was going to wear something like a sleeveless evening gown I would, because I think it's in keeping with the outfit.) If I had to go to the beach now I would swim in shorts worn over my bathing suit. Because while armpit hair can be forgiven, the hair below is not, ever.
But even though I did shave my legs when I was young, though only below the knee, I still got comments sometimes at school when I was wearing shorts for gym class. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that anymore because it was a constant effort and worry.
On the other hand, I was wearing capri pants at work, years ago, with some leg hair showing, and a co-worker who was a lesbian was really happy and felt supported by my choice. So it can be positive too.
And can we mention another kind of hair: facial hair. I am Italian. I feel I have to bleach my mustache. I also pluck any mustache hairs that are darker or just got missed by the bleach. I wish I could just not do that, but that is a really big taboo. I think women who were more concerned about looking just right than I am would wax their mustache hair. I wouldn't because of the pain, but also I don't understand what one would do between waxings? The hair has to grow out enough that the wax can grab onto it, so just before waxing there would be visible hair, and it would be stubble which looks even worse. That goes for any body part that one might wax. (?)