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Health

hairy bits !

(75 Posts)
etheltbags1 Mon 01-Feb-16 20:45:27

Running alongside the discussion on how to wash the 'down below' bits and what to call them I must ask what do people think about hairy underarms. I shave regularly as I swim and most people I know shave (females).
The other week I was swimming with a friend and she raised her arms and they were hairy, she had not shaved, I felt disgusted and embarrassed. My elderly mother has huge amounts of hair under her arms and will not shave no matter what. Is it more hygienic to shave, I think so because deodorant will not work so well on hair.
I have heard that some cultures like hairy underarms (shudder) and its part of their culture. What do gnetters do?.

ninathenana Mon 01-Feb-16 20:50:41

I used to shave regularly, hairy armpits are not a good look in my opinion. However, have found as I've got older there is no hair to shave. I don't need to shave my legs either.
Getting older does have some up sides !!

etheltbags1 Mon 01-Feb-16 21:07:44

I have an underactive thyroid and find that very little body hair grows on me anywhere, however I shave before swimming just in case.

Alea Mon 01-Feb-16 21:24:02

For goodness sake!! I have avoided the "what do you call your vulva " thread, the washing your "bits" thread, do we really need to extend the discussion to arm pits (and no doubt bikini lines in due course)?
What is this compulsion to discuss intimate areas?
Ah well, another thread to avoid. hmm

Wheniwasyourage Mon 01-Feb-16 21:58:56

So men don't have effective deodorants then, ethelbags1? You don't see many of them with shaved armpits, do you? What exactly is attractive about shaved areas, particularly when the stubble starts coming through - or do you all have enough time to shave every day? There are men who prefer their women natural rather than shaved - shock, horror. Of course there are some rather sinister ones who think that adult women should be hairless below the neck so that they resemble little girls.

I can't see the point of shaving and so I don't do it and I haven't been thrown out of a swimming pool yet.

Nelliemoser Mon 01-Feb-16 22:18:55

Oh FFS! Give over on all these body bits threads.

Ana Mon 01-Feb-16 22:20:17

I agree, Nelliemoser. It's getting silly now.

Penstemmon Mon 01-Feb-16 22:42:40

I don't mind body threads. Bodies are something we all have in common and GN is possibly a safe place for some to ask questions that they have nobody else to ask. If feeling a little embarrassed it may be easier to ask anonymously on a forum. Hair grows in certain places for a reason..not sure if underarms is one of them!

I know women who do not remove hair and never have. I am not upset by others' choices re hair removal.it realy has to be a persnal choice and we should not be judgemental about choices that do no harm to anyone! Again ordinary washing and deodorant should keep most smelling fresh all day unless heavy exercise has taken place!

Alea Mon 01-Feb-16 22:57:28

But have some women really reached their 60's or 70's without being able to ask any questions they need to ask? Having babies puts paid to any misplaced "modesty" and in any case why on earth would you want to know the intimate details of other people's personal habits confused

Penstemmon Mon 01-Feb-16 23:10:00

I think there are , sadly, women of all ages who are not able to talk openly abut their bodies and bodily functions. If someone wants to know if their choice/ bodily function/ attitude is normal/ unusual/ different because they are worried /concerned then no harm in asking. We can all ignore a thread if we CBA or are simply not interested.

Alea Mon 01-Feb-16 23:14:57

Point taken.

NanaandGrampy Tue 02-Feb-16 08:38:39

I'm sorry this thread actually made me laugh out loud ( I put it down to no coffee yet this morning !)

I don't have a view on hairy armpits . I don't have a view because I truly don't care ! I don't find them embarrassing ( after all they aren't MY armpits ) neither am I disgusted - it's hair and an armpit for goodness sake.

So I say shave or don't shave ladies - its all good ! grin

TriciaF Tue 02-Feb-16 09:22:01

Made me laugh too tee hee! We'll be on to pubes next wink

Teetime Tue 02-Feb-16 09:25:54

What you mean you don't have yours plucked into a heart shape as we are told Mary Quant did.?

NanaandGrampy Tue 02-Feb-16 09:36:32

smile I didn't know that Teetime !

I can see the title now TriciaF ' To vajazzle or not to vajazzle' wink !

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 02-Feb-16 09:45:12

When I was at school, our headmistress told us gals that hair in the armpits meant bacteria could breed more easily. And you would smell. I am with her on that. And it looks horrible anyway.

Shall we have no more shrieks of horror? Perfectly reasonable subject.

Teacher11 Tue 02-Feb-16 10:11:02

I had a right-on lefty friend who insisted it was a woman's right not to shave. She was absolutely right about that. However, she looked awful in a dress. Hairy armpits are NOT a good look.

Grannycupcake Tue 02-Feb-16 10:23:59

I had a German friend who said if you shave your legs it looks as though your bottom stretched all the way to your ankles. He didn't like it at all.

Zephrine Tue 02-Feb-16 10:25:44

I didn't know that body hair thinned or disappeared as you got older until I started bathing my mum, it made me wonder what else changed as you aged. Sadly I am now finding it out for myself blush

wot Tue 02-Feb-16 10:39:12

I think underarm hair looks YUK on women! Conditioning, I suppose. My European relatives have a different view.

Jaxie Tue 02-Feb-16 10:43:10

What's happened to sisterhood? I think you should be able to discuss any topic with other women ( those of a sympathetic disposition anyway). Ever had to wash someone else's soiled underwear by hand? That'll larn you, as my ma used to say in a mock Irish accent.

Elssa21 Tue 02-Feb-16 10:45:12

In the 70's, our local chippie had a woman serving who always wore sleeveless tops, (because of the heat from the fryers) with huge, ginger growths sprouting from under her armpits!

That certainly colours your judgement on the shave/don't shave debate!

GeminiJen Tue 02-Feb-16 10:53:51

According to Dr Alex Comfort (The Joy of Sex), armpits "should on no account be shaved". He describes the natural perfume of a clean woman as "her greatest sexual asset", commenting that "far more human loves and antipathies are based on smell than our soap-and-aftershave culture admits."

helmacd Tue 02-Feb-16 11:17:27

Re discussing 'intimate areas' - I'm all in favour! Yes - there are people who have reached a very mature age who are pretty clueless about a lot of things. They were brought up at a time when such things were not discussed.

tigger Tue 02-Feb-16 11:26:37

I'm with Alea here and hemlock if very mature people got this far do they have a problem?