Is shaving one's arms a social convention?

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jc123

I changed jobs over the winter and as short sleeves are starting to come out, I've noticed that pretty much every woman in my new workplace has completely hairless arms. Like, a hundred women. This is new to me-- my roommate in college shaved her arms for religious reasons, but I have never really seen/heard of/thought about arm shaving before.

Is this prevalent where you live? Do you do it?

Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):

I remove my arm hair.

powerandintent , JessCee , KyotoAngel , Various , Ghost , K101 , bayosgirl , plaidvulva , hatman , curious kitten , michael scofield , Emerlyn

I've never removed my arm hair.

indiglo , Squeaky , romstomp , Rossie , Tangles , ghalik , Gracie , Annemarie , awesomeness , Gunsmoke , interestingstuff , underHim , Kissy , Secret Pleasure , blacklodge , Badass , sunkissedJess , joja , sekmetrn , Voir , TheGreat , freud13 , True Pleasures , Raigne , buzz , DeliciousSurprise , Crystal1 , BurntToast , darthkitt3n , ViVix , Positwist , DiamondKoala , Gone (LD29) , LovesAPoet , WhoopieDoo , PeaceToTheMiddleEast , aliceinthehole , Peaches2000 , MamaDivine , kkross65 , gloomybear , Rin (aka Nire) , KrissyNovacaine , asphyxia , MissBre , richsam

I think most women probably do not remove their arm hair.

indiglo , Rossie , Tangles , JessCee , ghalik , Gracie , Annemarie , awesomeness , Gunsmoke , underHim , Kitka , Kissy , 12345678 , blacklodge , Various , Badass , MissAdara , joja , sekmetrn , TheGreat , Raigne , Peggi , buzz , bayosgirl , DeliciousSurprise , catsin , Crystal1 , BurntToast , darthkitt3n , FantasyFanatic , ViVix , DiamondKoala , Beck , Gone (LD29) , LovesAPoet , WhoopieDoo , Adriana Ravenlust , aliceinthehole , dv8 , kkross65 , gloomybear , Rin (aka Nire) , KrissyNovacaine , Arch600 , asphyxia , MissBre , Emerlyn

I think most women probably remove their arm hair.

Squeaky

I've never really thought about it before.

indiglo , KyotoAngel , Gracie , Kissy , Raigne , buzz , aliceinthehole , asphyxia

Other.

Kitka , 12345678 , Deeder , Peggi , catsin , Taylor , Positwist , Beck , Falsepast , hatman , pootpootpoot , Ilovelingerie

Total votes: 126 (73 voters)

Poll is closed

04/07/2012

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pootpootpoot

I don't know any who do. My female friends have all said that they don't shave their arms, and think hairless arms look pretty creepy to boot. Most just had fine hair there, or not much at all just naturally.

04/07/2012

indiglo

I don't think I know anyone who shaves their arms. But then again, I'm not sure I would really notice. I do know that most of the women I know how hair on their arms. (Not as much as a guy or anything though.)

04/07/2012

Squeaky

It seems every other woman I see shaves her arms. My mother in law shaves her arms because she's diabetic, her sister does it out of sympathy and it just became a thing. Seems everyone else does it too though. Not me!

04/07/2012

Tangles

I've known girls to do it when I was in middle school because they didn't know any better, but I don't know any women my age who do it now, for religious reasons or otherwise.

04/07/2012

Rossie

I've never removed my arm hair, and they're not that visible anyway; I once had a coworker commenting on how sexy my arm hair looked. I have a few lady friends from certain ethnic groups that have thicker body hair, and they do remove hairs from all over their body on a regular basis, or else it's not very pleasant to look at.

04/07/2012

powerandintent

I'm an incredibly hairy Italian woman and when I shave, I shave everything. Arms included.

04/07/2012

JessCee

Quote:

Originally posted by powerandintent

I'm an incredibly hairy Italian woman and when I shave, I shave everything. Arms included.

LOL You beat me to it. I was just about to say something to the effect about me being Italian and very hairy! So yea, I shave everything... even the arms.

04/07/2012

ghalik

I know one person who currently shaves her arms. She's pretty obsessed with hair removal, so it kind of fits with her.

I knew one girl in middle school who got made fun of because she shaved her arms.

I dunno... I like arm hair.

04/07/2012

KyotoAngel

I do shave mine before a date or something big like that but usually I just leave it be, nobody else I know shaves their arms though.

04/07/2012

powerandintent

Quote:

Originally posted by JessCee

LOL You beat me to it. I was just about to say something to the effect about me being Italian and very hairy! So yea, I shave everything... even the arms.

haha If I didn't I'd end up looking like chewbaca.

04/07/2012

Gracie

Quote:

Originally posted by Squeaky

I don't understand the connection between being diabetic and shaving arms. My mother is diabetic and she has never shaved her arms.

04/07/2012

Annemarie

My arm hair is basically white or very light. I don't shave it, even though I have a lot of it, you just don't see it unless it's backlit. It's soft, too.

Just don't see the need.

04/07/2012

Gunsmoke

I have never known a woman who did - but I can't say it hasn't happened - I just never noticed. My wife has never shaved her arms - even though she's had a laser Brazilian and had her under arms lasered as well.

04/07/2012

underHim

My arm hair is pretty light so I am not too worried about it, although right now I am wondering how it compares and feeling a little self conscous.

04/07/2012

Kitka

I think most women don't remove their arm hair, but I chose Other because I have done it before but don't continue to.

04/07/2012

interestingstuff

I was just googling this a couple days ago. My arm hair is soft, fine, and dark, but not like the hairs on my head or eyebrows. I have dark brown hair. In middle school I got a little paranoid about it, and shaved one arm to compare to the other. Prickly arm is annoying to me, and the upkeep would make me crazy. I find it a little funny that I shave my underarms and legs but have fine hairs all over the rest of my body. I'm glad it doesn't bug me that much, and that it's not coarse arm hair like I know some other people to have.

04/07/2012

Ryuson

(Review Program Mentor)

I have super light hair everywhere but my eyebrows, calves, armpits, and genitals. I don't even shave my thighs!

I have a friend who shaves her arms, though. To each their own.

04/07/2012

Kissy

If I really was bothered with mine, I would just bleach it. I don't want to remove it, just so it grows back all funky!

04/07/2012

Secret Pleasure

I have never removed mine it grows back thicker if you do.

04/07/2012

Deeder

I shave mine from time to time, though mostly during the summer. I was always "overly blessed" in the hair department growing up, so it used to be a major embarassment for me if I didn't. It's actually gotten a bit finer the past few years, so if I'm feeling particularly lazy I'll just let it go, especially since I get annoyed trying to get my elbows and other hard to reach/see places.

04/07/2012

Various

I do it because when I was about 14 I was poking a fire in the fireplace that I was told not to poke and a log rolled and burned my arm. For whatever reason the hair on the arm grew back funky (in the places it even grew back) and I couldn't stand it so I just shaved everything off. I shave my arms every time I get in the shower, but I can go months without shaving my legs. Its weird.

04/07/2012

Badass

I naturally don't have much arm hair, and while I do shave my arm pits, I have never shaved my arms.

04/07/2012

potstickers

I don't. I feel like I don't need yet another area of my body to get razor burn and prickly hairs hours later!

04/07/2012

sekmetrn

I have arm hair but it is blonde so it isn't obvious. I don't know any women who remove their arm hair.

04/07/2012

TheGreat

I don't know anyone who shaves their arms. I didn't even know that was a thing!

04/07/2012

True Pleasures

I don't shave my arms, and I've only known one person who has, but that was because the hair on her arms was really dark.

04/07/2012

Ghost

I have very dark hair on my arms and I shave it. I'm very pale and it looks AWFUL.

04/08/2012

Raigne

Family is Mediterranean, so i have dark hair on my arms. No one I know shaves theirs and I don't either.

04/08/2012

Peggi

I didn't select that I do or I don't, because I have, but don't do it all the time. Right now, my arms have hair. I may not shave it off for months to years at a time, and then just decide I want to.

I like the feeling of my smooth arms against certain fabrics, just like the feeling of shaving your legs, getting them nice and lotiony smooth, and then slipping on a skirt, pants or pj's that feel so comfy against your legs.

Also, I think that most women probably do not do this.

04/08/2012

Total posts: 58 Unique posters: 55

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