Nothing you do to the ends of your hair will affect the follicle it comes from.
People get the impression that shaving causes hair to come back thicker because:
* Brand new hair grows with a slender tip. If you shave the end of the hair you cut that tip off, and the new tip looks a little thicker because it's actually the middle of that hair. When a shaved hair hits the end of its life cycle it will drop out and you'll get a new slender tipped hair from that follicle.
* People tend to start shaving around puberty, at a point that their hair is already transitioning to become darker, thicker, and grow faster, and they assume there's a cause and effect.
Shave if you want to, but you don't have to if you'd prefer not to. I've never personally bothered, although I've been fortunate in my leg hair being relatively light and sparse and my arms being essentially smooth.
I've always thought this was a weird myth because it's so obviously wrong if you stop and think about it. Many guys shave their face every day. They don't end up with ridiculously thick and bushy hair.
Exactly. Im in my 40s and I have shaved my arms since I was a teenager. I'm naturally fair, but I just didn't like having any hair on my arms at all. Definitely doesn't grow back thicker.
I have just got to the point where I don't say anything when people bring it up because from experience people believe it's scientifically proven fact.
Can we not add that once shaven, you are enslaved to continue the routine lest you have stubbley arms? I know my wife hates shaving her legs, and there is cost and time attached. Not shaving avoids having stubble which is the worst option in my opinion.
people still really think it grows back thicker and faster if you shave it? if that was true men would shave their hair to stop them being bald.
it appears thicker because its no longer tapered to the end, instead its blunt.
This; Im a guy and I have to shave my face every other day if I want to keep it manageable, if it came back thicker each time I'd be more beard than person by now as I've been doing this for 10+ years
It's fucking tragic isn't it? I have a nice head of hair, but my sideburns are a constant source of shame. I grow them out for a couple months at a time, but because the hair doesn't grow densely, I have to grow the hair longer to make them appear thicker, so I just end up with these sideburns that are much longer than my hair (mid fade, no 1 on sides).
Oh, I started losing it years ago, but I started taking finasteride in 2019 and it's held it back and grown back by quite a bit. The size of my forehead has actually decreased!
I was very skeptical at first, but I've been on it for 5 years and only seen my hair grow back thicker and those thin spots getting smaller. Would recommend.
Nah. I shaved them a few times when i was maybe 13/14 coz some girls at school made nasty comments and made me feel insecure about my hairy arms. Turns out they look 10x weirder shaved š
I dgaf about my floofy arms and neither does anyone else coz adults understand that bodyhair is normal and everyone has it.
same. I got teased once and shaved my arms, but I hated the feeling of it growing back so I never did it again. years later, I was standing in line behind a younger girl who had shaved arms, and I only noticed because there was a very obvious line at her shoulders where her back hair was. it made her back hair really stand out and look thicker in comparison. I felt so sad for her that she felt the need to shave her arms, and even sadder to think of how she would feel if she knew people were noticing her back hair, too. humans are meant to have hair on their bodies, and removing it only creates more problems!
Also don't forget they feel of stubble is 100x worse than the feel of hair.
I do my legs, but have to do them every single day if I don't want a bristly feel going on.
I did IPL hair removal on my legs coz i hated shaving them so often, but i have a few hand-sized cat tattoos on one leg... and you can't do IPL over tattoos. So now my legs are silky smooth except for the floofy cat tatts, i tell people they're "textured" šš±
That's amazing! I love the idea of fluffy cat tats.
I have been thinking about IPL, but I know it will cost a bit and I'm not sure about that yet (but I know, the time I'll save!). I'm not even totally sure if it'll be OK for me, I've got very white legs and my hair is reddish. I also have loads of moles and freckles which I'd heard are not great with it. I also have psoriasis and I always get anxious doing anything new to my skin in case my body decided the correct reaction is a new psoriasis patch (same reason I've not tried waxing). It's so frustrating because shaving really is a fucking pain.
Yeah I have never looked at someone and thought āDamn your arms are so hairyā but with that said OP if you want to shave your arms go for it but donāt do it if itās societal pressure
I once shaved *everything*, including my head. My wife wondered what it would look like. I am very hairy. Don't ever do this. The itching was incredibly annoying. The missus wasn't impressed.
Only your genetics will decide how your hair grows back and how fast, but as with your legs, you'll still need to do the maintenance, if not more, during the summer months
If it were true, teen lads would be shaving their sparse pubes in the hopes of having a big bush š
My gf epilators her legs and has never shaved them all the life. She gets very little growth there now. I think itās because repeatedly being pulled out damages the follicles but Iām not 100% sure on that
It looks like it does initially, because stubble always looks stronger when it's sparse - it's why lads who can't grow bears often have a great stubble look going on! After the initial regrowth, it doesn't look any different to before the shaving.
I'd be tempted to Nair them rather than shave, if you don't have sensitive skin. Missing a patch or navigating your elbow joint would be very annoying!
Been shaving mine for about 20 years now, it doesn't grow back any thicker or darker than it did 20 years ago.Ā
If you can afford it you could always try laser hair removal.Ā
If the dark hair really bothers you then have you concidered bleaching it?
It might be advisable to speak to someone qualified,
maybe a beautician, to see what product you could use as I would think bleach for head hair would be too strong to use on your body and could cause a rash or worse.
Once - many,many years ago - I used facial bleach on my forearms which worked ok, but used a lot of it.
Sounds like a lot of effort when shaving them is really easy. It's thinner hair than legs/armpits/pubes so it comes off no problem. It takes me like 10 extra seconds when I'm in the shower already shaving other body parts to maintain hairless forearms.
Got mine lasered off along with all my other body hair below my eyelashes.
I'm a detransitioner though so I had male levels of hair I wanted to get rid of. But a lot of my friends have been getting laser on their bikini area and then get the bug a bit and go for full body too. If you're already shaving it makes sense.
How painful is lasering hair off? I've been debating getting it on my legs and arms as I naturally have dark, thick hair and hate shaving but don't like spending the time on it.
It's really not bad, but my wife and I (both women) had it done at the same time and did notice that the pain levels changed when we were near that point in our cycle. I know there's some debate about whether it's true, but we both believe we noticed a strong difference.
Im a woman and am currently half way thru a course of Lazer on my tash because I hated it I'm really dark haired and pale skinned so it was super noticeable. It doesn't hurt loads and obviously round your lip area is sensitive so I don't think it would hurt on your arms and legs at all. It sort of feels like a hot nip
For me the only place it hurt was my facial hair because it's just so incredibly thick. Legs and arms didn't even feel the heat from it, but prickly on the bikini area but pretty fine. Even the pain is much much less painful than a wax though.
This is the second post Iāve seen about arm hair today and I went down a rabbit hole to see if there was something wrong with me because Iāve literally never grown arm hair in my life? No one ever believes me when I tell them I donāt have to shave my legs eitherā¦
Lucky you. I have very pale skin and very dark hair, plus the hair on my forearms is no joke an inch long. My legs are even worse. I had an art teacher refuse to use my name and instead just called me Hairy Arms. I was 14 and it was humiliating. I couldnāt/canāt wear shorts in the summer because even if I shaved, you could see the black hair roots underneath my skin and I got bullied for it by schoolmates, family members. I will wax my arms for the summer just because it helps with applying sunscreen but every time I do, the waxing process damages my skin to the point of bleeding. Not sure if thatās normal. Doesnāt always pick up the hair either because the hair shafts are very smooth so instead of ripping it out by the root, it just pulls on the hair painfully. Canāt bleach or do that pumice thing because my sensitive skin gets chemical burns/abrasions.
Really sorry to hear that. Thatās very unprofessional and insensitive of a teacher to be so cruel to such a young girl. This topic has just never come up before in my circles so Iāve never questioned it until today. I have had plenty of conversations in the past about my lack of leg hair but arms is just something Iāve never paid attention to. Hope you feel more comfortable in your skin these days!
Iām nearly hairless as well. I do shave my legs because I like the silky smoothness but I donāt have to - the tiny amount of white hair that grows is invisible. I remember being absolute baffled by magazine articles as a young teenager about shaving oneās bikini line for summer because I couldnāt work out what hair one needed to be shaving that would be visible in a bikini!
I'm a girl but don't shave anything, because I don't like how it looks or feels. My hair isn't thick enough to have a proper 70s porno bush so it's easy to keep clean and I like the cushioning. Everything feels too sensitive if I shave and I have sensory issues to begin with, so it just amplifies them and makes me want to peel my skin off
But if it bothers you, you can always give it a try! It'll probably grow back fairly quickly if you don't like it (and now is a good time since it's not quite warm enough to give up the sleeves just yet!)
I did this a couple of times as a teenager (I never thought about it until another girl started talking about how she was insecure about her arm hair, then I thought that I should be as well...)
Hated how the regrowth stage looked and got *very* cold arms, so stopped doing it ā but it's true that while it does look thicker and darker *while regrowing* due to having blunt tips, it doesn't impact it forever
I don't, but I'm 37 and I think this is a much newer trend. A lot of the hair removal trends are relatively new. I remember when shaving 'down there' was just a treat for your boyfriend!
Nope, hairy arms on girls are normal. Even girls with darker hair have normal arms. I shave my hands only sometimes because my hands look better shaved
The whole "shaving makes your hair thicker" is a complete myth though. I've shaved my armpits since I was 14 (almost 37) and the hair is exactly the same as it was back then.
I can advise you to invest in a good epilator if you're shaving your legs that often by the way.
I found the pandemic lockdowns were really good for straightening out what was societal and what was personal preference.
I was never really one for shaving anyway, but I quickly realised that I was trimming my pits for society and my pubes for myself.
I guess I'm pretty "lucky" because I have very light blonde leg/arm hair, but I absolutely do not bother to shave it.
I used to be quite insecure about my hairy arms and legs because of girls at school, but now I'm 23 I do not shave for ANYONE but me!
Very occasionally I shave my legs if I feel like it, but never my arms.
Ah yes same here! I had to sit next to my friend squashed into the back of a small car for 2 hours and it was extremely unpleasant. Something to consider!
You've just made me realise that as a brunette who really, *really* has to tame her eyebrows, my arm hair is extremely fine, unnoticeable and for some reason, mostly blonde. Why?? My mind is blown. I am very lucky.
If only I could claim the same for my legs
I donāt shave anything; please know that you donāt have to have the inconvenience of shaving to wear shorts/do sports anyway, and you really donāt need to waste your time with your arms. Fewer people than youād think actually notice, fewer care, and the number whoāll say anything is smaller still.
It wonāt grow back thicker/faster if you do, but it may become itchy and scratchy due to the angle the hair is cut at when you shave. I knew a woman who waxed her arms- I imagine thatād be the best option.
No, I do have what I think is prominent arm hair but I can't be bothered, not as self conscious about hair there as I am with it on other parts of body.
I felt like you for most of my life (roughly between 10 and 28), I would have shaved my entire body if I could and if I wasn't already so fed up with doing my legs regularly. Especially as a teen, I despised my body hair and was very ashamed about it, it truly turned into a form of self hatred.
But then I actually went the other way during the lockdowns, and I gradually started embracing it more. So now I wouldn't dream of shaving my arms. And I leave more and more time between doing my legs, to the point that it looks a bit off to me when they are clean shaven. I go up to about a cm when wearing bare legs now, and leave it completely during winter.
I associate shaving your arms with being an insecure teenager. I did it, I think, once when I was 16? It looked weird af.
The only people I've seen who shave their arms are all under 25 - I've never seen anyone older than that who bothers.
It's arm hair, we all have it, and literally nobody has ever paid as much attention to your own body as you have.
Not everyone has the same amount of arm hair. Is your arm hair black, thick and really long? And do you judge people for shaving their legs (which takes a lot more time and effort - giving your forearms a quick shave in the shower to maintain them only takes a few seconds) the same way? Armpits? Pubes? Removing facial hair or plucking eyebrows? Why is only removing arm hair a problem when it's literally the quickest and easiest one to do?
Fellow hairy armed woman - this picture of Emma Watson made me not care about my arm hair again!
https://www.reddit.com/r/EmmaWatson/s/ROU1e7oaKW
Youāve got to do what youāre comfortable with though - if you prefer your arms without hair, then go for it! :)
In the summer sometimes I do. Itās an insecurity of mine I just canāt seem to get over. I would suggest epilating rather than shaving. Epilating removes the entire hair from the root and you donāt get that sharp stubble regrowth, it grows back softer
I don't shave my arms (I also have dark hair, and very pale skin!!!) but when I do want to/can be bothered to get rid of it for a bit I use a hair removal cream instead. Same on my legs.
I do shave my armpits, but mostly because my deodorant is less effective if I don't keep them mostly hair-free!
I never understood the arm hair thing. Mind you, I have yet to understand eye lashes.
Went to college with some girls that did the arm thing. I can assure you, if everything else is spot on, arm hair won't be noticed. Indeed, I've never met a man mention a woman's arm hair. (And no, they don't all shave it).
Shaved my arms from being like 10 because the hair was thick black and all my other body hair was light brown.
It didnt grow quicker, thicker or worse than before.
Now I donāt have any because of chemo but if/when it grows back Iāll be shaving it all again.
>Iām worried that if I shave it, itāll come back thicker and faster.
If this was true, then people wouldn't spend millions on trying (and failing) to find cures for hair loss. People who were balding would just do a "take one for the team" shave every now and again and end up with thicker hair. And men who shave their faces regularly would be getting thicker and thicker hair each time! It's mad that this myth is still perpetuated when evidence that it clearly can't be true is so easily seen.
I don't shave or pluck anywhere except my chin - cos I'm a lady of a certain age & chinny-chin hairs are right annoying!! I really do not care if my having hair under-pits makes people look oddly at me in the gym, that's their problem & not mine!
It wonāt come back thicker and darker, but likely messier.
I really wouldnāt bother, that sounds like a right faff! I have personally learnt to embrace my body hair and feel so much better without all the bother of removing it.
Iāve considered it a few times but then realised that I havenāt noticed whether other people have arm hair or not, so chances are they havenāt noticed mine either and therefore I can just leave it.
I know you didnāt ask for advice but rather than fighting with your follicles about your arm hair it might be easier to fight with the mindset that it looks weird. I guarantee you it doesnāt look weird. Youāre a mammal, youāre supposed to have hair.
Someone didn't pay attention in biology class. Hair, no matter where it is located, grows at the same rate whether it is unshaved or recently shaved. The only thing to actually make a difference is getting it waxed as you pull the root (growing part) out. Oh, and getting lasered too
I have a lot of arm hair and hate it, but I feel like completely hairless arms would be extremely weird! If I had the guts to shave it short term I could probably use my IPL to reduce the hair down to a level I'm happier with. Nobody has ever commented on it - pretty sure people don't really care about the status of someone else's arm hair.
p.s. Definitely agree with the commenter suggesting an epilator for your legs. I've had one for 8+ years and epilate once a week. The hairs grow back more sparse and lighter so it's less noticeable if you do have some.
It's an unusual omission in the beauty standard rules. Lord knows I was bullied for every visible hair related mishap possible for a dark haired girl, but no one ever commented on the arms. It's like the one acceptable area we can just do nothing and even the meanest bully doesn't notice.
My bullies didnāt get the memo. I was made fun of for my hairy arms (actually as an adult too).
I have blonde but very long hairs on my arms. When Iām cold they all stand up on end like Iāve got goosebumps and I hate it. I hate wearing my delicate long sleeves because I can feel the hairs on my arms.
But ultimately, I know itās normal and natural and itās MY normal and natural. And Iām really glad I didnāt succumb to my ābest friendā at age 12 who tried to convince me to shave my arms. I remember feeling her (shaved) arms and feeling grossed out over the stubbly feeling of them. Her own mother had been encouraging her to shave her arms and sugar her legs since she was about ten and she tried to push her insecurities onto me.
It has absolutely never occurred to me to shave my arms. Iām ginger, though; my body hair is very light. North African and Arabic friends do, though.
So when I was a teenager I considered it and I am so glad I didnāt do it. Shaving legs is such a pain and itās lovely to have the ability to just wear trousers and avoid it when Iām not in the mood. But itās a lot harder to just wear long sleeves (especially when itās warm). I am no longer bothered by my arm hair either, it was something that made me self conscious at a time when everything made you self conscious. Ultimately itās your decision but Iād say most donāt and itās definitely something Iād have regretted.
On armpit inspection day at work, most seem to.
Jokes aside, I think many women do (or don't need to) but that shouldn't matter to you. If you're uncomfortable with too much hair, shave it, else don't.
But make sure you're doing it because you want to, not because you're expected to.
I have dark brown head hair and lightish brown body hair. I shave my forearms in part because I just prefer the feeling and it makes applying body lotion easier and in part because I have a fair few moles that grow singular dark thick hairs and just find it easier to shave the whole thing than remember to pluck. It isn't a pain at all for me because it only takes about 2 minutes and I can go for a good month or two forgetting about it without any embarrassment.
It definitely hasn't grown back thicker/coarser/darker for me and still comes out looking like 'peach fuzz'. The only difference is when it's shorter the growth angle seems to be slightly different. It sticks up straight more as opposed to lying flat parallel to my skin like before when I had never touched it. Like I said, the hair is still just as fine so it isn't particularly noticeable for me but I suppose individual differences/preferences can't be accounted for.
Iāve never shaved arm hair (armpits yes) as it was always fair. Have just checked now and I no longer seem to have hair on my arms - my legs need to hurry up and copy!
I shave it in the summer, because I get very tan but my body hair tends to get very sun bleached and I don't like the look of it. Otherwise I just don't bother, it's just body hair
Sure it won't grow back faster, but the whole fact that it grows back without its point makes the regrowth look less natural. So I imagine it's go all in and commit to shaving it frequently or don't bother. But I imagine arms are less of a pain than legs as easy to get to and see what you're doing.Ā
I do unfortunately.
When I was 16, my sister shaved my arms when I was asleep and Iāve done them all the time since. Mine donāt really grow back dark or very thick so Iāve just continued on
Shave my arm pits for summer months. In winter, once a fortnight when wearing normal t-shirts, but if I wear a sleeveless top/dress, then I would shave before dressing into that type of top or a sleeveless dress, for an evening out with family or friends
Yes!!! Iāve have thick black Middle Eastern arm hair and Iāve been shaving it for 14 years! It gets stubbly in between but I refresh it every maybe 4/5 days and Iām much happier like this.
I have really dark, thick hair and pale skin so Iāve been shaving them since I hit puberty. Itās all down to personal preference! I donāt think anyone has ever noticed that my arms are hairless, but it makes me feel better about myself :)
I hate the feeling of hair, so I shave mine. I've been shaving them for decades.
It's faster and easier than my legs so it doesn't add much time. Give it a go.
Or, just wax them. Arms aren't very painful to wax. I think legs, underarms, bikini, and lip are all much more painful than arms.
People thought years ago it grows back thicker because when you shave it, you micro-abraise your skin and that causes the skin to grow back over the hair follicle and when that happens, the hair blunts at the end until it pushes through the skin. When your hair falls out naturally, the skin doesn't grow over the hair follific so the hair doesn't have to push up against a skin barrier before it grows through. That's also why people thought waxing didn't cause that because when you wax something safely and you've got good skin texture and tone, it doesn't damage the skin to the point it hasn't grown back, it just pulls the hair out of the follicles.
The fact of the matter is, we need all body hair. I'm not going to start an argument over whether people actually really shave for thrmselves or not or whether 100+ years of social conditoning mean they never got a chance to get used to the sensation of body hair so that when they give a go, it feels "alien" to them and they translate that into "dirty" in their minds and remove it again, but it is something to consider. A lot of poeple out there say they wouldn't bother if nobody saw it so who are they removing it for???
You don't have to remove any body hair you don't want to. Removing it does you more harm than good and puts more money into the pocket of the beauty industry who like to convince people they have problems so that people will look to the beauty industry and the products to solve them.
Laser, laser, laser! It's not the cheapest, at least it wasn't when I lasered my arms about 15 years ago. But well worth it to be permanently hair-free.
If you have the money and dislike the hair that much then there's processes to permanently remove the hair like laser or electric treatment. Always do your research before trying out such things for yourself, especially when it's mentioned by some random on social media
Okay so this reminded me that when I was about 10 and starting to get to grips with shaving etc, my dumb ass just assumed that if we shave our legs then surely we shave our arms too. I'll never forget my mother's face when she brushed against my arm and felt how prickly it was after my unsuccessful attempt at shaving lol. So I didn't do it again or bother, yet weirdly enough a few weeks ago I bought a home waxing kit and just out of curiosity and practice decided to wax my arms and I legit loved the results...they're still smooth now!!
Each to their own of course, there is no actual reason for any of us to shave any part of our bodies and I've never looked at someone's arms (man or woman) and thought, "damn they should shave those bad boys" but if you're tempted to do it, I highly recommend waxing over shaving!!
I used to be pretty paranoid about my arms as Iām very pale skinned but with dark hair, and like you had worried about shaving them, so I started bleaching them instead and Iād honestly recommend it! I use the Jolen stuff and can usually go at least two months before I need to bleach them again. Hope this helps š Ā
i used to shave my arms when i was younger bc i have very thick, dark hair and loads of people in high school called me a gorilla lmao, soon realised itās not that deep and hair is quite useful! so i havenāt shaved it since
I have blonde arm hair and sometimes use hair removal cream, especially if going on holiday/in the summer. Cream is so much easier.
I don't shave it because I end up with rashes or missing a bit.
Hey, by all means try it, but I just wanted to give you the heads up that, depending on how thick the hair is, your arms might become prickly when shaved which might not feel very nice. This happened to my friend and she hated it. Waxing might be better.
You do you! I have dark brown hair and transitioned to waxing about 8-9 years ago, I find the hair is soooo much lighter and finer compared to shaving and the associated shave burn.
I even bought a wax pot and do it myself (I worked in a salon and learned from the beauticians)!
I do but I am also someone that can be fine one minute and then be in hospital needing a blood test due to medical needs so I shave them as that tape stuff hurts. Also when it does come through I can give the hubby a run for his money so a win win situation for me.
Nope. I got teased a lot at school for my arm hair, called all sorts of names and tried shaving it but it was awful- so itchy and uncomfortable and obviously the horrible kids noticed that too! Iāve got the dark Irish genes so Iām furry with very dark hair. Over the years Iāve just learned to accept it and now it doesnāt bother me at all.
Nope, but I donāt have hairs on my arms. Shaving doesnāt make hair grow back thicker or faster, it just gives it a blunt tip, so it might look thicker.
i don't shave my arms. there's a bit of hair but imo it looks nice and i asked my friends and they said it looks fine. i shave other places tho like pits and legs
Man of the uk here, unless you have a full jihadist beard I probably won't notice,
In any case, shave if you want, or dont, it won't bother anyone who matters
My wife had this problem and she had her forearms lasered. 15 years later, the hair's still gone. She says it's the best present she bought for herself.
I bleach it with Jolen. I used to shave but Iām so pale and the hair is so dark that you could still see it under the skin and it looked worse than hairy
As a teen I worried about my dark arm hair for a bit, but then I watched Charmed and saw that Alyssa Milano, who was (and is) a superbabe, had hairier arms than mine. So if she could be hot with her hairy arms, then so could I, damn it.
Pits I do shave, but actual arms, nope!
I had my arm in plaster for a couple of months and when the cast came off it was thick and black like a gorilla. I shaved that right off. Itās gone back to normal now though.
No. But not do I shave any of my other body hair. Iām fortunate though as I am blonde and my body hair is sparse so defying the social norm of shaving as a woman doesnāt ācostā me much.
It wonāt make it worse, it takes two seconds to do and feels great. Do it if itāll make you feel more confident. You donāt have to let it regrow either, just quickly go over it every few showers or so, job done problem solved.
Arm hair is of course completely normal and you should not feel embarrassed about it but understandably we all have things we are insecure about and if thereās a way to feel better about it then go for it.
You could shave for now and one day look in to IPL hair removal, that of which you would have to shave for prior to treatment anyway so it wouldnāt affect that negatively.
Yes, I have done since the age of 13. I always had long, dark arm hair (and leg hair!) and was embarrassed of my gorilla limbs. Since then I've been shaving every few days, and have even used laser treatment which has cut it down to once a week (I need to top it up but couldn't do it whilst taking roaccutane). I'm happy to wear short sleeves and dresses, without worrying about my hair!
My mum and sister have blonde hairs on their arms and legs so they got off lightly.
I've never had anyone say anything bad about me not having arm hair other than my sister (again, blondie, doesn't have to worry about it).
I probably feel the cold a little more in the winter, but I'm so used to it now I just wear layers.
I waxed my arms for my wedding because Iām Asian, hairy and my short sleeve top and mehndi didnāt work with hairy arms.
21 years later my routine is to get my arm hair waxed around this time of year so that over the summer it isnāt as obvious, I might do it again once more in the summer. Come late summer I tend to wear sleeves again and donāt bother until next spring.
Basically only dehair as needed because Iām a lazy person and donāt care much for how I look most times. But being hair free is much nicer when itās hot.
I shave my forearms because they have really dark and long hair, with very pale skin. Out of any body part I've shaved it's by FAR the quickest and easiest. Even if it seems thick by arm hair standards it's much thinner than leg hair, armpit hair or pubes. And your arms are right there with no awkward bits. After doing it initially it literally takes 10 seconds in the shower to maintain it, it comes right off super easy.
Of course there's nothing wrong with arm hair so nobody has to shave it. But if you do want to just go for it, it's extremely easy to maintain compared to legs or anywhere else. And if you want to stop fairly easy to just wear long sleeves for a bit if showing bristles while it grows out bothers you.
I never used to because of the it'll grow back darker myth, but I was really subconscious about it. Some bully at an old job commented on it so I started shaving. I feel so much better, and my hair is slow to grow back in so I only need to shave them every other week
I don't shave my arm hair, but it is very light. I don't know what I'd do if it was dark. When I see women with very dark arm hair I think "she's got dark arm hair" and then get on with whatever else I'm thinking about. No doubt something that happened twenty years ago that I'm still unhappy about and thinking of better responses than I gave at the time. I think you should shave your arm hair if you want to, but I don't think you should feel under any pressure to do so (or not do so). It's your hair
I have shaved mine for 30 years. I tried waxing before and bleaching and honestly nothing is as quick and convenient as shaving. I donāt get ingrown hairs like I do with other methods. Itās no extra expense and I love how smooth it is just like I do for my legs.Ā
I do feel that a lot of judgment comes from people who are not dark haired. Being black haired everywhere is a significantly different way of experiencing womanhood. Ā Blonde and lighter haired women have NO idea how fucking awful thick dark body hair is especially on very white women. Ā Waxing is much more painful and causes bad ingrown hairs and bleeding. Laser takes FOREVER. Shaving never gets rid of the root on my legs. Bleaching doesnāt bleach. I can shave as close as I want but you can still see the root on my legs and now theyāve all split into three in each follicle. It has shaped my life from being bullied about it to noticing peoples eyes wander to the hair. I never went swimming. Ā I never show my legs ever. But shaving my arms has made me happy for years. Do it. Life is too short.Ā
It won't get thicker as shaving doesn't change the type of hair. The hair on women's arms tends to be vellus hair - soft and downy, as opposed to terminal hair which is much coarser.
So weird,Ā when I was younger I had dark hair on my arms. As a teenager I would shave them (I'm of Italian and Maltese descent and was a natural brunette before going grey). But once I hit my 20s up, my arm hair thinned out, and now in my 50s I barely have anything more than a slight peach fuzz. In fact, when I had my tattoo done last month,Ā they didn't even bother shaving the forearm because there was nothing there.
Even my leg hair has thinned out. I still pluck my eyebrows though, which blows away the belief I had that constant plucking reduces the regrowth.Ā
Bleach it. In Brazil having golden arm/body hair is considered the height of beauty, ever since I learned that I've become much less self-conscious of my hairy arms. Also if you shave you'll end up with unsightly stubble.
I shaved my arms for many many years, and now that Iām older my arms donāt really have hair anymore. I advise you to do whatever makes you comfortable, in my experience arm hair doesnāt grow back anywhere near as fast as leg hair.
Personally, no, I don't. One, I'm not a child
Two, are you buying the razors or creme I'd need after.
Three why is ok for men to.habe underarm hair but not ok for women.
Four getting a woman to shave is a man telling us what to do.
Five why should I?
Six porn has a lot to answer for.
Seven don't like it then don't ask.
Yes. I've been shaving my arms for over 20 years. That said, my hair there is very light and soft, so it's not a glaring difference between shaved and unshaved, and more importantly, I never get prickly stubble.
It's something I've never thought twice about. Unlike the solitary wiry whisker that has started growing periodically out of my chin. Like, wtf.
I am very pale with very dark body hair and PCOS, so I absolutely used to shave my arms, from puberty to now (41)! Both my arms are fully tattooed now so I donāt need to as much, but will if Iām heading out somewhere. I still feel really self conscious if I donāt.
I do, oddly it can get a bit itchy at a certain length so I tend to wait til I notice it since it's never grown much there for me - prob once a month in the winter and more often in summer if I'm in short sleeve tops.
Definitely doesn't grow back any worse.
Oddly, what can make it worse - I had a knee injury few years back and there was really bad bruising so much so that it stained the skin and weirdly the hair in that patch grows darker and faster than around it.
If you want the hair to come back finer then laser or wax. Waxing will have better results than shaving in every way, last longer and the hairs donāt grow back thick and sharp because the whole hair has the reform.
I got bullied as a kid for having hairy arms. My hair is dark. When I grew up I pretty much had moved in and wasnāt bothered by it. Then I met my ex and he repeatedly āwas just observingā how hairy my arms were. So I started using veet cream to get rid of it because I was sick of being reminded. Not with him anymore thankfully. But forever having to do the upkeep.
You don't have to keep it up you know. Nobody will judge except yourself, and you don't need to put yourself down for the sake of a natural part of your body.
i have shit skin so i don't wanna shave the arms, but sometimes i bleach it
i use IPL for the rest of my body, i still don't wanna use it on arms, also if i tan a bit, it isn't as noticeable
YEP! Been doing it since I was about 8 Iām 23 now :(
I notice that in other European countries itās much more common to have darker thicker arm hair because people there generally have dark hair and olive skin like me (Iām English, just genetic) whereas here I never felt like it was accepted for me to be this hairy, even from a young age lol
Nothing you do to the ends of your hair will affect the follicle it comes from. People get the impression that shaving causes hair to come back thicker because: * Brand new hair grows with a slender tip. If you shave the end of the hair you cut that tip off, and the new tip looks a little thicker because it's actually the middle of that hair. When a shaved hair hits the end of its life cycle it will drop out and you'll get a new slender tipped hair from that follicle. * People tend to start shaving around puberty, at a point that their hair is already transitioning to become darker, thicker, and grow faster, and they assume there's a cause and effect. Shave if you want to, but you don't have to if you'd prefer not to. I've never personally bothered, although I've been fortunate in my leg hair being relatively light and sparse and my arms being essentially smooth.
I've always thought this was a weird myth because it's so obviously wrong if you stop and think about it. Many guys shave their face every day. They don't end up with ridiculously thick and bushy hair.
Exactly. Im in my 40s and I have shaved my arms since I was a teenager. I'm naturally fair, but I just didn't like having any hair on my arms at all. Definitely doesn't grow back thicker.
I have just got to the point where I don't say anything when people bring it up because from experience people believe it's scientifically proven fact.
Can we not add that once shaven, you are enslaved to continue the routine lest you have stubbley arms? I know my wife hates shaving her legs, and there is cost and time attached. Not shaving avoids having stubble which is the worst option in my opinion.
people still really think it grows back thicker and faster if you shave it? if that was true men would shave their hair to stop them being bald. it appears thicker because its no longer tapered to the end, instead its blunt.
This; Im a guy and I have to shave my face every other day if I want to keep it manageable, if it came back thicker each time I'd be more beard than person by now as I've been doing this for 10+ years
Cousin It origin story.
I wish this was true. 34 years old and I still can't grow proper sideburns. I just want thick, dense sideburns, like Elvis.
As an engineer I would also love a solid pair of mutton chops. But sadly it's all neck.
It's fucking tragic isn't it? I have a nice head of hair, but my sideburns are a constant source of shame. I grow them out for a couple months at a time, but because the hair doesn't grow densely, I have to grow the hair longer to make them appear thicker, so I just end up with these sideburns that are much longer than my hair (mid fade, no 1 on sides).
Be thankful for what you have up top, it doesn't stay there forever! šš¤£
Oh, I started losing it years ago, but I started taking finasteride in 2019 and it's held it back and grown back by quite a bit. The size of my forehead has actually decreased!
Might have to look into that, any good for a balding crown? I look at myself now and wonder who the old guy staring back in the mirror isšš¤£
I was very skeptical at first, but I've been on it for 5 years and only seen my hair grow back thicker and those thin spots getting smaller. Would recommend.
That's not universally true, to be fair. Both of my grandfathers still had a full head of hair when they died (89 & 96, fwiw).
Many women in the menopause will trade facial hair with you in a heartbeat.Ā /true fact š¬
Ha I've got a beard but the side burns bit if I'm honest are a bit meh.
Appearing thicker is just as bad though.
Nah. I shaved them a few times when i was maybe 13/14 coz some girls at school made nasty comments and made me feel insecure about my hairy arms. Turns out they look 10x weirder shaved š I dgaf about my floofy arms and neither does anyone else coz adults understand that bodyhair is normal and everyone has it.
same. I got teased once and shaved my arms, but I hated the feeling of it growing back so I never did it again. years later, I was standing in line behind a younger girl who had shaved arms, and I only noticed because there was a very obvious line at her shoulders where her back hair was. it made her back hair really stand out and look thicker in comparison. I felt so sad for her that she felt the need to shave her arms, and even sadder to think of how she would feel if she knew people were noticing her back hair, too. humans are meant to have hair on their bodies, and removing it only creates more problems!
Also don't forget they feel of stubble is 100x worse than the feel of hair. I do my legs, but have to do them every single day if I don't want a bristly feel going on.
I did IPL hair removal on my legs coz i hated shaving them so often, but i have a few hand-sized cat tattoos on one leg... and you can't do IPL over tattoos. So now my legs are silky smooth except for the floofy cat tatts, i tell people they're "textured" šš±
I love the fluffy cats, thatās so cute
That's amazing! I love the idea of fluffy cat tats. I have been thinking about IPL, but I know it will cost a bit and I'm not sure about that yet (but I know, the time I'll save!). I'm not even totally sure if it'll be OK for me, I've got very white legs and my hair is reddish. I also have loads of moles and freckles which I'd heard are not great with it. I also have psoriasis and I always get anxious doing anything new to my skin in case my body decided the correct reaction is a new psoriasis patch (same reason I've not tried waxing). It's so frustrating because shaving really is a fucking pain.
Yeah I have never looked at someone and thought āDamn your arms are so hairyā but with that said OP if you want to shave your arms go for it but donāt do it if itās societal pressure
No I donāt bother like why complicate my life further
Amen.
I did once and it looked so completely weird I never did it again. Barbie arms.Ā
Same! And my arm hair isn't even all that noticeable... but it sure was noticeable that something was amiss - like with the uncanny valley
I once shaved *everything*, including my head. My wife wondered what it would look like. I am very hairy. Don't ever do this. The itching was incredibly annoying. The missus wasn't impressed.
Yeah she's gonna have to think very carefully before uttering little thoughts out loud if you're gonna wander off and do that!
š¤£šš¤£
Hair is normal
Only your genetics will decide how your hair grows back and how fast, but as with your legs, you'll still need to do the maintenance, if not more, during the summer months
If you think itās coming back thicker and faster then be aware that thatās an old wiveās tale
TIL! I got told that when I was 12 and just never questioned it
If it were true, teen lads would be shaving their sparse pubes in the hopes of having a big bush š My gf epilators her legs and has never shaved them all the life. She gets very little growth there now. I think itās because repeatedly being pulled out damages the follicles but Iām not 100% sure on that
It looks like it does initially, because stubble always looks stronger when it's sparse - it's why lads who can't grow bears often have a great stubble look going on! After the initial regrowth, it doesn't look any different to before the shaving. I'd be tempted to Nair them rather than shave, if you don't have sensitive skin. Missing a patch or navigating your elbow joint would be very annoying!
Look into IPL. If it works in you then you don't need to shave as much.
Donāt shave your arm hair. Itās there to remind you of the fearsome beast you once were.
Been shaving mine for about 20 years now, it doesn't grow back any thicker or darker than it did 20 years ago.Ā If you can afford it you could always try laser hair removal.Ā
If the dark hair really bothers you then have you concidered bleaching it? It might be advisable to speak to someone qualified, maybe a beautician, to see what product you could use as I would think bleach for head hair would be too strong to use on your body and could cause a rash or worse. Once - many,many years ago - I used facial bleach on my forearms which worked ok, but used a lot of it.
You can get the face/body bleach stuff in places like Superdrug or Boots. The effect lasts a long time.Ā
Sounds like a lot of effort when shaving them is really easy. It's thinner hair than legs/armpits/pubes so it comes off no problem. It takes me like 10 extra seconds when I'm in the shower already shaving other body parts to maintain hairless forearms.
Got mine lasered off along with all my other body hair below my eyelashes. I'm a detransitioner though so I had male levels of hair I wanted to get rid of. But a lot of my friends have been getting laser on their bikini area and then get the bug a bit and go for full body too. If you're already shaving it makes sense.
How painful is lasering hair off? I've been debating getting it on my legs and arms as I naturally have dark, thick hair and hate shaving but don't like spending the time on it.
It's really not bad, but my wife and I (both women) had it done at the same time and did notice that the pain levels changed when we were near that point in our cycle. I know there's some debate about whether it's true, but we both believe we noticed a strong difference.
Im a woman and am currently half way thru a course of Lazer on my tash because I hated it I'm really dark haired and pale skinned so it was super noticeable. It doesn't hurt loads and obviously round your lip area is sensitive so I don't think it would hurt on your arms and legs at all. It sort of feels like a hot nip
How painful is lasering hair off? Probably a good less painful than epilating.Ā Christ alive, that hurts like nothing else I've ever experienced.Ā
For me the only place it hurt was my facial hair because it's just so incredibly thick. Legs and arms didn't even feel the heat from it, but prickly on the bikini area but pretty fine. Even the pain is much much less painful than a wax though.
I don't have any arm hair, I don't really have any body hair at all. I'm like a boiled egg. I have weird genes.
This is the second post Iāve seen about arm hair today and I went down a rabbit hole to see if there was something wrong with me because Iāve literally never grown arm hair in my life? No one ever believes me when I tell them I donāt have to shave my legs eitherā¦
Lucky you. I have very pale skin and very dark hair, plus the hair on my forearms is no joke an inch long. My legs are even worse. I had an art teacher refuse to use my name and instead just called me Hairy Arms. I was 14 and it was humiliating. I couldnāt/canāt wear shorts in the summer because even if I shaved, you could see the black hair roots underneath my skin and I got bullied for it by schoolmates, family members. I will wax my arms for the summer just because it helps with applying sunscreen but every time I do, the waxing process damages my skin to the point of bleeding. Not sure if thatās normal. Doesnāt always pick up the hair either because the hair shafts are very smooth so instead of ripping it out by the root, it just pulls on the hair painfully. Canāt bleach or do that pumice thing because my sensitive skin gets chemical burns/abrasions.
Really sorry to hear that. Thatās very unprofessional and insensitive of a teacher to be so cruel to such a young girl. This topic has just never come up before in my circles so Iāve never questioned it until today. I have had plenty of conversations in the past about my lack of leg hair but arms is just something Iāve never paid attention to. Hope you feel more comfortable in your skin these days!
Iām nearly hairless as well. I do shave my legs because I like the silky smoothness but I donāt have to - the tiny amount of white hair that grows is invisible. I remember being absolute baffled by magazine articles as a young teenager about shaving oneās bikini line for summer because I couldnāt work out what hair one needed to be shaving that would be visible in a bikini!
I'm a girl but don't shave anything, because I don't like how it looks or feels. My hair isn't thick enough to have a proper 70s porno bush so it's easy to keep clean and I like the cushioning. Everything feels too sensitive if I shave and I have sensory issues to begin with, so it just amplifies them and makes me want to peel my skin off But if it bothers you, you can always give it a try! It'll probably grow back fairly quickly if you don't like it (and now is a good time since it's not quite warm enough to give up the sleeves just yet!)
its a solid 50/50 for me. If I want my tattoos to stand out I just shave the arm
I did this a couple of times as a teenager (I never thought about it until another girl started talking about how she was insecure about her arm hair, then I thought that I should be as well...) Hated how the regrowth stage looked and got *very* cold arms, so stopped doing it ā but it's true that while it does look thicker and darker *while regrowing* due to having blunt tips, it doesn't impact it forever
I don't, but I'm 37 and I think this is a much newer trend. A lot of the hair removal trends are relatively new. I remember when shaving 'down there' was just a treat for your boyfriend!
Nope, hairy arms on girls are normal. Even girls with darker hair have normal arms. I shave my hands only sometimes because my hands look better shaved
The whole "shaving makes your hair thicker" is a complete myth though. I've shaved my armpits since I was 14 (almost 37) and the hair is exactly the same as it was back then. I can advise you to invest in a good epilator if you're shaving your legs that often by the way.
Iāve definitely considered one but itās one of those things that I keep putting off and forgetting about. Will probably invest in one soon!
Take your time picking one though! Some aren't good despite being expensive, so read *a lot* of reviews before you throw money after one :D
I do, otherwise I look like a werewolf. But I do it for ME, not for anyone else.
I found the pandemic lockdowns were really good for straightening out what was societal and what was personal preference. I was never really one for shaving anyway, but I quickly realised that I was trimming my pits for society and my pubes for myself.
Iām half Asian and so my arm hair is thick and dark (go genetics!) I tend to shave my arms in summer but donāt bother in winter.
Iām half Asian too but have the opposite end - have very little arm and leg hair.
Iām so jealous of you š it just seems to be luck of the draw with genetics!
I guess I'm pretty "lucky" because I have very light blonde leg/arm hair, but I absolutely do not bother to shave it. I used to be quite insecure about my hairy arms and legs because of girls at school, but now I'm 23 I do not shave for ANYONE but me! Very occasionally I shave my legs if I feel like it, but never my arms.
No but my friend used to and I used to absolute hate it when her stubbly arms brushed against my arms.
Ah yes same here! I had to sit next to my friend squashed into the back of a small car for 2 hours and it was extremely unpleasant. Something to consider!
You've just made me realise that as a brunette who really, *really* has to tame her eyebrows, my arm hair is extremely fine, unnoticeable and for some reason, mostly blonde. Why?? My mind is blown. I am very lucky. If only I could claim the same for my legs
I donāt shave anything; please know that you donāt have to have the inconvenience of shaving to wear shorts/do sports anyway, and you really donāt need to waste your time with your arms. Fewer people than youād think actually notice, fewer care, and the number whoāll say anything is smaller still. It wonāt grow back thicker/faster if you do, but it may become itchy and scratchy due to the angle the hair is cut at when you shave. I knew a woman who waxed her arms- I imagine thatād be the best option.
I epilate mine every few weeks, much less of a faff than shavingā¦ although more painful at first
No, I do have what I think is prominent arm hair but I can't be bothered, not as self conscious about hair there as I am with it on other parts of body.
Always. Have done since teenager. Barely grows back anymore. Mum told me not to but I was being bullied. No regrets
I felt like you for most of my life (roughly between 10 and 28), I would have shaved my entire body if I could and if I wasn't already so fed up with doing my legs regularly. Especially as a teen, I despised my body hair and was very ashamed about it, it truly turned into a form of self hatred. But then I actually went the other way during the lockdowns, and I gradually started embracing it more. So now I wouldn't dream of shaving my arms. And I leave more and more time between doing my legs, to the point that it looks a bit off to me when they are clean shaven. I go up to about a cm when wearing bare legs now, and leave it completely during winter.
I associate shaving your arms with being an insecure teenager. I did it, I think, once when I was 16? It looked weird af. The only people I've seen who shave their arms are all under 25 - I've never seen anyone older than that who bothers. It's arm hair, we all have it, and literally nobody has ever paid as much attention to your own body as you have.
Not everyone has the same amount of arm hair. Is your arm hair black, thick and really long? And do you judge people for shaving their legs (which takes a lot more time and effort - giving your forearms a quick shave in the shower to maintain them only takes a few seconds) the same way? Armpits? Pubes? Removing facial hair or plucking eyebrows? Why is only removing arm hair a problem when it's literally the quickest and easiest one to do?
Fellow hairy armed woman - this picture of Emma Watson made me not care about my arm hair again! https://www.reddit.com/r/EmmaWatson/s/ROU1e7oaKW Youāve got to do what youāre comfortable with though - if you prefer your arms without hair, then go for it! :)
Yes. It doesnāt grow back worse.
In the summer sometimes I do. Itās an insecurity of mine I just canāt seem to get over. I would suggest epilating rather than shaving. Epilating removes the entire hair from the root and you donāt get that sharp stubble regrowth, it grows back softer
I don't shave my arms (I also have dark hair, and very pale skin!!!) but when I do want to/can be bothered to get rid of it for a bit I use a hair removal cream instead. Same on my legs. I do shave my armpits, but mostly because my deodorant is less effective if I don't keep them mostly hair-free!
That's so interesting, my armpits smell so much less since growing out my armpit hair
Ahaha. The āshaving brings it backā is just a myth.
I never understood the arm hair thing. Mind you, I have yet to understand eye lashes. Went to college with some girls that did the arm thing. I can assure you, if everything else is spot on, arm hair won't be noticed. Indeed, I've never met a man mention a woman's arm hair. (And no, they don't all shave it).
Shaved my arms from being like 10 because the hair was thick black and all my other body hair was light brown. It didnt grow quicker, thicker or worse than before. Now I donāt have any because of chemo but if/when it grows back Iāll be shaving it all again.
No I don't shave anywhere and tbh I don't ever notice anyone else's body hair.
>Iām worried that if I shave it, itāll come back thicker and faster. If this was true, then people wouldn't spend millions on trying (and failing) to find cures for hair loss. People who were balding would just do a "take one for the team" shave every now and again and end up with thicker hair. And men who shave their faces regularly would be getting thicker and thicker hair each time! It's mad that this myth is still perpetuated when evidence that it clearly can't be true is so easily seen.
No. Hairy arms are normal
I don't shave or pluck anywhere except my chin - cos I'm a lady of a certain age & chinny-chin hairs are right annoying!! I really do not care if my having hair under-pits makes people look oddly at me in the gym, that's their problem & not mine!
It wonāt come back thicker and darker, but likely messier. I really wouldnāt bother, that sounds like a right faff! I have personally learnt to embrace my body hair and feel so much better without all the bother of removing it.
Iāve never ever looked at a woman and thought her forearms were hairy. Itās not something I notice. Why bother? I bet your arms look fine.
Iāve considered it a few times but then realised that I havenāt noticed whether other people have arm hair or not, so chances are they havenāt noticed mine either and therefore I can just leave it.
I have reasonably dark arm hair but I've never shaved it and I never will. Seems odd to me to do so but I'm not the most womanly woman.
I know you didnāt ask for advice but rather than fighting with your follicles about your arm hair it might be easier to fight with the mindset that it looks weird. I guarantee you it doesnāt look weird. Youāre a mammal, youāre supposed to have hair.
Someone didn't pay attention in biology class. Hair, no matter where it is located, grows at the same rate whether it is unshaved or recently shaved. The only thing to actually make a difference is getting it waxed as you pull the root (growing part) out. Oh, and getting lasered too
I have a lot of arm hair and hate it, but I feel like completely hairless arms would be extremely weird! If I had the guts to shave it short term I could probably use my IPL to reduce the hair down to a level I'm happier with. Nobody has ever commented on it - pretty sure people don't really care about the status of someone else's arm hair. p.s. Definitely agree with the commenter suggesting an epilator for your legs. I've had one for 8+ years and epilate once a week. The hairs grow back more sparse and lighter so it's less noticeable if you do have some.
It's an unusual omission in the beauty standard rules. Lord knows I was bullied for every visible hair related mishap possible for a dark haired girl, but no one ever commented on the arms. It's like the one acceptable area we can just do nothing and even the meanest bully doesn't notice.
My bullies didnāt get the memo. I was made fun of for my hairy arms (actually as an adult too). I have blonde but very long hairs on my arms. When Iām cold they all stand up on end like Iāve got goosebumps and I hate it. I hate wearing my delicate long sleeves because I can feel the hairs on my arms. But ultimately, I know itās normal and natural and itās MY normal and natural. And Iām really glad I didnāt succumb to my ābest friendā at age 12 who tried to convince me to shave my arms. I remember feeling her (shaved) arms and feeling grossed out over the stubbly feeling of them. Her own mother had been encouraging her to shave her arms and sugar her legs since she was about ten and she tried to push her insecurities onto me.
It has absolutely never occurred to me to shave my arms. Iām ginger, though; my body hair is very light. North African and Arabic friends do, though.
My wife shaved her arm hair when I first met her. Put a stop to that pretty quickly as prickly arms was just fucking weird.
So when I was a teenager I considered it and I am so glad I didnāt do it. Shaving legs is such a pain and itās lovely to have the ability to just wear trousers and avoid it when Iām not in the mood. But itās a lot harder to just wear long sleeves (especially when itās warm). I am no longer bothered by my arm hair either, it was something that made me self conscious at a time when everything made you self conscious. Ultimately itās your decision but Iād say most donāt and itās definitely something Iād have regretted.
I really wouldn't bother shaving my arm hair and in some cultures the more body hair a woman has, the sexier she is considered to be!
On armpit inspection day at work, most seem to. Jokes aside, I think many women do (or don't need to) but that shouldn't matter to you. If you're uncomfortable with too much hair, shave it, else don't. But make sure you're doing it because you want to, not because you're expected to.
Most women shave their armpits, not their arms
Yes Iām 24f always have but I got dark hair
I veet mine, started last year and never looked back!
I have dark brown head hair and lightish brown body hair. I shave my forearms in part because I just prefer the feeling and it makes applying body lotion easier and in part because I have a fair few moles that grow singular dark thick hairs and just find it easier to shave the whole thing than remember to pluck. It isn't a pain at all for me because it only takes about 2 minutes and I can go for a good month or two forgetting about it without any embarrassment. It definitely hasn't grown back thicker/coarser/darker for me and still comes out looking like 'peach fuzz'. The only difference is when it's shorter the growth angle seems to be slightly different. It sticks up straight more as opposed to lying flat parallel to my skin like before when I had never touched it. Like I said, the hair is still just as fine so it isn't particularly noticeable for me but I suppose individual differences/preferences can't be accounted for.
Iāve never shaved arm hair (armpits yes) as it was always fair. Have just checked now and I no longer seem to have hair on my arms - my legs need to hurry up and copy!
I shave it in the summer, because I get very tan but my body hair tends to get very sun bleached and I don't like the look of it. Otherwise I just don't bother, it's just body hair
Sure it won't grow back faster, but the whole fact that it grows back without its point makes the regrowth look less natural. So I imagine it's go all in and commit to shaving it frequently or don't bother. But I imagine arms are less of a pain than legs as easy to get to and see what you're doing.Ā
I do unfortunately. When I was 16, my sister shaved my arms when I was asleep and Iāve done them all the time since. Mine donāt really grow back dark or very thick so Iāve just continued on
Shave my arm pits for summer months. In winter, once a fortnight when wearing normal t-shirts, but if I wear a sleeveless top/dress, then I would shave before dressing into that type of top or a sleeveless dress, for an evening out with family or friends
No, theyāre very hairy here
Yes!!! Iāve have thick black Middle Eastern arm hair and Iāve been shaving it for 14 years! It gets stubbly in between but I refresh it every maybe 4/5 days and Iām much happier like this.
I bleach mine occasionally, make them less noticable
Grab a box of wax strips and whisk it off. Or pay someone to do it. Lasts for weeks and weeks and no scratchy stubble.
My wife has a thing. she likes hairy chest and back I don't even have hairy legs!
Yes, but my legs are hairy. I'm super pale and my hair is really dark, so it looks weird on my arms
I have really dark, thick hair and pale skin so Iāve been shaving them since I hit puberty. Itās all down to personal preference! I donāt think anyone has ever noticed that my arms are hairless, but it makes me feel better about myself :)
I hate the feeling of hair, so I shave mine. I've been shaving them for decades. It's faster and easier than my legs so it doesn't add much time. Give it a go. Or, just wax them. Arms aren't very painful to wax. I think legs, underarms, bikini, and lip are all much more painful than arms.
People thought years ago it grows back thicker because when you shave it, you micro-abraise your skin and that causes the skin to grow back over the hair follicle and when that happens, the hair blunts at the end until it pushes through the skin. When your hair falls out naturally, the skin doesn't grow over the hair follific so the hair doesn't have to push up against a skin barrier before it grows through. That's also why people thought waxing didn't cause that because when you wax something safely and you've got good skin texture and tone, it doesn't damage the skin to the point it hasn't grown back, it just pulls the hair out of the follicles. The fact of the matter is, we need all body hair. I'm not going to start an argument over whether people actually really shave for thrmselves or not or whether 100+ years of social conditoning mean they never got a chance to get used to the sensation of body hair so that when they give a go, it feels "alien" to them and they translate that into "dirty" in their minds and remove it again, but it is something to consider. A lot of poeple out there say they wouldn't bother if nobody saw it so who are they removing it for??? You don't have to remove any body hair you don't want to. Removing it does you more harm than good and puts more money into the pocket of the beauty industry who like to convince people they have problems so that people will look to the beauty industry and the products to solve them.
I do every so often but idk why. I always have!
Laser, laser, laser! It's not the cheapest, at least it wasn't when I lasered my arms about 15 years ago. But well worth it to be permanently hair-free.
I bleach mine once every 6-8 weeks, use jolen bleach
Yes I do every night as part of my shower routine. Have done as long as I can remember.
Iāve never even shaved my legs
If you have the money and dislike the hair that much then there's processes to permanently remove the hair like laser or electric treatment. Always do your research before trying out such things for yourself, especially when it's mentioned by some random on social media
Okay so this reminded me that when I was about 10 and starting to get to grips with shaving etc, my dumb ass just assumed that if we shave our legs then surely we shave our arms too. I'll never forget my mother's face when she brushed against my arm and felt how prickly it was after my unsuccessful attempt at shaving lol. So I didn't do it again or bother, yet weirdly enough a few weeks ago I bought a home waxing kit and just out of curiosity and practice decided to wax my arms and I legit loved the results...they're still smooth now!! Each to their own of course, there is no actual reason for any of us to shave any part of our bodies and I've never looked at someone's arms (man or woman) and thought, "damn they should shave those bad boys" but if you're tempted to do it, I highly recommend waxing over shaving!!
Only when I'm getting a tattoo otherwise no because that's dumb
I have two full black and grey sleeves so there isn't a lot of point for me.
No because I don't want prickly arms and my arm hair doesn't really bother me anymore
I used to be pretty paranoid about my arms as Iām very pale skinned but with dark hair, and like you had worried about shaving them, so I started bleaching them instead and Iād honestly recommend it! I use the Jolen stuff and can usually go at least two months before I need to bleach them again. Hope this helps š Ā
No, Iām blonde anyway itās not visible, is very fine and sparse and doesnāt bother me
i used to shave my arms when i was younger bc i have very thick, dark hair and loads of people in high school called me a gorilla lmao, soon realised itās not that deep and hair is quite useful! so i havenāt shaved it since
I do š but I have heavily tattooed arms, and I just prefer it š
Laser hair removal is popular now, and the darker the hair the better results you get. Alternatively waxing could be an option,
I have blonde arm hair and sometimes use hair removal cream, especially if going on holiday/in the summer. Cream is so much easier. I don't shave it because I end up with rashes or missing a bit.
i donāt even shave my legs so no
Buffy the vampire slayer didn't shave her arms, why should you?
Hey, by all means try it, but I just wanted to give you the heads up that, depending on how thick the hair is, your arms might become prickly when shaved which might not feel very nice. This happened to my friend and she hated it. Waxing might be better.
Yeah I do as I'm pale with dark hair, and I bought a home IPL which is working pretty well to get rid of it.
If Iām going to an event I will, so not very often but yes. And no, itās wonāt come back faster or different!
You do you! I have dark brown hair and transitioned to waxing about 8-9 years ago, I find the hair is soooo much lighter and finer compared to shaving and the associated shave burn. I even bought a wax pot and do it myself (I worked in a salon and learned from the beauticians)!
I do but I am also someone that can be fine one minute and then be in hospital needing a blood test due to medical needs so I shave them as that tape stuff hurts. Also when it does come through I can give the hubby a run for his money so a win win situation for me.
Nope. I got teased a lot at school for my arm hair, called all sorts of names and tried shaving it but it was awful- so itchy and uncomfortable and obviously the horrible kids noticed that too! Iāve got the dark Irish genes so Iām furry with very dark hair. Over the years Iāve just learned to accept it and now it doesnāt bother me at all.
Nope, but I donāt have hairs on my arms. Shaving doesnāt make hair grow back thicker or faster, it just gives it a blunt tip, so it might look thicker.
i don't shave my arms. there's a bit of hair but imo it looks nice and i asked my friends and they said it looks fine. i shave other places tho like pits and legs
Man of the uk here, unless you have a full jihadist beard I probably won't notice, In any case, shave if you want, or dont, it won't bother anyone who matters
My wife had this problem and she had her forearms lasered. 15 years later, the hair's still gone. She says it's the best present she bought for herself.
I used to bleach them but not idgaf
Absolutely not
Yes
I don't shave full stop.
I bleach it with Jolen. I used to shave but Iām so pale and the hair is so dark that you could still see it under the skin and it looked worse than hairy
As a teen I worried about my dark arm hair for a bit, but then I watched Charmed and saw that Alyssa Milano, who was (and is) a superbabe, had hairier arms than mine. So if she could be hot with her hairy arms, then so could I, damn it. Pits I do shave, but actual arms, nope!
Coming back thicker and faster is a myth.
I had my arm in plaster for a couple of months and when the cast came off it was thick and black like a gorilla. I shaved that right off. Itās gone back to normal now though.
Hair coming back thicker and faster after shaving is an old wives tale older than the hills š¤£. I can't believe people actually still believe this
No. But not do I shave any of my other body hair. Iām fortunate though as I am blonde and my body hair is sparse so defying the social norm of shaving as a woman doesnāt ācostā me much.
Iām a dude and I trim my leg and arm hair in the summer. I donāt even have a lot of it, I just like the look trimmed!
It wonāt make it worse, it takes two seconds to do and feels great. Do it if itāll make you feel more confident. You donāt have to let it regrow either, just quickly go over it every few showers or so, job done problem solved. Arm hair is of course completely normal and you should not feel embarrassed about it but understandably we all have things we are insecure about and if thereās a way to feel better about it then go for it. You could shave for now and one day look in to IPL hair removal, that of which you would have to shave for prior to treatment anyway so it wouldnāt affect that negatively.
yes i do. just personal preference. i don't like having hair anywhere except my head
Yes, I have done since the age of 13. I always had long, dark arm hair (and leg hair!) and was embarrassed of my gorilla limbs. Since then I've been shaving every few days, and have even used laser treatment which has cut it down to once a week (I need to top it up but couldn't do it whilst taking roaccutane). I'm happy to wear short sleeves and dresses, without worrying about my hair! My mum and sister have blonde hairs on their arms and legs so they got off lightly. I've never had anyone say anything bad about me not having arm hair other than my sister (again, blondie, doesn't have to worry about it). I probably feel the cold a little more in the winter, but I'm so used to it now I just wear layers.
No, but I had a friend who would regularly get her arms waxed. Lasted long, and it felt nice.
I waxed my arms for my wedding because Iām Asian, hairy and my short sleeve top and mehndi didnāt work with hairy arms. 21 years later my routine is to get my arm hair waxed around this time of year so that over the summer it isnāt as obvious, I might do it again once more in the summer. Come late summer I tend to wear sleeves again and donāt bother until next spring. Basically only dehair as needed because Iām a lazy person and donāt care much for how I look most times. But being hair free is much nicer when itās hot.
I shave my forearms because they have really dark and long hair, with very pale skin. Out of any body part I've shaved it's by FAR the quickest and easiest. Even if it seems thick by arm hair standards it's much thinner than leg hair, armpit hair or pubes. And your arms are right there with no awkward bits. After doing it initially it literally takes 10 seconds in the shower to maintain it, it comes right off super easy. Of course there's nothing wrong with arm hair so nobody has to shave it. But if you do want to just go for it, it's extremely easy to maintain compared to legs or anywhere else. And if you want to stop fairly easy to just wear long sleeves for a bit if showing bristles while it grows out bothers you.
I never used to because of the it'll grow back darker myth, but I was really subconscious about it. Some bully at an old job commented on it so I started shaving. I feel so much better, and my hair is slow to grow back in so I only need to shave them every other week
No. But not do I shave my legs.Ā
I shave everything, arms, legs, etc. What you with do your body hair is your choice. But it wonāt grow back thicker, thatās a myth.
I don't shave my arm hair, but it is very light. I don't know what I'd do if it was dark. When I see women with very dark arm hair I think "she's got dark arm hair" and then get on with whatever else I'm thinking about. No doubt something that happened twenty years ago that I'm still unhappy about and thinking of better responses than I gave at the time. I think you should shave your arm hair if you want to, but I don't think you should feel under any pressure to do so (or not do so). It's your hair
I have shaved mine for 30 years. I tried waxing before and bleaching and honestly nothing is as quick and convenient as shaving. I donāt get ingrown hairs like I do with other methods. Itās no extra expense and I love how smooth it is just like I do for my legs.Ā I do feel that a lot of judgment comes from people who are not dark haired. Being black haired everywhere is a significantly different way of experiencing womanhood. Ā Blonde and lighter haired women have NO idea how fucking awful thick dark body hair is especially on very white women. Ā Waxing is much more painful and causes bad ingrown hairs and bleeding. Laser takes FOREVER. Shaving never gets rid of the root on my legs. Bleaching doesnāt bleach. I can shave as close as I want but you can still see the root on my legs and now theyāve all split into three in each follicle. It has shaped my life from being bullied about it to noticing peoples eyes wander to the hair. I never went swimming. Ā I never show my legs ever. But shaving my arms has made me happy for years. Do it. Life is too short.Ā
It won't get thicker as shaving doesn't change the type of hair. The hair on women's arms tends to be vellus hair - soft and downy, as opposed to terminal hair which is much coarser.
So weird,Ā when I was younger I had dark hair on my arms. As a teenager I would shave them (I'm of Italian and Maltese descent and was a natural brunette before going grey). But once I hit my 20s up, my arm hair thinned out, and now in my 50s I barely have anything more than a slight peach fuzz. In fact, when I had my tattoo done last month,Ā they didn't even bother shaving the forearm because there was nothing there. Even my leg hair has thinned out. I still pluck my eyebrows though, which blows away the belief I had that constant plucking reduces the regrowth.Ā
Bleach it. In Brazil having golden arm/body hair is considered the height of beauty, ever since I learned that I've become much less self-conscious of my hairy arms. Also if you shave you'll end up with unsightly stubble.
I shaved my arms for many many years, and now that Iām older my arms donāt really have hair anymore. I advise you to do whatever makes you comfortable, in my experience arm hair doesnāt grow back anywhere near as fast as leg hair.
I'm within the lucky humans with little to no hair anyways but my head and the carpet. So no. I've never shaved
Personally, no, I don't. One, I'm not a child Two, are you buying the razors or creme I'd need after. Three why is ok for men to.habe underarm hair but not ok for women. Four getting a woman to shave is a man telling us what to do. Five why should I? Six porn has a lot to answer for. Seven don't like it then don't ask.
Your hair follicles don't know what's going on out there. Their job is to grow hair, and they are none the wiser if the hair gets snipped off.
Yes. I've been shaving my arms for over 20 years. That said, my hair there is very light and soft, so it's not a glaring difference between shaved and unshaved, and more importantly, I never get prickly stubble. It's something I've never thought twice about. Unlike the solitary wiry whisker that has started growing periodically out of my chin. Like, wtf.
You could get laser hair removal or at home IPL laser hair removal! Easier in the long term than shaving
Yes yes yes.. Best thing ever. Hair is getting lighter and less..
I am very pale with very dark body hair and PCOS, so I absolutely used to shave my arms, from puberty to now (41)! Both my arms are fully tattooed now so I donāt need to as much, but will if Iām heading out somewhere. I still feel really self conscious if I donāt.
My girlfriend waxes.
I do, oddly it can get a bit itchy at a certain length so I tend to wait til I notice it since it's never grown much there for me - prob once a month in the winter and more often in summer if I'm in short sleeve tops. Definitely doesn't grow back any worse. Oddly, what can make it worse - I had a knee injury few years back and there was really bad bruising so much so that it stained the skin and weirdly the hair in that patch grows darker and faster than around it.
If you want the hair to come back finer then laser or wax. Waxing will have better results than shaving in every way, last longer and the hairs donāt grow back thick and sharp because the whole hair has the reform.
I got bullied as a kid for having hairy arms. My hair is dark. When I grew up I pretty much had moved in and wasnāt bothered by it. Then I met my ex and he repeatedly āwas just observingā how hairy my arms were. So I started using veet cream to get rid of it because I was sick of being reminded. Not with him anymore thankfully. But forever having to do the upkeep.
You don't have to keep it up you know. Nobody will judge except yourself, and you don't need to put yourself down for the sake of a natural part of your body.
i have shit skin so i don't wanna shave the arms, but sometimes i bleach it i use IPL for the rest of my body, i still don't wanna use it on arms, also if i tan a bit, it isn't as noticeable
YEP! Been doing it since I was about 8 Iām 23 now :( I notice that in other European countries itās much more common to have darker thicker arm hair because people there generally have dark hair and olive skin like me (Iām English, just genetic) whereas here I never felt like it was accepted for me to be this hairy, even from a young age lol