« Happy Birthday Alegra | Home | Tuesday Thoughts: Helen Keller »
Friday Rant: Stark Shaving Mad
By Stephanie L. Breshears | August 24, 2007
The masochistic ritual of shaving hair from bodies is one that dates back many, many years. There is evidence that Neanderthals in the Stone Age found ways to shave their various furry areas, for one crazy reason or another. It’s not just men that have been doing it, but women too. The Egyptians, especially women, were known to make weird pastes and use copper razors to shave themselves. For whatever reason, shaving has continued to be a practiced experience by people everywhere, men and women alike.
However, advertising is a powerful thing, as we’ve seen. It can make us run out and buy the ugliest shoes or the worst tasting soft drinks, just because of the trendsetting hysteria advertising seems to give off. It is because of mass campaigning that the women of North America continue to pluck, tweeze, Nair, wax and shave any hair they find on their bodies. From the obvious legs, to armpits, bikini waxes, chins and mustaches, ears, nose and even eyebrows, because hey, you can draw those right back in after you shave or tweeze them off.
Apparently it did not take much to convince the already vain women of our continent to continue on with this barbaric tradition. It didn’t take much to convince us that body hair was unfeminine and unhygienic. Let me tell you, if I could get my hands on the person who created that advertising campaign…well, let’s just say it would not be quick or pretty.
Many people might say, “but they’ve made it so convenient with all these creams and waxes and bendable razors that shape to your body”. Screw that! In this modern day and age, why am I still forced to shave? Why am I not born without that excess hair? Why does it still cost a small fortune to have it all laser removed?
Pray tell, what was our great creator thinking by giving women facial hair? I mean, honestly, come on. Isn’t it bad enough that we got the period and cramps and childbirth? Did we really need facial hair too, not to mention hair on our toes, nose and even our breasts? And don’t look away ladies like you don’t know what I am talking about, cause you do.
Le me just point out one other thing in regards shaving your nether-region. Oh, I know there are quite a few of you who do it, I myself do, but honestly, is it really worth it? Yeah, my man enjoys it, but he doesn’t have to deal with the itch, and the razor burn, or the ingrown hairs.
Doesn’t this all sound delightful?. Let’s take a look at razor burn: red, irritated skin with bumps, or rashly looking skin. This is a sexy alternative to our peach fuzz legs right?
Now, let’s get a little more scientific with the razor burn: Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB); classified as an extreme skin disease caused by shaving. The only known cure of PFB is to stop shaving altogether. My question here is, where do I sign up for that? And then my favorite, the ingrown hair: this happens when an individual hair follicle reverses itself and grows back under the skin instead of outward and away from the skin. Often, a pimple will arise. If ingrown hair is not treated, it can become infected and create scarring. Ever been to the hospital for one of those? It’s embarrassing and painful.
And sadly, although shaving is one task that most women hate to deal with, it is also the one task that most women will not skip. It takes a significant amount of time, but even though it is annoying, there are few women who can comfortably live with hairy legs, at least for more than a week or two. Unless we point fingers at our gloriously single friends who can go an entire winter in pants and relieved hairy legs, cause let’s face it, who’s gonna see?
Personally, it’s been almost 1000 years that women have been shaving their unnecessary hair religiously, and in that time, we have figured out how to genetically alter out children until they are exactly what we want, but we have not figured out how to get rid of body hair? Why can’t some scientist work on that? It is not a noble enough feat? Because I can tell you right now that I think it is even more noble than world peace. If women were happier, the world would be a happier place. So please, science, get on this? It’s about time, and do us all a favor, and try to make it affordable? Us working girls aren’t rich!
Discussion Qs: What do you think about shaving? Are you in the smooth pack with the rest of us or are you a hairy rebel? How long have you gone without shaving? What is your least favorite method of shaving?
Tags: Friday Rant, Rants, Articles, Phattitudes |
i am a habitual shaver.
it is almost like a sad addiction. as soon as the stubble surfaces, i will take another shower in order to rid my legs/arms/cooch area of the madness.
*blush*
stupid society.
Blush huh? That’s hot, but back to the issue at hand, I HATE IT! I put it off as long as I can, I swear to goodness, it’s not until it starts driving me mad that I shave. My husband, he can deal with it! LOL!
xxoxx
Stephanie
I have hated hair since I was a small child so I can’t blame society - it was an inborn thing for me…I remember seeing my mom naked ( I was about 5) and proclaiming:
I am NEVER going to grow hair there.
She diplomatically said:
well, yes you will but you can shave it if you want.
To which I said:
No. I am just not going to grow it.
I used to wax the lower region but now I can’t afford it. I wish I could have everything zapped away permanently..it annoys me the amount of time it takes to maintain shaving legs, arms, lulu, pluck eyebrows etc. And then there is always the STUBBLE. Velcro. Ugh.
ANyway, back to work with me.
OH! I am with you, against the whole painful waxing thing though, if I could just lazer it all. There is the one thing I am doing when I sell a book, and as funny as it sounds, I mean it, I am paying to get mine and my best friends excess hair lazer removed!!
xxoxx,
Stephanie
P.S. I typed lazer 4 different ways and not sure if I like the way that one looks, but since I am undecided, I am going with it!! LOL!
Okay so I totally agree with you. I hate having to shave and I also (as you know by now) put shaving off the the very last minute or until its important. I want to do the lazer thing too, but as you said the expense thing is really in the way. Anyway, I wanted to just get in on the action here and put in my two cents.
Jenny B.
You rock Jen and thanks for stopping by!! Yeah, expenses that are just not possible. Hello book sale though and hello smooth skin! LOL
xxoxx
Stephanie
Shaving sucks! But tweezing is fun.
I don’t shave everything often, except the hooha. That’s just a personal preference. I hate shaving my legs and usually do a below-the-knee shave once a week, or so. Unless I’m going swimming. Otherwise, I just wear pants or go swimming after daylight hours
I think if it was affordable, I might remove certain hair-areas. But my philosophy is, love my, love my hairy body.
Good post Steph!
LOL! Yeah, Kemi, I totally agree. But shaving sucks… I want some of that Egyptian paste. No copper razors, I am sure that caused issues health-wise, but the paste, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
P.S. Thanks, it’s really my biggest gripe, other than lying men…but that’s for another day…
Yeap another one of those time honored traditions that we as sheep I mean people follow. Imyslef have never been one to follow all of societies rules. Unfortunately your right in the fact that if women didn’t shave they would get ridiculed but aman can have a hiry back and no one gives a damn. Hmm… another one of those double standards I can’t stand.
Great point in this blog Steph one I never even thought of…
Great work Steph
LOL! Yes, and thank you! Double standards… Yeah, let’s not get me started there… Kemi, I think I just came up with another rant… LOL!
xxoxx
Stephanie
Hey Steph, we can always have follow up rants
YAY!!!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
Maybe i shouldn’t complain about my razor after reading yer shaving horror stories*
Can i offer U a FREE Brazilian Trim??
;PPP
well i don’t like this new Schick Quattro i got either - who needs 4 Blades!!
It’s ridiculous!!
the blades are Huge + $$$ - crazy*
i can’t even give myself a proper Brazilian Trim anymore!!’
;PPP
LMAO! Wonderful! I loved this, and Brazilian trim, who knows. It would not be pleasant I am sure. Yeah, razors, good ones, are just ridiculously expensive. Thanks for reading.
xxoxx
Stephanie
Stubble “down there” sucks! I always shave my face down to the skin but when it comes to private areas just a decent trim will do and they make special clippers for it.
The best part is you can trim just enough to be well groomed, but not have to cut so short you have to deal with stubble.
SO that’s how my wife and I deal with it anyways.
Special clippers? Huh, who and where and how much? LOL! Thanks for reading and for your opinion!
xxoxx
Stephanie
I personally hate shaving. I shaved my legs once with a brand new razor and took off a layer of skin. Blood everywhere. It was horrible. And by that point, I’d already been doing it for years too. For some reason the blades weren’t aligned right. I switched to Nair after that. Until I got the dreaded chemical burn from a bottle that sat too long. I tried the Nad’s natural hair removal system with the cotton strips and that shit didn’t work…but you could eat it and it tasted good. I finally got a nice shaver that I used for a few years till the kids destroyed it….
Now I’m back to a regular three blade razor. I shave below the knee only, and have for years. For some reason hair doesn’t even grow on my thighs really. About every two weeks on average, unless I start to see it on my legs and I think that other people can see it too.
Pits have to be done at LEAST every two days. I can’t STAND hairy pits.
I have always hated cooch hair….but I always went natural. Then one day, Doug mentioned that he really liked the shaved look. So I tried it. It’s not bad….but the itching when the hair starts to come back in is the worst. I’ve decided that I personally like the stage in between. Where the hair is short and fuzzy and barely there….but not scratchy, cause that sucks. I guess ‘well groomed’ was the example Courtni gave. But….if it makes him happy….I guess I can do it sometimes. He’ll have to learn to love well groomed though.
I’ve been super lazy about shaving but I have a feeling though, that when Doug finally comes home after all this time, that I’ll have to shave more. Among other things.
Oh, I pluck my eyebrows too….but I’m so inconsistent with it. I don’t go out enough for anyone to really notice anyway…But plucking my eyebrows is really the last thing I have time for. If it were as simple as the whole acne thing was with just getting a prescription from the dr….I’d totally take a pill to get rid of unwanted hair. Which is really sad, because guys all over are trying to put hair back on their balding heads.
Woo….this got long. Sorry.
Long is absolutely good and I must say, I agree with yu 200%!!! Plucking eyebrows, last on the list, pits have to be shaved (you sweat more if you don’t too)..
And the ITCH! I am with you on the in between, but keeping it there, not the easiest thing!
I can’t do major bushy though, drives me mad.
LOL!!! Thank you SO much for reading and for the long comment. I enjoyed it.
xxoxx
I love the rant….
shaving… sigh… it’s something i do everyday. i dont necessarily hate doing it… it is just one of those many tasks that are done… and by the time i am done its time to wash the conditionar out of my hair…
I guess the main reason i shave is i am very pale complected and have dark hair… that is thick thanks to my italian heritage… (i know the irony - i am pale). my legs would look like furry little creatures if i didnt shave… haha
and the bikini area… i love swimming and am in a swim suit most of the summer… and FOR some reason suits keep getting smaller (i think it has to be the male designers … damn them) and i think it is one hell of an ordeal dealing with all the bathing suit stuff to begin with — that i wouldnt want anything hanging out…
yes razor burn can be bad… and ingrown hairs… but (knocks on wood) my venus razor and cheapy mens shave cream/foam (i love the scent of that colgate stuff) seem to help a lot…
alright there is my two cents
Bathing suits… HATE THEM!!! LOL! Anyway, yes, I look like a furry animal when I grow it for too long! But my husband doesn’t get upset about it at all, so it’s ok, as long as I can get away with it. Thanks Nicole for stopping by!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
I am with planning a complete body lazer as soon as I sell my first born - I don’t think anyone wants a 9 year old though… so it may be a long drawn out ordeal.
I have excema, so if I don’t shave my legs OFTEN… I break out worse, and I tend to scratch till I bleed.
~2
I hate the whole breaking in a new razor, with the bleeding and such, but I understand that you have eczema. My friend has to deal with it too, luckily she was a blessed blond with thin hair! LOL! Thanks 2!!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
The longest I went without shaving one leg (yes! One leg..lol) was about 6 weeks when I had a cast on it from foot to knee.. and wow it was UGLY when the cast came off.. As soon as I was home I was in the bathroom shaving through the forest before anyone saw it!!
LOL! I can imagine that… Poor thing, that would really suck having to deal with that.
I enjoyed reading this and thank you for reading. I appreciate it.
xxoxx
Stephanie
The hair on my legs I don’t shave often. It’s only on the long side on my shins, my thighs I never shave and the hair on my arms are longer than the hair on my thighs. I maybe shave two or three times a year, depending on the occasion. There is no razor burn for hubby, as the hair gets soft from growing. He never complains and could care less. I don’t wear shorts often either. I do shave the pits, esp in the summer, as that can look and feel messy, trim some more intimate areas just for comfort and ease, and what really bugs me is the hair on my big toe. I can’t stand this hair!!! It’s just disgusting. I pluck those out. I do secretly wish I could grow a beard and mustache. That would be cool.
You can have my beard and GOD I know what you mean about the toe hair. I pluck them too! Those and the few hairs on my chin, I pluck those too… Razor burn, bad bad memories. LOL! Thanks or reading, and for commenting!
xxoxx
you can have my beard tooooooo! take it! THAT is So embarassing!
I must say this has been one of those things that has baffled me for years. I HATE being hairy but I HATE scruff on my hair, pits or cooch. Who ever put the idea in my head?!?! My husband doesnt really care one way or another and yet whenever I am not cleanly shaven in every area I feel as though I am dirty and shouldnt be going forth in sexual activity. How STUPID is that?!?!? Damn egyptians! grr!
Not stupid at all. It’s that whole single girl ritual shaving before every date, but not otherwise! LOL!
Thanks Cassi!!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
I’m not sure how I got all the way down here to the ‘add comment’ box… It must have been the shock of seeing 29 comments under the article about of all things.. shaving! Anyway, some of you girls would love this blog entry I wrote about this organization I found made up of women who’d decided to stop shaving in order to compel men to shave…
LOL! I will certainly check your blog out later today since you did make it all the way down here to the add comment box! Thank you!!
xxoxx
Stephanie