OT (sorta): The Leg Shaving Thread

[Duck on Wheels]

Well, I never thought of armpit hair as a hiding place for ticks, but I'm for sure not growing it out now!!!

I always wondered if electric razors for women worked, but I like the Venus razor so much, it's hard to imagine anything improving on that. And I love my Citrus Sun Tea flavor shaving gel, too.

Nanci

Funny. I've only ever got ticks on my head, but I never thought of shaving my hair off to discourage them.

[RoadRaven]

The only ticks I have had encounters with are ones on cattle and on dogs. In my experience, it isn't hair they go for... I have found them in short and long hair on animals, as well as relatively bald patches (like tummies.

The places the ticks I have found seem to have most success in are in places that it is difficult for the animals to reach... briskets, bellies, front and back leg "pits"...

I don't tend to get my armpits near ticks in this country... so no biggie for me. Move down under... no snakes, no scorpians, no stone fish, only three poisonous spiders..... and no armpit-lustful ticks!!!

[jeannierides]

My SO and I camp, so ticks abound... those teeny tiny seed ticks are the worst... they could *live* on you for days and not be seen! We are very careful to check every little place they could hide!
As for shaving, he shaved his legs a couple of times, but I think generally thinks it's a lot of trouble... I shave my legs/armpits and trim around the girly bits (mainly because it feels nice to be smooth), but I have to be careful, because stubble can feel like you're sitting on a pin cushion, and make for a very uncomfortable ride...
I always wore makeup - as soon as my parents would let me, I was spending my money on all kinds of *stuff*! It was not unusual for me to spend a couple of hours *getting ready* (for what, I'm not sure!) ! I was even pretty high in one of the multi-level beauty companies - driving a free car & all of it! In the last 5 years or so, I've been doing less and less. It seems the more fit I become - and comfortable with myself - the less I want to cover up!

[triflor]

The only ticks I have had encounters with are ones on cattle and on dogs. In my experience, it isn't hair they go for... I have found them in short and long hair on animals, as well as relatively bald patches (like tummies.

The places the ticks I have found seem to have most success in are in places that it is difficult for the animals to reach... briskets, bellies, front and back leg "pits"...

I don't tend to get my armpits near ticks in this country... so no biggie for me. Move down under... no snakes, no scorpians, no stone fish, only three poisonous spiders..... and no armpit-lustful ticks!!!

i have been told repeatedly that ticks like warm and dark places on the body, thus armpits. but unless you're doing some serious camp time its not too likely

[DirtDiva]

All I want to know is this: how is it that after thirteen years of trying I still manage to miss more knee hairs than I manage to shave off?

[RoadRaven]

LOL Kiwi... as always... you cut to the most important, philosophical question

Damn good question and it happens to me (after 27 years of shaving my legs too!!!!) and I don't have the answer...

Luuuurve the avatar, btw... most excellent!

[crazycanuck]

I know this may sound a bit odd..but do you shave your legs in the winter??

What's the point???

I need to get another razor...

c

[Shimpie]

EWWWWWW! TICKS! I pull a few off of me almost once a week in high tick season. Considering I see them all the time due to work (I fdo alot of bushwhacking), doesn't mean I get used to them. I've only had one actually dig in.

One year, my coworkers and I had a competition to see who could accumulate the most ticks. If we found a tick crawling on our body we could collect it and pin it to our cubicle walls in clear tape. Whoever collected the most ticks won a Sibley birding guide. It wasn't a contest I wanted to win. Kinda morbid huh? Biologists are just weird that way.

[kelownagirl]

I know this may sound a bit odd..but do you shave your legs in the winter??

What's the point???

I need to get another razor...

c

Not me, well maybe at Christmas.

[Nanci]

I have to shave my legs in the winter- I kept my tan all year last year! Ah, Florida...But, I only manage once or twice a week- usually Friday night, so I have hairless legs for the weekend rides.

[DirtDiva]

LOL Kiwi... as always... you cut to the most important, philosophical question

Damn good question and it happens to me (after 27 years of shaving my legs too!!!!) and I don't have the answer...

Luuuurve the avatar, btw... most excellent!

So there's no hope for my hairy knees then? The avatar photo was taken at the start of last week's Beastway race. I'm the blurry one in the foreground.

[Geonz]

I'm sorry to be such a sociologist, but I don't think we can say that we are doing "exactly what we want". When there will be women with hairy legs and armpits featured in magazines and television on a regular basis (not just a one-time thing like when Julia Roberts flashed a hairy armpit at an Oscar ceremony or something like that), I'll tend to think that there is really a choice. At the moment, there is still pretty strong social opposition to hairy legs for women (and elite men cyclist), coming much more from other women (or other elite men cyclists), by the way...

There will always be a "social opposition" factor - most people are looking for rules to follow. However, we do have a fair amount of choice as to which folks we follow. I work at a school and so I have to figure on the social reality that people make judgements based on appearances, period. If I were to dress in Mennonite garb they would make certain assumptions; there are lots of other subtle assumptions people make, sometimes conscious and sometimes not. One of the agendas of many of the instructors is to get students to examine the assumptions they make and the forces that steer them towards how they prepare their appearance.

I don't wear makeup because I don't want to (I have to spend that time loooking for my keys, and I figure I've saved MESSES of dollars, I figure it *can't* be good for the body, not to mention animal cruelty issues) - but I did wear some when I taught in a school ssytem where it would have been, simply, confusing - teachers just dressed more like church than school there and it would have sent the message that I didn't care for myself at several levels.

At the college level (where I am now), individuality is more expected, though I still confuse people because they can't categorize me. I like that :-)

Shaving? Same issues. I like smoothness and it communicates "mainstream" ... but I'm lazy. Eventually people figure out I'm the "absent-minded professor" type in female manifestation and help me when something's hanging out that shouldn't be, and to put on the right appearance for conferences and what have you. I figure that's like dressing for any other cultural ceremony, even if it's not religious.

[CycleChic06]

I am a leg shaver, I admit I like my legs to be smooth, but occasionaly I get lazy, esp. in the winter, I shave maybe once every two weeks. This used to bug my ex-bf. But whenever he would make a comment about it I would just point out his long nose hair that had always grossed me out but I chose not to say anything about...

I mean, for every hair the guy lost on his head, he got another growing out his nose...at least we as women don't have to worry about that.

[Beth-Ro]

Hello, my name is Beth-ro, and I am a shaver.

I shave my legs from the hair on my little piggies all the way up to my bikini line each and every day of my life. I have done so since the age of 14. Ditto the under arm area. I have my eyebrows waxed every 5 weeks when I get my hair cut. And now that I am over 40, I also have my upper lip waxed.

By the way, what is up with the fine hair on my face suddenly becoming dark, hard, and weird? Hormones can bite me.

As for the shaving, it takes less time in the shower each morning for me to shave then it would for me to figure out why I do it. I spend about 5 minutes in the shower and get all that leg acreage plus pits groomed while my hair conditioner does its magic. Then I rinse and ta-da...smooth for another day.

So, yes, I am an unashamed shaver. The bonus is that my smooth legs are often the only thing I have in common with the peleton.

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, why is it I can have facial hair, wrinkles, gray head hair, AND still get zits? Hormones DO bite.

I shave as needed. Including (these days) parts of my poor beleagured face.

El Cheapo Bic razors, 12 for $1.39 at Bartell's.

Gotta keep some things trimmed, as noted earlier in the thread, both for riding and for... other activities. Plain ol' little scissors work fine.