Ladies, why do you shave? Is it because you like the feeling of having smooth legs and armpits, or is it just because it's something that society expects women to do. For me personally, the latter was the reason why I started shaving in the first place.
Growing up, I never really saw the appeal in shaving. My leg hair is blonde and it's practically invisible unless it begins to grow out a lot, so I just didn't shave. I didn't stop shaving because I was lazy, but I just didn't really want to put the time and effort into removing hair that no one could see. And in all honesty, I didn't care that my legs were hairy. Body hair is a natural part of the human body and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
I remember being one of the only girls who didn't really shave their legs in middle school. At the time I didn't care that my legs were hairy. Sure, I wore a skirt every day and my bare legs were always visible, but I didn't necessarily think it was an issue. I didn't actually begin to care that my legs were hairy until a bitchy girl in my class decided to comment on the fact that she could see my leg hair when one of my knee socks fell down. At the time, I was so embarrassed. So I decided to go home and shave my legs only to later have them grow right back out.
The only time I actively made an effort to shave was when I was on the swim team. I started shaving on and off for about two years I would usually only shave about once a week during the season so I could swim faster. I still kept most of my body hair, but I tried to keep it down to a minimum so my hair would create less drag in the water. As soon as the season was over though, I didn't even bother to shave my body hair. I didn't care what anyone thought of my hairy legs anymore.
Having body hair never bothered me and It doesn't change how I distinguish myself to the rest of society. I am still incredibly girly, I love wearing makeup, doing my hair, and wearing dresses and cute clothes. I just happen to choose to let my body hair grow out. The idea that women have to shave their body hair is a social construct. You don't have to shave your body, and it won't make you any less of a woman if you choose not to.
