Who started the horrible custom of armpit and leg shaving and WHY?

Question

It's stupid. I do it because if I don't people act like I have a disease? Where did this dumb shaving start anyway?

Answer 1

you got the point here. i had a classmate before in college and saw her legs with dark thick hairs. i asked her how it happened since i did not see it before. she told me that she used to shave her legs & when she find it a hassle to herself, she stopped & now when the hairs grow again, it became dark & thick like men's leg hair.
<>my very old neighbor woman (86yrs old), used to shave her hairs below and above her lips when she was young (until the age of 50) & after that, her daughter would help her shave it for herself. but when her daughter got married and she could no longer do it by herself, as 86yrs old, she has a look like a "bigote old woman".
>>>i'm not shaving my hairs on legs, hands or my face, but i only pull out those of the armpit from time to time.
<>in short, this things are purely for business purposes. when women do, they have to buy some stuffs for that eg.shaver; cream; wax; and the like, hence, beauty companies earn this way.

Answer 2

I think it's mostly a social custom. Some say armpit hairs cause more smell but they also help spread the sweat and thus evaporate it more easily. Leg hair really makes no practical difference, you'd need to be *very* hairy before it'd make a difference in hygiene there!

I don't think it's weird not to shave, here in Europe there are more women who don't shave than in the US (less than half shave in Germany, for example) and it's not like we're smelly here. But even in the US I never got any comments about not shaving when I was there for college, and I don't think it was because folks just didn't bring it up. As an exchange student they knew I liked to learn about US habits and customs and they would generally tell me if I did anything 'weird'. Maybe college students are a bit more relaxed about it or this, too, varies a bit depending where in the US you are?

Answer 3

Although the current craze for depilation dates back to the 20th century, women – and, of course, men – have been removing body hair throughout history, and in many different parts of the world. In fact, two of today's fashionable techniques for stripping the short and curlies – waxing and sugaring – were used by Egyptian and Middle-Eastern women thousands of years ago. Other techniques, such as shaving with razors, plucking with tweezers and using depilatory creams, date back just as far, if not further.

Methods of hair removal have stayed basically the same for centuries, but the body parts involved have changed. In Elizabethan times a shaved forehead – even perhaps razored eyebrows – was the height of trendiness.

Today's trend for fuzz-free legs and armpits started with the May 1915 edition of the magazine, Harper's Bazaar, which featured a model wearing a sleeveless evening gown with hairless armpits.

The mode for smooth pits was aided by the Wilkinson Sword Company who had the bright idea of running an ad campaign in the 1920s to persuade women that underarm hair was unhygienic and unfeminine.

As hemlines rose above the ankles women in many Western countries started shaving their legs. During the Second World War a shortage of silk stockings led to a fashion for shaving and leg make-up to simulate stockings.

Recently, there's been the fascination with below-the-belt hair removal, with the 'Brazilian Wax' and the 'Hollywood' feted by a slew of celebrities.

Answer 4

Probably just an agenda ( brainwashing ) made up by the people who own stock in shaving cream and razors. Just to get more money.

Answer 5

At one time hairy females were attractive to the males. Over time and through experimentation, hairless females were found to be most attractive to the males and thus, it became a "standard" for women to be less hairy in order to be "attractive".

Answer 6

If you think it's stupid just don't do it. I personally think not shaving is ugly, and that is why I do it. If you feel fine with it, don't shave. By the way, armpit hair keeps more bacteria as you sweat and it smells bad too.

Answer 7

I shave because I like to be smooth. Even when its just me, i do it for myself. I'm glad we shave.

Answer 8

In order from the human species to differentiate itself from its hairy cousins (monkeys, gorillas), people began to shave hair off in areas in an attempt to resemble less to our hairy cousins

Answer 9

I dont know when it started, but arms was for smell. Women started shaving their arm pits so they wouldn't smell, and legs i think it would be so you dont look like a man, all dressed up with a nice dress and jewelry, and then furry legs. eww gross!

Answer 10

Hairy girls are gross. Do it for the benefit of the species