Now I don't if it's just me, but I feel quite alone when it comes to being one of those hairy girls. It's still not something we see people talking about that much and there shouldn't be any shame in it. Whether you rock the hair you were given or prefer the newborn feel, do you. Society should just learn to be a little more forgiving and less judgemental - de-fuzzing takes a lot of time and commitment, which is a luxury that some people just don't have.
Hair removal being the time consuming faff it is, razor burn is a particularly huge problem. Having coarser hair seems to make me more susceptible to the old shaving rash. I recommend treating it with aloe vera/a stick based deodorant. My poor pits can't meet a razor more than once a week as they just get too sore so I have to plan my t-shirt wearing days around then.
I turned to epilating two years ago and it has made it much easier - my hair appears a little thinner and doesn't grow as frequently. Hair does grow in cycles, so there are some patches I have to attend to a little more often but I'd highly recommend in general. I hoped it would reduce the appearance of my pronounced hair follicles, but sadly not. Something I just have to get over, I guess. I still haven't 'plucked' up the courage to introduce the epilator to areas other than my legs yet; I cringe at the thought. Is it as bad as I imagine?
I LOL at the days when early in my relationship I used to panic if there was a smidge of stubble on my body in the fear Kyle might feel it. Desirability shouldn't be partly based on the smoothness of one's limbs, but it was a big deal. For me, it was more that I just wanted to make the effort and feel more attractive. Now, I don't want to say I care less about wanting to look good for Kyle, but it's not a particularly important factor (I think I actually do it more for work than for him). I personally prefer the hair free look on myself as it feels uncomfortable to be on the hairy side, but kudos to those who rock it.
I will admit, I still haven't really divulged the ins and outs even to Kyle about the extent of my hairyness and the unwanted places it grows. I hide the fact that I have to reach for the tweezers to sort the chin and upper lip situation out - we'd probably joke about it, but I'm still not all that comfortable even with myself that I have to do it. If we were to do a poll, there probably maybe more women with unwanted hair problems than those without, which may make us the 'normal' ones, but I'm just hoping there. Annoyingly, of all the places on my body that could do with a few more follicles, it's my eyebrows; that's a place that seems to be balding, but I digress.
Writing this has made me realise I still haven't fully accepted the fact I am just a little hairier than the average female and there is a level of shame I carry. Similar to the way I feel about my nose - that I don't feel like I should have been born with it, that it's unfair and a burden I don't want to be plagued with. I know within myself it's not something that defines me. My passions, interests and humour are more important and should be my concern as the lasting impression on those I meet, surely? It's hard to unwind the lasting impact of society's messages. Everyone has their insecurities and this factor is just one of mine, but learning to manage and live with 'it' as part of my routine is just something I have to get on with. I know it's a dampener when it comes the warmer months or breaks away and it can get me down.
Until laser hair removal is a more of a feasible option, I just need to be more lenient on myself. If you're not happy with something, fix it; just don't do it because society makes you feel you should. Do it for you.
How do you feel about body hair? What's your favourite method for removal? I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.
K.
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