I gave up shaving years ago for personal reasons. My leg hair is dark and coarse. My arm pit hair is light, soft, and sparse. I’ve got a out-of-shape afro going on in the nether-regions. Now that you know my business…
My partner doesn’t mind the appearance, but there are occasions she’d prefer smooth skin on me. During those times I hand her the razor and I pray I don’t get sliced.
The curious thing for me is the embarrassment I feel displaying my hairy legs in public. When I have a doctor’s appt, I usually preface before disrobing by saying jokingly it’s a lesbian thing. In other situations, like when I’m wearing shorts in the neighborhood, I feel awkward when I notice someone looking at my legs.
It’s sad to me that I feel awkward and embarrassed considering that it is by choice I don’t shave my legs. It shows me how conditioned I am to believe that ladies are supposed to shave their legs and that there is something wrong with them if they don’t. I know not every culture conveys this message to women. There are some cultures, even in the U.S. that consider it okay or even necessary not to shave for aesthetic, philosophical, or religious reasons.