I have really really fine hair, so it never gets prickly. I shave about once a week even during shorts season. The hair just doesn't grow, and what does is so fine, you just can hardly see it until it gets long...which can take a month.
I'm a brunette too. Not sure why it is that way. My mom says it is the blackfeet blood. I just kind of don't get much body hair and my brothers (or me) don't get facial hair (or back or chest).
DH has never said a word about my hair either way, lol.
The bad thing is that I have really fine, thin, baby hair on my head.