Teens shaving their arms?

[cruisnfamily]

This is apparently the new "must do" thing. Apparently it is no longer acceptable to have hair on your arms.

So, your opinion please(this is for teen girls), Do you think it's OK to shave their arms?

Please vote, and of course, feel free to add commentary as to why you are for or against.

 

[Beth76]

Sure, why not? I would prefer waxing though.

 

[ElizK]

My DD13 has actually asked me if she could shave hers, and told me about a friend who does it! I told her no way.

 

[Stephanie218]

I would just be afraid that the hair would grow back darker/thicker/any different than it is! i don't have a problem with it, but i don't think i'd be willing to do it until i saw results of a lot of other people.

 

[TottenKing]

My sister is 16 and in my legal custody so I can relate to things like this. Plus, I'm still young enough (I think ) to relate to fashion trends myself.

BUT...arm stubble? Yuck! IF someone has arms that are so hairy it's really a problem, then waxing would be better. It would grow back nicer then stubble.

That being said, I just don't think it's necessary. Dark haired women often have darker arm hair and sometimes more but I've never seen a woman who was less good looking because of her arm hair.

At some point, we have to get these young women to understand about inner beauty, self worth without being anorexic, being more than your outward appearance, etc. Some real women have soft, round bodies...some can't fill a bikini top...and some have arm hair.

 

[Southern4sure]

I would just be afraid that the hair would grow back darker/thicker/any different than it is! i don't have a problem with it, but i don't think i'd be willing to do it until i saw results of a lot of other people.

Exactly

 

[LadyyRedd]

I said Sure! I personally wouldn't do it, but I don't see how it's really any different than shaving your legs. I mean, someone somewhere in history decided to start a fad that shaving your legs was cool and I'm sure people thought she was nuts!

Kimya

 

[monarchsfan16]

I'm a teen with wicked dark hairy arms. I'm self conscious about it, but I don't do anything about it. It would take WAY too much effort.

 

[Wolfen-Sensei]

I've no problem with other people doing it. But I refuse to do it myself. I just think it's stupid, and I'd rather not give in to my peers.

 

[cruisnfamily]

At some point, we have to get these young women to understand about inner beauty, self worth without being anorexic, being more than your outward appearance, etc. Some real women have soft, round bodies...some can't fill a bikini top...and some have arm hair.

I love this thought! Now....how to express this to my 13year old in terms she can understand....any ideas?

Basically she won't listen to anything I say, just keeps repeating "PLEASE" amid tears, apparently she can't go one more day of her life with hair on her arms.(But she's going to! We said no!)

 

[Sparx]

I have no problem if you do it, but you're funny if you think I'm going to.

 

[TottenKing]

Monarchsfan...I used to think my arms were too hairy and my nose was too big. It's part of being a teenager. Even the MOST beautiful girls think something's wrong with them...even if it's small.

I'm glad you see that it's not worth the effort to change something about yourself that's so trivial.

BTW, now I'm happy with the way I look. AND...as I've gotten older...I'm growing more and more toward who I've always wanted to be!

 

[cruisnfamily]

I'm a teen with wicked dark hairy arms. I'm self conscious about it, but I don't do anything about it. It would take WAY too much effort.

Do your peers(not necessarily your friends, but aquaintances) comment on your arms? Do teens these days really and truly notice other peoples arm hair? I can honestly say this is something I've never, ever given a second thought before the last few weeks.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Sure, why not? .......

Could somebody give me some actual, factual "why not"s?

 

[monarchsfan16]

Do your peers(not necessarily your friends, but aquaintances) comment on your arms? Do teens these days really and truly notice other peoples arm hair? I can honestly say this is something I've never, ever given a second thought before the last few weeks.

When we were younger, yes. Well, there are still comments here in the dorm room but that's because we tend to compare. OK, we have competitions to see who's the hairiest (that would be me). After all, there are two Italians in the room
But for the most part we've all grown up enough at this point to not have to worry about that anymore.

 

[kasar]

I don't know the why's or why nots but may I give a possible compromise? I've been bleaching my arm hairs for years. It's practically invisible but no stubble and it lasts for months - arm hair doesn't grow quickly thankfully.

 

[TottenKing]

I love this thought! Now....how to express this to my 13year old in terms she can understand....any ideas?

Basically she won't listen to anything I say, just keeps repeating "PLEASE" amid tears, apparently she can't go one more day of her life with hair on her arms.(But she's going to! We said no!)

Now THAT'S where it breaks down. I try to lead by example as far as being a self-confident woman...despite my post-three-babies body. I find it nearly impossible, still, to get my teen to understand. Sometimes, as cheesy as it sounds, besides leading by example I bring a lot of movies into the house about things I want to get across. Examples:

Real Women Have Curves
Stand and Deliver

Those are just two I can think of right off. I also sound off LOUDLY when I see things that bother me...for instance...clothes in the stores getting smaller and smaller. My sister is slender and she has to wear a large in a lot of the clothes they're selling. Cover models...90 pounds each...and airbrushed to look even thinner! Music that objectified women! I could go on and on and on.

I remember the desperation to fit in in high school (and middle school), though. It was constant and oppressive. You can only do the best you can, repeat affirming phrases about a zillion times, and remember that their brains aren't yet fully developed!!

Eventually, if it's something that's just too crazy, you just have to say "no" and "you'll understand when you're older" as much as you hated that phrase when you were a kid.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Eventually, if it's something that's just too crazy, you just have to say "no" and "you'll understand when you're older" as much as you hated that phrase when you were a kid.

That's pretty much the way I went with it tonight. Mainly because I wasn't getting thru AT ALL. I wasn't saying what she wanted to hear so she wasn't listening at all, just repeating over and over.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I don't know the why's or why nots but may I give a possible compromise? I've been bleaching my arm hairs for years. It's practically invisible but no stubble and it lasts for months - arm hair doesn't grow quickly thankfully.

I immediately offered this up, she's not buying. Apparently even her blond friends shave their arms...it's not the color it's the fact that it's HAIR.....I don't get it!

I think the following statement sums it up:

.....and remember that their brains aren't yet fully developed!!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I say why not? Hairy arms can make a girl very self conscious. I'm half hispanic, and though I'm white as they get thanks to my mom, I got the hairy arms from my dad's side of the family. I started shaving them when I was a teen. As an adult I tried to wax them - will never do that again! It doesn't grow back thicker, or darker. In fact it grows very slowly and I only have to do it about once a month. And you can hardly see arms stubble - it's not course like leg stubble. It's no different than shaving your legs, or other things, IMO.