Why do women shave their legs?

[Anonymous]

I am not saying whether it is good or bad, but I just wonder why people originally started doing it.

Updates

+1 y

edit 1: I am asking why it was originally invented

[Elarra]

I honestly don't know. There are more countries that do not shave than those that do. From what I heard, shaving for women in America started like in the early 1900's, like pre-Depression, and happened because dresses had become shorter and exposed arms, which in and of itself was a bit hoe-ish back then. I think that shaving came with the dress as it was seen as inappropriate to display hair that way. But before then, I don't think women shaved because they didn't need to. Their garments were large enough that there wasn't a need for it.

Basically, it was a fashion trend that went 'viral'.

[cipher42]

I mean different cultures started doing it for different reasons. Like the ancient egyptians shaved pretty much everything because that helped them avoid lice and fleas. But in terms of modern western women, it started because fashion trends changed and because of pressures from the advertising industry. Basically skirts got shorter, so legs were more revealed, and the fashion and advertising industries took that and used it to tell women that shaving their legs was super important and necessary to look good.

[ouzaki]

Maybe to make another difference between the two genders.
In the society the woman is supposed to have smooth skin in order to be more feminin and the man should be hairy cause it's a sign of virility.

[Desisit4me]

Do you feel men should also shave/wax their legs are and chest?

[hottiegalhere]

and the man should be hairy cause it's a sign of virility?
Seriously?
You feel this?

[ouzaki]

@hottiegalhere No I don't agree with this idea but as I said "in the society the man should be hairy cause it's a sign of virility" ==> The society's point of view

[ouzaki]

@Desisit4me Do what you feel makes you feel confident

[hottiegalhere]

F*ck what society says. ;)
Being a young woman what do you feel?

[ouzaki]

@hottiegalhere Lol
I honestly feel like everybody should do what makes them feel comfortable and confident.
What about you?

[hottiegalhere]

Maybe I would feel odd if my man comes to me with shaved legs... You? Would you prefer your man that way?

[ouzaki]

@hottiegalhere I don't think I would mind but I would prefer him not to do it. I wouldn't ask him to stop cause I wouldn't like him to tell me what to do about my hairs lol

[Whendutycalls]

It's started with the Egyptians who started shaving to discourage the spread of disease and vermin, such as lice and other creepy-crawlies. Then the Roman's picked up on it and it just spread from there

[wankiam]

that makes sense but if thats the case why did men not do the same?

[Whendutycalls]

Egyptian men did shave as well. Cleanliness to Egyptians was basically their number one priority. They kept everything shaved and would take multiple baths a day to keep disease and sickness rates down. Roman men however did not pick up on the shaving, because they saw being hairless as a type of deformity. The women did however because they saw it as a fashion statement, the trend caught on.

[wankiam]

maybe true but in the middle ages it was lost again so why is it here today?

[Whendutycalls]

I believe it was picked back up in the early to mid 1900s when hemlines started getting shorter and woman started exposing their legs again.

[wankiam]

so a 900yr gap with no link to its resurgence though i think you are right and personally im glad. the next question would be about shaving/waxing other bits but i guess porn has driven that forward

[Whendutycalls]

In that 900yrs I don't think it ever truly stopped. It may not be written in the history books but I'm sure women were still using creams and ointments to remove body hair. I can't imagine something like that just ceasing 100%. That parts just my opinion though.

[wankiam]

part of that time was the dark ages where people went back to living in mud huts so i can imagine a lot of that time did not involve vanity of any sort but its interesting stuff nevertheless

[Whendutycalls]

Yeah you're right, those 900yrs will remain a mystery I suppose

[wankiam]

perhaps when capitalism collapses like the roman and greek and egyptians civilisations fucked up before and when we go back to mud huts then shaving legs will die out again for a few years

[Whendutycalls]

😂😂 If that happens I hope and pray it dies out.

[DaKing]

Our perception of beauty changes greatly throughout history. If I had to guess, the moment it became okay for women to show more and more of their legs through their clothing so did the need for the lack of female hair.

Also I wouldn't put it past being a marketing campaign lol. "Real women shave their legs" to drive up razor sales haha
No different than marketing campaigns told us we needed to have a diamond to propose.

[AriadneSky]

no, its sanitary... men should do it too.

[DaKing]

@AriadneSky
There are no sanitary reasons to not have hair. If there was we wouldn't have hair on head either. Maybe you should research what you talk about before making random statements.

There are more evolutionary reasons to have hair than not to.

[Tomblebee]

Are razor injuries sanitary?

[Anonymous]

I don't know, to me it doesn't makes any sense because women naturally have very very less body hair, it's us men who need to shave and wax off our body hair.
Isn't it?

[AriadneSky]

yes, yes you should.

[Opinion Owner]

@AriadneSky am glad you agree to it.
Instead of women men should be shaving and waxing... Women don't need it at alk

[JanaTalks]

I started doing it because people would call me a man and make fun of my hairy legs. Also maybe you just want to impress someone you like. Or its just society putting pressure on you.

[BubbleBoy69]

This look like man legs to you?

i.telegraph.co.uk/.../...r-hairylegs2_2975325c.jpg

[Asker]

@BubbleBoy69 Those legs could go either way to me

[helloitsmethere]

@BubbleBoy69 I should now stop complaining about how I'm a hairy girl (im kinda one still but I keep myself groomed lol) I guess for some girls their leg hair grows in that long but mine barely grows in quarter of an inch.

[Eternal_Flame]

I don't , I wax them 😜 it's more feminine to have smooth legs. It looks nicer than having hairy legs while wearing a skirt

[Desisit4me]

Do you feel men should also wax their legs especially before wearing shorts or before getting intimate with a woman?

[Eternal_Flame]

@Desisit4me

I like hairy legs on a man 😜😍

[hottiegalhere]

Really hairy chest and legs? 😋

[Desisit4me]

O wow :)
Super hairy torsos and lots of leg n arms hair?

[Eternal_Flame]

@hottiegalhere

Not excessive , but not totally smooth either

[Desisit4me]

Better smoothness waxed over EXCESS hairy?

[Eternal_Flame]

@Desisit4me

Not waxing, maybe just trimming it if it's in excess

[Desisit4me]

Trimming might leave stubbly prickly feeling especially since the hairs are pretty coarse and dense.
No?
Out of totally waxed or totally natural very hairy... What's better?

[Eternal_Flame]

@Desisit4me

No, if you shave it then it becomes stubbly and itchy. You can trim it without making it too short so as to make it stubbly and prickly

I'd rather a guy was very hair than totally waxed

[Desisit4me]

Thanks. But what about hair on weird places such as the shoulders and upper arms?

[hottiegalhere]

@Desisit4me stfu dude

[Kolya]

because they have beautiful legs and want a man to appreciate them

[YaBaba]

I have no idea.
I started because it was seen as weird not to when I came here.

[Aduxx]

I feel like if I don't do it someone will judge me. There are a lot of guys, or even girls who makes fun of girls with hairy legs.

[helloitsmethere]

Because the feeling of your legs right after is awesome.

[gokhankoyu]

It caused buy boys. Males sense of beauty shapes the womens' life unfortunately.

[helloitsmethere]

Actually, I just started shaving my legs because I hated seeing hair on my legs, boys didn't really influence me shaving my leg hair lol.

[gokhankoyu]

@helloitsmethere so you are not one of those womens who ı am talking about

[helloitsmethere]

No, I just wanted to shave my legs lol
Plus the feeling of it after is so amazing.

[gokhankoyu]

@helloitsmethere I know that feeling. :D

[AriadneSky]

i dont like body hair. on anyone one. its gross.

[chickentiikaa]

because hairy legs are unnattractive

[Asker]

But who decided they were unattractive originally? have to think critically here

[chickentiikaa]

isn't it obvious because hairy legs are disgusting, most people found them gross in the olden days and that is why people find them unattractive now because

[Desisit4me]

But why don't men shave their legs... Even men don't shave their whole chest sometimes...

[chickentiikaa]

@Desisit4me yep and its disgusting they need to start, they probably think it makes them more manly

[Desisit4me]

I personally feel it makes men more inferior and animalistic next to women!
by the way which one is you in the pic?

[That1tallguy]

it's what society expects them to do

[BoySittingOnTheMoon]

I guess they feel sexy.

[cupidkisses]

i personally like being hairless thats why

[bubbletrouble]

Society began to believe it was more feminine?

[ExperimentalMale]

They look good shaved and much more sexy.

[J_12_L]

So they don't have hairy legs

[Asker]

doesn't answer the question in the slightest

[shainart]

More feminine

[airishere]

So if a man shaves his legs?

[wankiam]

it is seen that way but thats social convention and doesn't really answer the question

[shainart]

Well when you find someone with the actual scientific reason hmu

[wankiam]

yeah i think thats the point of the question... i would certainly like to know its origins ;)

[CT_CD]

I'm glad they do

[jemmyjems]

to not be hairy

[airishere]

Men should also wax and shave their legs including the chest?

[Desisit4me]

Men shaving legs? Equally sexy?