1) I started shaving my legs when I was in 2nd grade because while my hair was blonde, it was thick, and my older brother called me names like I was bigfoot or something. My mom was horrified when she found out and hid her razer after that.
I got dark armpit hair that embarrassed me WAY younger than any of my friends. Shaving my armpits to conform to society's standards (eyeroll) or to be sexy to a man (omg, double eyeroll) definitely wasn't on my radar at 10 or 11. I just knew my MOM didn't have armpit hair, my sister and my friends didn't have armpit hair...so I didn't want it either. I started shaving it off in the shower with my mom's razor and when she caught wind of it, she was furious with me.
I grew giant knockers in 5th grade. My mom was in deep, deep denial. I stole my sister's old training bra and tried to tame them in that thing, which was uncomfortable and probably hysterical looking. Mom was furious with me again that I wanted to wear a bra so young, and I remember being in tears asking her to please take me to buy my own. She wanted to keep me in undershirts because bras were too grown-up, but when you're rocking full C cups in 5th grade (no exaggeration), an undershirt alone is absurd. It was like she thought buying me a bra (or talking to me about why my armpits grew dark hair when I never saw that on any other girl before?) would be pushing me into adulthood. She was way too far in the other extreme direction. I never even told my mom when I got my first period, because up until then all of my experiences in addressing my changing body with my mother was her being ANGRY at me. Ugh. My mom is the worst.
Oh yeah - I had to beg for my first bra and it was a B cup, so I can SORT of feel ya, but your experience was way worse. In 9th grade I begged my mom for a size D bra and she kept saying I was ridiculous. So we went to the store and she gave me a C. When I was spilling out the top, bottom and sides she was horrified but gave in and handed me a 34D. I get it mom, I didn't want to go from nothing in 7th grade to a D cup in 9th grade either, but there we were!
Pinky is in the sixth grade. She still wears the Hanes 12 pack from Walmart. I don't think I've even seen a thong in the kids section and she ain't getting one no how anyway. Worried about VPL? Wear less tight pants.
If we have a special occasion where the skirt or whatever needs to lie smoothly, we'll get her the seamless style of briefs. I have a few pair myself and they work just fine.
Yeah, this is kind of how my mom handled underwear for me growing up, and I keep pretty similar habits at the ancient age of 30.
So I'm not comprehending the need for a thong in middle or high school at all. Why are you (General you)wearing anything at that age to school that VPL is THAT much of an issue? And if you are, why isn't your mom teaching you that there's other, age appropriate undergarment options out there that get the job done?
I view thongs as a "sexy, grown up" thing, and girls grow up so fast as it is without any type of "peer pressure" relating to their goddamned UNDERWEAR being added into the mix.
Is that what she did? I thought she said having the hair made HER feel dirty.
IDK, this sort of implies she thinks of all pubes as "unhygienic," not just her own.
Being as my public area is yet to be a surgical site, I'll continue to remove the hair just as I do for leg and armpit hair. Yes, partly for the look but also for the purpose of trapping less moisture, sweat, and odor which I consider to be for hygiene.
I guess I just read it as "that is how she feels about hers down there" and not "she must think we are all a bunch of sloppy wet sweaty stinky vulvas up in this joint."
Edited slopy to sloppy, because what IS a slopy vulva?
1) I started shaving my legs when I was in 2nd grade because while my hair was blonde, it was thick, and my older brother called me names like I was bigfoot or something. My mom was horrified when she found out and hid her razer after that.
I got dark armpit hair that embarrassed me WAY younger than any of my friends. Shaving my armpits to conform to society's standards (eyeroll) or to be sexy to a man (omg, double eyeroll) definitely wasn't on my radar at 10 or 11. I just knew my MOM didn't have armpit hair, my sister and my friends didn't have armpit hair...so I didn't want it either. I started shaving it off in the shower with my mom's razor and when she caught wind of it, she was furious with me.
I grew giant knockers in 5th grade. My mom was in deep, deep denial. I stole my sister's old training bra and tried to tame them in that thing, which was uncomfortable and probably hysterical looking. Mom was furious with me again that I wanted to wear a bra so young, and I remember being in tears asking her to please take me to buy my own. She wanted to keep me in undershirts because bras were too grown-up, but when you're rocking full C cups in 5th grade (no exaggeration), an undershirt alone is absurd. It was like she thought buying me a bra (or talking to me about why my armpits grew dark hair when I never saw that on any other girl before?) would be pushing me into adulthood. She was way too far in the other extreme direction. I never even told my mom when I got my first period, because up until then all of my experiences in addressing my changing body with my mother was her being ANGRY at me. Ugh. My mom is the worst.
You want me to beat her for you?
I feel like your mom is the one person you are supposed to count on who can provide sympathy, accurate information, and reasonable discussions on all the things going on with your person. I cannot imagine anything worse than having your mother deepen your confusion and shame at the most embarrassing time of your life.
Is that what she did? I thought she said having the hair made HER feel dirty.
IDK, this sort of implies she thinks of all pubes as "unhygienic," not just her own.
Being as my public area is yet to be a surgical site, I'll continue to remove the hair just as I do for leg and armpit hair. Yes, partly for the look but also for the purpose of trapping less moisture, sweat, and odor which I consider to be for hygiene.
Yea, that was me. That's what hair does. I really don't care if people keep their bushes because its a personal choice but you can't convince me that having a bush at the end of the day will feel or be cleaner.
It's the "be" cleaner that gets me. Not just feeling. But she's saying that women who don't remove their pubes are dirtier than those who do. I take issue with that statement.
(And FWIW, I consider shaving the bikini line for swimsuits way different than full on bush removal. But again, it's clearly an aesthetic issue, not a true hygiene issue.)
Post by downtoearth on Dec 1, 2014 12:15:08 GMT -5
This thread provides WAY more information than I needed today.
I think @dyermaker is a lot like my sister who is only 2 years younger than me. My sister would take a disposable razor from my parents and trim hair and notice things a lot more than me, plus she probably had public hair about the same time as me b/c I was bit of late bloomer and she wasn't. My mom talked with my sisters and us about shaving and using the right stuff to avoid in-grown hairs and what to do if you got an in-grown hair and such, but it wasn't a big deal, just a tutorial type thing. She didn't mention about choosing to not shave likely b/c she wasn't a hippie-boomer, but a more Catholic-girl boomer.
That said, I shave my pits and bikini area regularly, but we swim 1-2 times per week with kids. However, I haven't shaved my legs in 19+ years. Yes, I stopped shaving around age 17 b/c I decided that if guys didn't shave, then I could. I didn't shave my armpits for awhile, but I never loved the 70's bush look, so I have always done the bikini area. I think the last time I shaved my legs was for a swim-team meet. I am sort of sad that I can't commit to not shaving anywhere, but I don't like the look of hairy armpits on me - my hair is not thick and bold, but fine and sort of wimpy.
You know, I was always against shaving/waxing entirely. It seemed like too much work and itchy and what's the point? But when I got divorced and started dating again, I shaved completely because I thought that's what women do these days. Ha. I actually only ended up sharing that fact with my current BF, and I have no idea what his preference is because I found out I actually really like being bare. So I never asked him if he wanted me to keep doing that, because I want to keep doing it for myself. It's a lot easier to keep up than I expected and after doing it for the last 13 months, I don't end up with irritation or ingrowns hardly at all.
I personally do feel cleaner and like I smell less. This is not to say other people are dirty if they don't shave - but as someone who made it to age 31 without shaving (except a couple of random tries that I hated) and now does it regularly, I notice a difference on myself. I think my armpits smell more than your average person's too. I couldn't possibly go more than a day without showring without being embarassingly stinky. So it's just me, but I think I'll keep shaving bare because I feel better about things down there when I do.
Public hair has me in stitches every time I read it. Best typo ever.
Not the same thing, but one day we were closed to a snowstorm and my employer (which has the word "public" in its name) sent an e-mail that morning to all staff that the "[Blah Blah Pubic Blah Blah Blah] was closed due to the snowstorm. Oh, and they also left out one of the words in the name too, so it was an extra ridiculous typo. This was several years ago and every time a snowstorm is coming, this still gets brought up. Because we're all giggly 10-year-olds at heart.
Post by Velar Fricative on Dec 1, 2014 12:24:21 GMT -5
Oh and it's nice to know I wasn't the only person out there who took a razor to her eyebrows. It was senior year of high school and I thought they're just HAD to be a better way of taming my thickass brows instead of waxing or tweezing. That was a really embarrassing time.
I do think that hair can trap odor and sweat. It's why I shave my pits. But I think armpit odor is a different animal entirely than the vag. Plus, any bad odor in the bits comes from the areas that don't have hair and requires more intervention than just a razor or a wax strip.
Oh and it's nice to know I wasn't the only person out there who took a razor to her eyebrows. It was senior year of high school and I thought they're just HAD to be a better way of taming my thickass brows instead of waxing or tweezing. That was a really embarrassing time.
Y'all keep talking about YEARS ago. I have done this foolishness in the past few months. Yeah, I get a razor in my hand and suddenly I want to shave everything except my bush. Amusing when you think about it.
Please note that I am "liking" your stories not because I like that you are bleeding like a mofo whenever you have a razor in your hand but you tell these stories amusingly.
Also my sister and my mom got into a giant fight when my sister was in 10th grade and her school instated a no jeans policy. My sister hates khakis so her back to school wardrobe that year was entirely gray and black dress pants. But then she had VPL. She wanted thongs. Mom flat out refused to buy them. Sister said she'd pay for them herself. Mama forbade them.
Also my sister and my mom got into a giant fight when my sister was in 10th grade and her school instated a no jeans policy. My sister hates khakis so her back to school wardrobe that year was entirely gray and black dress pants. But then she had VPL. She wanted thongs. Mom flat out refused to buy them. Sister said she'd pay for them herself. Mama forbade them.
Dramas.
HA! I'm trying to decide where I stand on this one. I do recall that the reason thongs were so popular was because they didn't have the same variety of options available. Undies were kind of all either briefs or grannies. Spanx, seamless, invisible edge underwear etc hadn't come around yet.
So I guess I would have to think about whether I thought she was being a dumb ass about hating khakis that much. But a tenth grader I think is old enough for some thongs with a legit reason and this seems legit. If she were in the sixth grade though, she'd have to wear the damned khakis, poor lamb. Where is my tiny ass violin?
I feel like laser hair removal isn't getting the love it deserves in this thread. Hate ingrown hairs/itchy crotch/razor burn/accidentally making labia sashimi in the shower? Consider the investment, my friends.
Disclaimer: I truly do not care what is the state of your pubic hair. I'm just mentioning this as an alternative for those who do wish to remove some or all without the hassles or dangers of other removal methods. BONUS: how bad-ass is it to say that you took a long lunch break to go have a laser beam shooting at your asshole?! Talk about being sexy to your mens...trust me THAT conversation alone will do it!
Tell me more.
How much $$ are we talking about? How many appointments?
I do think that hair can trap odor and sweat. It's why I shave my pits. But I think armpit odor is a different animal entirely than the vag. Plus, any bad odor in the bits comes from the areas that don't have hair and requires more intervention than just a razor or a wax strip.
Actually armpit and groin sweat glands are the same--apocrine, which is smelly--vs. eccrine, which is not. And I sweat like a mofo from all. But I actually feel drier with pubes than without.
I got waxed once before a Hawaiian vacation; I loved not having to trim constantly on vacation--during which I was in a bathing suit nearly every day--but that wax job hurt more than just about anything else, and I've had a bowel abscess, LOL.
So, waxing fucking hurts. Shaving leaves razor burn, which is neither sexy nor comfortable. I'm with @majorwife--trimmed to be squirrel-like.
Also my sister and my mom got into a giant fight when my sister was in 10th grade and her school instated a no jeans policy. My sister hates khakis so her back to school wardrobe that year was entirely gray and black dress pants. But then she had VPL. She wanted thongs. Mom flat out refused to buy them. Sister said she'd pay for them herself. Mama forbade them.
Dramas.
My junior prom dress was made of some kind of clingy material that, even though it wasn't scandalously tight or anything, gave me terrible VPL with regular undies. My BFF and I went to the mall and bought my very first thong at VS. When my mom found it (after prom, thank goodness) she was FURIOUS. She dramatically threw it in the garbage in front of me, and gave me the dressing-down of my life. And called my BFF a bad influence on me.
12 years later BFF and I now reminisce about this and laugh hysterically. My mom has mellowed (A LOT) and gets really embarrassed when I bring it up, lol.
Also my sister and my mom got into a giant fight when my sister was in 10th grade and her school instated a no jeans policy. My sister hates khakis so her back to school wardrobe that year was entirely gray and black dress pants. But then she had VPL. She wanted thongs. Mom flat out refused to buy them. Sister said she'd pay for them herself. Mama forbade them.
Dramas.
HA! I'm trying to decide where I stand on this one. I do recall that the reason thongs were so popular was because they didn't have the same variety of options available. Undies were kind of all either briefs or grannies. Spanx, seamless, invisible edge underwear etc hadn't come around yet.
So I guess I would have to think about whether I thought she was being a dumb ass about hating khakis that much. But a tenth grader I think is old enough for some thongs with a legit reason and this seems legit. If she were in the sixth grade though, she'd have to wear the damned khakis, poor lamb. Where is my tiny ass violin?
Mama was supportive of the no khaki's thing so she kinda shot herself in the foot on that one. My sister is pocket sized with curves and couldn't (at that time, in their crappy mall) find any that fit her butt and her waist at the same time while not being awful pleated things. She also just dislikes light colored pants I think? paranoia about sitting in something or having an AF incident? I'm having a hard time remembering the specifics.
Also I think the whole 10th grade part of it made it a losing battle. Had the dress code been in place all along she would have been in whatever mom bought for her in 6th grade. But by 10th? Not so much.
I know Mama was having visions of whale tail which is why she forbade it. She told me as much. And I laughed at her, because seriously - you've met your child, right? You know she doesn't roll like that. Her version of teen rebellion was to join a church and become a youth leader for pete's sake. I think she just wasn't ready for her bitsy baby to grow up.
When I bought my sister the thongs Mama said that if she ever saw them peeking out of sister's pants she'd find them all and burn them. And sister just nodded and smiled, because at that point she understood that it was just a thing she felt like she had to say.
Post by tacosforlife on Dec 1, 2014 12:57:47 GMT -5
I don't see how any logical person wouldn't take dyer's statements to imply that women with full bushes are dirtier than those without. It follows perfectly logically from everything she's said.
When you're being criticized for your own ill-chosen words, it's far easier to change the conversation to "Toledo is a bitch." You're not the first, lol.
Aww poor toledo! I'm not worried about being criticized for what I've said. Ive maintained my view on this for the past several conversation and I don't have a history of dirty deletes, which is why I was surprised it was copied in the same thread but whatevs. If you think your bush is cleaner than not having any hair, great for you. I happen to disagree.
Again, though, it goes back to thinking hair is dirty from when you were a kid. This is a body dysmorphic issue, not a hygiene issue.
Okay that is sooooooooo weird. Everything down there as you give birth is a fucking freakshow and you think the doctor is all omg, hairy? No.
I was told by an L&D nurse on MM that she judges those that go natural. I still don't care but it caused a little bit of sadness that someone was judging me for something so stupid.
I was going to say that I KNOW I've seen medical professional say that they judge bushes and will be all, "OMG, did you see the bush in room 203!" with the other nurses/doctors/whatever. But I just chalk that up to people being unprofessional, immature assholes and carry on my hairy way.
I feel like this went down exactly the way the tampons versus pads debate always does around here. There's always some smug tampon user who goes way overboard with the "ewwwww, pads are so gross!" and then everyone gets all riled up in defense of their offal collection method of choice.
And then there's us menstrual cup people who are trying to tell you that you ALL have it wrong anyway.
I will say that the few months I couldn't even see what was going on down there thanks to my giant belly were kind of liberating.
My sister shaved the morning of her (first) induction. I know this because I asked what took so damn long in the shower.
I guess she did it entirely by feel? I have no idea what possessed her to do so - she mumbled something about people seeing it and wanting to look neat and I let it go because she was blushing.