Shave, NAIR, wax, or nothing?
Spring is in the air, I tell you. Once the temps went over the 50-degree mark over the weekend, I was ready to don a pair of shorts or capris or guachos. Then, I looked down on my shins at my hairy, hairy legs. I couldn't bare those things in public. It's not in me.
It's another manic Monday, and I need a little brain candy. How do you mamas handle your body hair -- on legs, in underarm areas, in other areas? Do you shave? Wax? At home or somewhere else? Just let it be? Pluck? I'm curious.
I have been seeing Jane Cowan for 5 or 6 years. She does my brows and bikini wax. She's fantastic. I don't like perfectly sculpted brows or overplucked-looking brows and she's the ONLY one I would trust with the job. Here's her web site: http://www.janecowan.com/
Posted by: anon | February 11, 2008 at 02:14 PM
A few years ago, I started using my man's beard trimmer to trim my leg hair. It gives me a close enough shave--I don't need my stems to me completely smooth--and ingrown hairs are a thing of the past. Plus it is a whole lot faster than the razor routine. Call me crazy, but I think my leg hair is less thick and a bit softer now too.
Posted by: gemma | February 11, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Shave underarms every couple days, lower legs once a week or so in the summer (more like once a month in the winter), entire legs about once a month. I get my eyebrows waxed at a salon - I'm too wimpy to pluck!
Posted by: Makeshift Mama | February 11, 2008 at 02:30 PM
You know, it is really quite nice to be, er, totally cleaned up in the nether regions. I go for the Brazilian wax now and then.
Posted by: nice n smooth | February 11, 2008 at 03:55 PM
I go to Wax On to get my brows and bikini done. My waxer, Kristan, is amazing. I shave my underarms and my legs about every other day.
Posted by: Erica | February 11, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Kerin, the owner of At The Salon, has a gentle touch.
2075 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 295-1242
Since becomming a mama I can't seem to make the time to see her. Hairy legs these days get the razor when I have a moment. Needless to say I am a very hairy mama right now...
Posted by: plain jane | February 11, 2008 at 08:15 PM
I have _never_ shaved my underarms or legs. Oh, wait-I'm a guy.
Posted by: Infiltrator | February 11, 2008 at 08:20 PM
Yes infiltrator, but have you shaved your BACK???? I hear they have great waxing options for your set too...I had a partner once who could have benefitted....had I only known....
Posted by: Debby | February 11, 2008 at 09:10 PM
I shave my legs occasionally in the summer. Actually it's been a little more regularly the past couple summers, up to a couple times a week. Underarms is very rare, and I end up regretting it later. Always way too ouchie! I probably wouldn't do either if I wasn't a dark haired girl.
Don't see any reason to do anything with my eyebrows.
Perhaps someday I'll decide I want to be really girly and get a waxing of some sort, but that day hasn't come yet.
Posted by: hairy ;) | February 11, 2008 at 09:42 PM
I use this stuff called 'Magic Powder' You can find it at walgreens or any super market. It is this powder that you mix with water,leave on for 3 minutes, and then scrape off with a spatula & rinse.
Hooray for hairy armpits! You know, I had never shaved my armpits until I moved here 8 yrs ago.I had a boss who gave me a razor and told me it was my armpit hair or my job. So I walked off the job. Then I freaked out and shaved them for my next job interview!
It was a trip,..after living in Italy and SF where nobody noticed.
So now, it depends on the mood or the month, whether there is hair there!
Posted by: half bald | February 12, 2008 at 12:15 AM
i go to kerin too! she does an amazing job with eyebrows. i used to have my legs done there too, but having no job and no time now that i have kids, i don't go. and i shave legs not nearly often enough in winter. my friend had laser on her nether regions, but i'm thinking all that money i spent on waxing my legs might have been better spent on laser. i think i'm going to go for that on my armpits (if i never had to shave them again, hooray!) and maybe lower leg....
Posted by: shannon | February 12, 2008 at 02:34 AM
Embarrassing question, but I am 5 mo pregnant right now and am considering getting a bikini wax before I have the baby (I have to have a scheduled c-section) so as to avoid the ingrown hairs I got last time due to the nurses' inexpert and hasty shaving of that area. I've had a couple bikini waxes before pregnancy and while I wouldn't do that for *fun*, they were bearable (the aesthetician had a "gentle" touch). Does anyone know if it is more painful during pregnancy? And follow-up question, can anyone recommend someone who also has a "gentle touch" (I've moved since my last bikini wax).
Posted by: Carole | February 12, 2008 at 03:41 AM
Carole - things might have changed since your first child. shaving prior to surgery is falling out of favor as it can lead to higher rates of skin/soft tissue infections.
if you were to get a wax before, i would make sure that it is enough time before the surgery for healing to occur.
this is the same kind of logic that is behind recommending NOT to shave your legs right before a foot treatment (whirlpool) with pedicure
Posted by: Rebecca | February 12, 2008 at 04:40 AM
About 6 years ago I got laser hair removal all over my legs and bikini.
Expensive but one of the best things I've ever treated myself to. Now I don't have to think about it. I got it at Sona Laser Center.
It is most effective on people with dark hair and light skin.
Posted by: gg | February 12, 2008 at 07:15 AM
Such a good topic. Everyday I wake up and repeat the following mantra: "I will deal with my out-of-control pubic hair today!"
I've been saying this for 6-months and ladies, it's getting ugly down there. I need some inspiration. Help!
Posted by: Elaine | February 12, 2008 at 07:34 AM
Carole, I have been getting waxed for +3 years now - underarms, brow and brazil. I continued while I was pregnant w/my last baby and really didn't feel it was more painful. Definitely not as bad as when I am premenstrual.
I go to La Muse over in NE and Mural is amazing! But just a warning her bikini is practically going to brazil so be prepared!
Posted by: daphne | February 12, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Ok, I'll be the odd woman out and admit that I don't shave anything. I went through a 17 Magazine-induced period of nair and pink razors back in high school, but I quit in college and haven't shaved since then (uh, that would be 21 years. Yikes).
I'm not a hard-core hippie, nor do I have anything against anyone else shaving - each to her own! But just personally, I don't like to do it. It kind of makes my skin crawl. Plus the having-to-keep-up-with-it factor.
Posted by: Zinemama | February 12, 2008 at 08:15 AM
My waxer moved and I've had a hard time finding someone to replace her that I like. One gal actually removed almost all my brows and still left them uneven! My running buddy does her own brow waxing so she's been doing mine and I'm happy just to be a little cleaned up. As for legs, I shave at least every other day. Regardless of time of year. I don't want my husband to feel like he lives with a hairy swamp creature (even though he says he doesn't care). Plus it's embarassing to go to the gym and catch a glimpse of the hair sparkling in the flourescent light! Armpits everytime I shower. I really don't like to have hair there. Bikini, I need a new waxer. I'm gonna try one of the suggestions above. This is a fun string to read. Thanks UM!
Posted by: Molly | February 12, 2008 at 09:12 AM
I stopped shaving about 2 years ago. I never really got into the habit of shaving every day anyway. I grew up to feel like shaving was bad, naughty, or immoral. I don't know why - I think it was/is a cultural thing. My mom still harbors similar thoughts about shaving, which sucks because I grew up feeling like the odd girl out whose mom would never let her shave. I had to hide razors and buy them on the sly if I wanted smooth legs. It was weird (like I said, a cultural non-American thing), but anyway .....
I started strictly waxing 2 winters ago when Dosha Salon kept offering these 50% off services during their slow season. I got hooked and I love waxing. I'll even pluck when I have nothing better to do; it's sort of therapeutic, the repetitive motions. I can't spend the money for regular salon waxing, so I do it at home often. I find wax strips at Fred Meyer (don't like the Sally Hansen variety; the Parissa works better for me). Waxing legs at home is easy, underarms at home is hard, and bikini lines at home is impossible.
If I do get out to a salon wax, sometimes I go to Beau Monde or Phagans (beauty schools offering discount services by students).
For some previous suggestions on wax salons:
http://urbanmamas.typepad.com/urbanmamas/2006/05/wax_on_wax_off.html
Posted by: olivia | February 12, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Carole- Yes it is more painful during pregnancy, I think due to increased blood flow. Some places offer a topical numbing cream which I believe is safe during pregnancy. I have to give a shout out to my favorite place- Urban Waxx. I have sensitive skin and never experience any irritation after a wax. Plus, everyone I've used there makes you feel completely unselfconscious about the whole process.
Posted by: mama28 | February 12, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Anyone feel like giving us mamas-not-in-the-know a run down on what laser involves (how many visits, how much pain, any scarring, is it something that other people will be able to tell you are doing (like with arms -will they be too red for me to go to work?) and what nether region waxing involves - are you supposed to have hair a certain length before waxing? How bad does the first time hurt? How long til it grows back? Anything to know about caring for that area before/after your appointment? I remember hearing about exfoliating post-waxing?
Posted by: anon | February 12, 2008 at 11:38 AM
What about lip/chin waxing anyone have that issue? I haven't done it before but am getting to the point....if you do, how often, do you go somewhere or do it yourself, any tips and do you regret it?
Posted by: edahl | February 12, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I get lip, brow, leg, and the occasional bikini wax done at Sugar Lab on NE Broadway by Noni. She is so great, very gentle, and more importantly very fast! She can wax my whole legs in about twenty minutes.
To the woman wanting to know about waxing procedures: bikini waxes, in my opinion are quite painful, and your hair needs to be at least 1/4 of an inch (legs or bikini, face can be a bit less) for it to work. The hair grows back in a few weeks. Probably to maintain you would need to wax about once a month.
Posted by: Jessi | February 12, 2008 at 12:17 PM
I cannot remember the last time I shaved my legs. I like the hair free look if the skin exposed, but I don't think you can tell if I shave them or not. In the summer, if I need to dress up or if I notice them, I give them a once over.
The pits are the pits though. I'd love to not to have to shave them since it seems so tedious. Waxing? Hmmm, I'm intrigued.
Posted by: hau | February 12, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Okay, I may be in the vast minority here, but I don't shave my armpits very often - just during the summer when I'm going to the beach or some event where I'm wearing something sleeveless. Why? My husband actually loves it when my armpits are a bit fuzzy! Am I the only one out there?
Posted by: Fuzzy | February 12, 2008 at 09:46 PM
Maybe it's light skin and dark hair, but I get a 5 o'clock shadow if I shave my legs. I envy people who can do it less than daily and not look stubbly! I switched to waxing at home, and now make my own sugar solution, which I prefer to anything from a store. (Many recipes online, and I love the one that says leftovers may be refrigerated or eaten!)
Posted by: jenny | February 12, 2008 at 10:42 PM
I'll echo a few people here- I wax pretty much everything... if i get really lazy, i'll shave, but i try to stay on the waxing train. However, i have been "blessed" (?) with plenty of very thick and very dark hair! So shaving just kind of doesn't work that well on a long-term basis. and, like everyone else, i'm a lot hairier in the winters, because who cares to keep up with it all then?
I also like Kristan at Wax-On on burnside.
I have also recently discovered Heidi at Ethereal Day Spa on NE 28th/restaurant row. She is SO great! she's a total pleasure to be around, and she is a mama of a young babe, so i can always bring my son to my appointment and it's totally chill. her waxing room is huge and spacious and pretty - the whole vibe is great - beautiful and friendly. i can't recommend her enough. oh- and she's one of the more affordable waxers in town.
Posted by: Sadie Rose | February 12, 2008 at 11:01 PM
It's funny how different cultures normalize different things. My Italian ex-boyfriend used to walk down the Mediterranean beaches laughing so hard at all the tourists with their "bald" armpits, he would actually fall over!
Alot of Europeans think that shaving is for fetishists.
Even though I am kind of a feminist, I shave now because my husband prefers it.
Posted by: recently bald | February 12, 2008 at 11:06 PM
With my family genetics I could write a book. I'm facing a full beard later in life.
Waxing is great, I do it whenever we can afford it. I never had the guts to do it to myself, there's something about causing your own pain.... with Brows all you really need to do is have it done really well once, then pluck along the lines created...
Those wondering about laser, I had my chin done before my first child, 6 visits, got a 50% off deal and it was still about $200. So SPENDY! But then I had a boy and much of the hair came back. Wish I could find the money to do it again, was great till the hormones of pregnancy kicked in. Plus, plucking causes my chin to breakout into acne. (Laser kills germs so rids you of acne in the area as well). Thing about laser, only really works on dark hair. Which is why I'm desperate to do it again before it all turns white. (genetics again -50% gray at 34 and I consider myself lucky compared to my mom ....but that is another topic)
Posted by: Lisa | February 13, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Fuzzy, my husband doesn't care about the armpits, so he isn't quite up to your partner's pace but it certainly doesn't bother him.
I had a wonderful hairy college phase where I never shaved or waxed anything & walked around offending people w/ all my dark curly hair all summer. I particularly loved wearing short sexy dresses w/ bare legs. The look of it never bothered me bare...
But now that I'm a boring old worker bee, I hate how leg hair sticks out of panty hose in the cold season. Oh well.
Posted by: hirsute her | February 13, 2008 at 04:58 PM
When people shave, how do you avoid ingrown hairs? Can you NAIR (or whatever is used) your armpits?
Posted by: t | March 19, 2008 at 01:52 PM
When people shave, how do you avoid ingrown hairs? Can you NAIR (or whatever is used) your armpits?
Posted by: t | March 19, 2008 at 01:53 PM
When people shave, how do you avoid ingrown hairs? Can you NAIR (or whatever is used) your armpits?
Posted by: t | March 19, 2008 at 01:53 PM
I use Nads, which is a terrible name for a great product. I do my legs and get help in the summer from my husband for my underarms (I put it on, he is summoned to come rip the cloth strip off...). Totally dig it and have been Nads-ing for years now. Leg hair is noticeably thinner, esp. on my shins. I don't think it hurts after the first strip. Plus, the fabric strips are reusable and if you can recycle the plastic it comes in, there's not much waste.
Posted by: ab | April 22, 2008 at 04:53 PM
I shave my legs & armpits.
I had my bikini line lasered & trim the rest with a mustache shaver.
I pluck my eyebrows.
I plan to get my legs lasered as soon as a spot on my leg heals from running into a table. I shave daily and it's gotten to the point where my legs itch from irritation. If I don't shave they itch from the growout. I love the results of my bikini line being lasered so I'm just going to bite the bullet and suffer the expense.
Posted by: k | April 23, 2008 at 06:53 AM
i got laser done on my legs and nether regions. Its worked with much less treatments on my legs. I got the "unlimited" package for the bikini area which I totally recommend since its trickier there. The legs I got a cheaper 6 time deal. I've gotten the legs done twice now, and I have no hair at all for about a month. NOTHING. Then some has come back each time so far but its much reduced and doesn't even look that bad if I don't shave. I expect I will be shave free on my legs after the 6 with the way its going. Bikini I have had done maybe 7 times, and some areas are still challenging but it might be because I changed "the line" part way through.
You shave prior to going in, and you can't be tan. It does hurt. But I am free of nasty ingrown hair issues, and boyfriend loves it too :)
Posted by: Brittney | June 02, 2008 at 03:09 PM
I love living in Portland, as no one cares one whit whether I shave or not. Such freedom from the patriarchal notion about being hairless. That said, I do shave my armpits about twice a week, since if I don't, my deodorant doesn't work. I choose to shave my legs in the summer, but not the rest of the year. I laughed when I read "hirsute her"'s line about the leg hairs sticking out of the nylon stockings...I've had that, too.
Posted by: Susan | June 05, 2008 at 07:39 AM
If anyone would like to enjoy the freedom of not shaving everyday, please do visit Brow Betty!
BROW BETTY is Portland's newest waxing parlor that specializes in Eyebrow Artistry. Everyone knows what fantastic eyebrows can do for your pretty faces so why not go to an expert! From eyebrows to "Full Bettys" (of course, brazilian wax), Brow Betty is dedicated to improving everyone's routine of hair removal. & please note that men services are encouraged too! Man Brows to "man-zillians," Brow Betty is the place to go.
www.browbetty.com
*located in Tigard, in the Bridgeport Village shopping area
Posted by: iluvlashes | March 30, 2009 at 11:06 AM
I am so blessed coz i don't need to undergo in this kind of treatment my friend told that it is very painful when she use to a wax treatment,but of course if its help me i am willing to undergo.
by: sphin
Posted by: laser hair removal montclair | June 22, 2009 at 08:24 PM
I shave my pits every few days and shave/trim my bikini about once a week. I generally don't shave my legs most of the time. I may about 2-3 times a year when I feel like it.
I have a blessedly wonderful husband who does not care one way or the other.
Posted by: Briana | July 29, 2010 at 11:33 AM