Whats wrong with hairy legs

[cherterr]

No one ever said the 'tree huggers' were Right!

EDIT: Oops.. lost quote? ANYWAY.. this was in regard to the 'high moral ground' comment.

 

[DesertDweller]

I can't stand it if my legs are hairy, it just doesn't feel good. It has nothing to do with hygiene or the way it looks, but the way it feels. It's a personal choice to shave or not to shave. As far as other people's hygiene, if someone stinks, they nauseate me, and I move away from them. Stink is created by bacteria on the skin, so if a person doesn't stay clean, it would certainly cause health problems. 

Years ago, when I was in retail management, we had to attend weekly meetings with our bosses. There would be 15 managers at a long table. There was one manager who stank to high heaven, and since we ate our lunches during these meetings, I always watched where he sat before joining the table, as I could barely even eat if seated next to him, that's how bad he stank  :s

 

[Patrick46]

That's too bad...although some folks have little to no sense of smell, and have no idea that they stink to the rest of us.

(I too cannot stomach being around folks with extreme BO, or bad breath!!!)


As for the 'hair' thing, I used to have long dreadlocks. I loved 'em!!...but my wife couldn't stand them.
I kept them very clean and all, and even conditioned them, so they were nice and soft and smelled good too!

However, she always associated them with the earth-woods hippies we've got around these parts, who do have dreadlocks, but have no idea what a bar of soap is for!!

For Christmas one year, I gave her a pair of scissors with a bow on them. "Really??" she asked??
"I'm only offering this once" I said.
We filled half a shopping bag with hair!! (I shouldda kept one as a souvenir.)

 

[Gunny]

I forgot, I do shave something besides my face. MY EARS

I don't know when or how but somehow my hair line receded off my fore head and with no other place to go, ended up on my ears. I have to stay up on it or it sounds crunchy when I lay my head down. It's pretty noticeable after a few days and starts looking furry after a week.

I don't think I have read a truer statement on this site.

 

[Belinda2]

Smell gets caught in that hair.
My suggestion: VEET

 

[DesertDweller]

I've tried Nair once. It stank. Does the Veet stink?   Guess I have a thing about "stink".

 

[ArtW]

I too tried Nair, not only did it stink, it burned, no thanks
never tried veet, figured if it worked, it'd burn

 

[Dgorila1]

I am assuming it is a fashionable trait, cannot see any health related reasons.   ? (do not like linking others opinions above mine)

Actually hair harbors all kinds of bacteria and other nasty "bugs". This is why they shave the area of the body being worked on before surgery. Needs to be as germ free and sanitary as possible. Also why armpits and other hairy areas can smell more when sweating. The hair gives the bacteria in the sweat a place to build up and "ferment".  :s

 

[DreamTransit1]

This past Wednesday I was confronted by a woman who identified herself as the co-owner along with her husband of the restaurant I was dining in.
I was sitting solo at the bar section on a stool when she approached from behind and screamed out amidst the standing room only crowd :
"You can't be in here dressed like that!"
I responded "Brad said I was fine"
She screamed back in anger " Brad is NOT the owner, he was just a manager. I'M the owner!"
The staff recognized me and were laughing at how the woman who displayed the same type of poor diplomacy in her dealings with them was acting such the fool.
I explained that I am not a shoe user and haven't been for years, and shot down her "health department" claims by producing my letter from the County as well as State health departments.
She stormed off to the kitchen with who knows what in mind but shortly returned.
"I didn't realize you're famous, you are welcome here any time, I'm very sorry if I startled you."
Strange way to become "famous", just walking around as evolution/creator/whatever other designed us to be.
She was all smiles after that with me but just as Bit%$y to her staff as ever during the remainder of my stay.
At one point when I responded to her later attempt to justify her initial reaction she said the problem is that if she routinely allowed bare feet in her (beach side casual open air smoke house that used to be a dive bar and still looks like one) restaurant then EVERYBODY would want to dine barefoot.
I mentioned that it would probably not be the case, but if it were wouldn't that mean it was indeed a wise business decision?
We chatted about gender differences when it comes to arbitrary dress codes, and I pointed out that the clean black tank top I was wearing is sometimes a violation of a dress code while an even skimpier version of the same shirt is considered dressy on a female.
She said that in that case there is good reason for the gender bias......."Women shave their underarms, men don't"!
So that begs THREE questions:
1) Why is it that many women but very few straight men shave their underarms?
2) Is there a hygienic advantage to others in close proximity to the shaved vs un-shaved individual as Dgorila1 claims or is it just aesthetic?
3) If there is, would a clean shaven underarmed male be welcome in a tank top where women are allowed that option but men are not?

 

[wagoneer]

I Don't get the nasty bugs thing, bacteria are not all evil and washing away ALL will do more harm than good. they just have a bad rap in 21st century
victorian society IMHO
My female coworkers shower 2 times per day and are constantly sick washing hands with antibacterial soap, I shower every Wednesday and am very rarely sick. Irish Spring

 

[wagoneer]

Being able to identify a "bad" odor from a normal body smell odor eludes many people we all have odors, lets learn to identify them. Female choice in mates is heavily dependent on smell. But my refusal to buy some overpriced Calvin Klien which would enhance my odds is out. Perhaps body oils would be a better choice for some .

 

[DreamTransit1]

More and more recent medical research finds that our modern cleanliness methods do a lot of damage, especially with regards to the proper development of a child's immune system.
I would assume we have hairy underarms for a reason, and that probably wouldn't be solar protection or warmth.
Maybe we are supposed to have a larger colony of microbes there?
I know we sweat there for a reason, and that application of an antiperspirant places particles in the sweat pores to disable that feature.
I also realize that there are plenty of people that use "deodorant" rather than antiperspirant for that reason.....but a quick check of the label will confirm that just about every product mass marketed as a deodorant as opposed to an antiperspirant in fact contains the very same active ingredient....an antiperspirant.
Marketing peeps are smart!
Tricky...but SMART!
Thousands of people that would NEVER use an antiperspirant......indeed ARE!

 

[WriterMs]

The staff recognized me and were laughing at how the woman who displayed the same type of poor diplomacy in her dealings with them was acting such the fool.
I explained that I am not a shoe user and haven't been for years, and shot down her "health department" claims by producing my letter from the County  as well as State health departments.
------
So that begs THREE questions:
1) Why is it that many women but very few straight men shave their underarms?
2) Is there a hygienic advantage to others in close proximity to the shaved vs un-shaved individual as Dgorila1 claims or is it just aesthetic?
3) If there is, would a clean shaven underarmed male be welcome in a tank top where women are allowed that option but men are not?

First, with your bare feet, you seem to be a beach counterpart to Cody Lundin (my favorite preparedness author/survivalist for his scientific and sometimes humorous approach).

Restaurants always bring to mind the health department requirements for cooks and food handlers to use coverings for the head of hair (assuming hair on the head). How this could translate to any customer is beyond me, however.

I think most (all?) "proper attire" rules are simply based on the owners' idea of what they think is VISUALLY acceptable to their customers. The owner envisions "normal" customers having a reaction of "oh, gross" to seeing a man's armpit hair showing from a tank top?

In our culture, hairiness is very male and a lack of most body hair is considered feminine. Thus many of us feminists way back in the day took a stand against what was seen as "submissively removing body hair that might offend males as not being stereotypically feminine." I think males in the US had a more positive view of the rebellious act of feminists going braless back then. LOL

 

[wagoneer]

When I was snuggling up with my ladies in the 60's and leg hair underarm hair and sometimes facial hair was prevalent it just seemed sexier, not a turnoff.These women had no intentions of being any different, it was the bald ones that seemed different, and having said that exciting as well.
Whatever the reason I started this discussion. Thank you for all your great opinions.

 

[DreamTransit1]

"First, with your bare feet, you seem to be a beach counterpart to Cody Lundin (my favorite preparedness author/survivalist for his scientific and sometimes humorous approach)."

"Restaurants always bring to mind the health department requirements for cooks and food handlers to use coverings for the head of hair (assuming hair on the head). How this could translate to any customer is beyond me, however."

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I do beach and dense urban, rarely get out in the wilderness.
Interestingly, not only do State and County health departments not regulate customer attire and never have, but the only footwear requirement they have for restaurant WORKERS is that if footwear is worn it must be clean on the outside. So no requirement to wear, and no definition of what "clean" outsides of shoes is. Can't be very clean I imagine.
So how does McDonald's defend their " By order of the health department" when challenged legally on this brainwashing signage campaign?
"It IS by order of the health department. OUR own INTERNAL health department!"

 OSHA guidelines require a restaurant owner to advise a worker of any risks and to recommend protective measures, but do NOT require the employee to comply.

There are plenty of barefoot waitresses around beach towns, and yes, even a fry cook may work barefoot if they choose to.
Meeting a boss's own PERSONAL set of rules is an entirely different challenge.
Good thing I'm the boss!

 

[Belinda2]

O.k. then, let's put it a different way:
Shag carpet is out.
Hardwood is in.

 

[DreamTransit1]

Good one!

 

[GotSmart]

The only objection I can think of, is that hairy legs can tickle!

 

[wagoneer]

The only objection I can think of, is that hairy legs can tickle!

Is that bad? I love a good tickle

 

[gojo]

When I was station in Germany back in 1970, some Frauliens didn't shave their under arms and legs. That was a common thing.