Someone once told me that time feels like it goes by quicker as you age. Thirty is only a couple years away, and as things go forward I’ve gotten used to a lot of different patterns and habits. Lately the remedial and seemingly tiny tasks have been getting to me. Shaving in particular is one of those things, considering that it has no real purpose and takes up a lot of time. Plus hair removal is costly, and I used to shave every day (now down to a few times a week). Like everyone, I was taught that this was normal, and generally preferred by most.
There have been a few online articles and videos that have caught my attention in the last year or so in regard to female rights and breaking stigmas, but one that tickled my curiosity was an interview with a handful of younger women who went a month without shaving their vagina (their terminology, not mine). They talked about how the process made them feel throughout the month, and I was surprised that all of them seemed happy all grown in, since I felt it would be something I’d hate. I don’t think I’ve ever gone longer than five days without shaving, so I don’t even really know how I’d feel about it.
Last November, I decided to go a month without grooming my brows. There have been many reshaping points throughout the lifetime of my tweezed brow, but leaving them the hell alone was a new venture. Does anyone else feel like eyebrows are an endless work in progress? Some recent shapes of mine have been great, but they definitely didn’t start that way, and I never feel happy with them for very long. Ugh.
Are you looking for a tip on how to achieve full, natural looking brows? DON’T TWEEZE THE CRAP OUT OF THEM. Let them grow in a bit, no matter how tempting it is to screw with them. A little brow product can go a long way, too.
My brows were the bushiest they have been this past November, when I decided to leave them be once again. But this year I also decided to put away the razor, and try to open my mind a bit. I’m used to being smooth, and I prefer it. Jessy does as well. So I thought it would be an interesting experiment and maybe I’d end up feeling differently about this aesthetic once I tried it for myself.
It was definitely itchier, and tugged underneath clothing. I can’t say it made me feel more empowered or proud or whatever else people go on about when they claim to be going against social stereotypes. I found it to be mostly annoying, and although I like that my legs and underarms don’t have very thick or dark hair, I still don’t care for how it looked on me. It made me more self-conscious. Whether that was because of the associated stigmas or not, who knows. Teasing from the boyfriend didn’t help, which in turn made me feel more nervous naked. But not having to spend the time shaving a large portion of my body every few days was great to have out of my mind for a little while. All in all, I’m glad I tried it, but it’s not something I’ll be sticking to anytime soon. If I don’t end up having it all removed via laser one day, I’d like to get to the point where I’m comfortable enough with myself that it wouldn’t bother me to forego hair removal altogether. Sure would save a lot of time, effort, and the all-important disposable income.
Please enjoy this slideshow featuring my embarrassing brow transformation over the last twelve years. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or start a conversation if you feel inclined to do so!
eatenplacenta.com 
I am not a shaver, in any regards (although I do shape my eyebrows once every couple of weeks, not even really shaping – just tweezing the super stray hairs). Being on top of shaving was never a priority to me, but I definitely used to shave at least somewhat regularly when I was younger (pits, legs, and nether regions). Now I shave my legs maybe once or twice a year. They start to get really, really hairy and I start to get a little self-concious about them, especially during the summer. One shave at the beginning of the season usually does the trick for me. I’ll also shave my pits maybe once or twice a year, but for different reasons. I’ve never felt at all self-concious about my arm pit hair, but it does get to a point where the hair is so long that wearing t-shirts becomes uncomfortable because the hairs get twisted up in the fabric (tmi?). A few summers ago I developed a really terrible heat rash that started in my pits and shaving was pure torture, and that really spearheaded my stop to shaving that area.
I also reached a point maybe 5 years ago where I started being really turned off by shaving my pubic hair. It was around the time that I started coming to terms with some abuse in my past, and honestly, the idea of being completely hairless there grossed me out because it felt too child-like. This is not to say that I judge anyone else for making that decision, but for me it’s a very yucky feeling because it’s tied to memory of trauma. Also, it’s the worst area for razor burn (in my experience).
Anyways, I guess the point I was trying to make is that for me, not shaving is really just a comfort-zone thing. I’m not necessarily trying to make a statement as a feminist, but I do sometimes enjoy the looks I get from people. I sort of equate that to the feeling I had when I started getting visible piercings as a young teenager. It was sort of empowering to have the “shock” factor – but it’s not the main motivator. I understand people have their preferences; I just want everyone to make decisions about their body hair based on THEIR opinions, not the opinions of anyone else.
P.S. I love your eyebrows.
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I probably came off like I was trying to pigeon hole people by some of my remarks, which isn’t what I meant to do. That’s mostly just because I feel like not shaving is just being natural, and it shouldn’t be seen as a feminist thing or to prove a point or whatever. Really it’s what’s normal, so I didn’t feel like I was empowered or making a point and we shouldn’t have to think about it that way. I have gotten more lenient about shaving over the years. Before it was hairless, though I didn’t go as far as shaving my arms or anything. Now I prefer some pubic hair and I can tolerate leaving my legs alone for a week. Still weird about the underarms. I definitely remained covered up in public this past month, haha. I’ll keep an open mind.
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