Arm Hair

I, too, have dark arm hair and never fell into the arm-shaving habit either. However, I did have quite a few friends in highschool that did shave their arms. Yes, it generally does grow back quick and once you start you have to continue for the most part, but they just couldn't stand having hair on their arms... it was embarassing to them and they would rather go through shaving every day than have the unsightly arm hair. A few of them were also deeply devoted to using tanning beds and told me their arms tan better without hair on them. The hair doesn't seem to come back as thick or as dark as leg hair, but it certainly comes back!

I am 31 and have ALWAYS been self conscious about my arm hair! No one else ever understood my concern, because I have blonde hair and others claimed that it was not at all noticeable. I finally broke down a few years ago and shaved them along with other parts of my body that I was paranoid about. I do regret this! The hair does NOT grow back dark at all, but it is stubbly and uncomfortable. If any young girl is listening and considering this... DON'T DO IT! It's terribly hard to maintain and I went from being self conscious about my arm hair to being self conscious about my arm "stubble"!

my 12 year old daughters best friend shaves her hair arm too. I asked her what that it was about she told me that she hated the feeling of hair on her. I think it's a obsesive thing. She's a sweet kid and my daughter doesnt understand it either but i guess alot or at lest some are doing it now. I thought it was just my daughters friend. Times have changed.....

My daughter has done this but it is becasue a boy on the bus was calling her sasquatch.

Just another fad because they did it on Miss Congeniality! It to will pass.

R.,
This is a new common thing, I went through it as a teenager also. The thing is we shave our arms as a way to think that it doesnt look so hairy and it is smoother, not only that but we think it improves our summer tan and makes us feel more beautiful. I quickly learned that it takes alot of razors and shaving time to keep them to where little hair stubs didnt show, and adventually gave up on shaving my arms and allowed the hair to grow back and it goes every which way now. and is more noticeable than before. If you are wondering as to why your boyfriends daughter is doing it you may ask her. Is she doing becuase all her friends are doing it..? Or is there another reason. You just may talk with her.

I don't know about the teenage girls now but I also have dark hair and dark hair on my arms. When I was still in high school (about 11 yrs ago) I was verbally harassed about it daily. So I can sort of understand why they do it. Kids are VERY cruel.

I too am a dark haired woman and my arms are no exception. When I was in high school, I had more hair on my arms than most of the guys did!! I didn't shave it but I did nair it. I can understand her feeling self-conscience about it. Or it could be anymore woman on adertisements are made out to be beautiful and sexy without any body hair. If that is the case she needs to understand that us normal women are just as beautiful with our hairy arms!! She may grow out of it ( I did ) and if not, she isn't hurting anything. Good luck.

I had a friend in college who use to bleach her arm hair. I remember the first time I saw her do it. She told me that she felt manly and unfemine because of her long dark arm hair. Honestly girls do it for the same reason they wax their upper lip, they don't want any "manly hair" on their body. It's not necessarily vain it's self conscious. Just be supportive and if it does to her arms what it does to your legs when you shave, she'll quit cause it won't be worth the irritation or maybe it will. Highschool is the most difficult part of life when it comes to influences and doubting yourself and self worth. Highschool is a lot more brutal that you think. She is just trying to fit in not stand out. She's not doing it to be different she's doing it to fit in.

My 18 year old daughter does this also. Her arm hairs were extremely black and her hair color was much lighter and it bothered her. She has done it for 3 years and the hairs basically don't grow back now. It makes her feel better so I figure why not. Most women do it in the pubic area in the US but in Europe they do not so it is just another one of those things that we do to make ourselves appear better to ourselves. She will have to continue to do it but it normally does come back in a lighter color. From what I can tell, it is not the same as our leg hairs so it is only prickly for a few days and then goes soft once it has reached a certain length.

Hope it helps,
D.

i have dark arm hair (and others have commented on it so i know it's not just me). i have been bleaching my arm hair for years - mostly just during warmer weather. there is a body bleach kit by Sally Hansen that is available at most drug stores.

shaving my legs is bad enough. i don't want to have to worry about more stubble than i already do.

When we were in High School my sisters started shaving their arms. I didn't really understand it at the time but about 7 years ago I saw a photograph of myself where the hair on my arms looked so dark and full that it grossed me out! I have been shaving my arms ever since then, and I'm 34! It is a bit of a hassel and yes, it does come in coarser. I haven't noticed the darker thing though because it was pretty dark to begin with. For me it was just somethign that I could do for myself to make me a bit less self conscious.

wow, I never saw anything wrong with shaving your whole body if you wanted to. I do it on special occasions. I did before my wedding, or anniversaries. Even if we want to go swimming for a day or something. It can grow back stubbly I guess if you have that kind of body hair. Mine never grew back funny. It takes a few of days and your back to normal! Profesional swimmers shave their bodies for speed in the water. Actually, I know a lot of people that do it sometimes. It's not a self-conscious thing for me... I like the way it feels especially in water, and my husband likes it too.... and it grows back so what's wrong with it? I have never and would never shave my head hair though! lol

Well, first off it is a myth that you hair will grow back in stiffer and darker. It is only because you shave/cut the hair that it blunts the end and makes it prickly. Also, your hair will always be darker at the follicle - after it grows out and gets exposed to the sun, it bleachens and softens. You don't have to continue it forever. Once you stop, your body hair will return to it's normal look/feel in a few months.

As far as why teenage girls (and guys) are doing this, I don't know exactly. But, my husband who is 34 has been body shaving for 10 years now. I don't necessarily like cuddling up to him the first few days after his shaving sessions, but I really don't care beyond that. As further evidence of this trend, there is even a new product on the market called the Body Groomer that is cordless, rechargable & can be used in the shower (which I gave my hubby for Christmas last year). He began doing it because he was a personal trainer & in the gym "on display" for many years.

If you look at many of the fitness magazines, the pictures have all been clean-shaven for years. And, not sure if this is appropriate on this forum, but....if you look at the "artistic" photos in Playboy, those women are umm COMPLETELY clean shaven, if you know what I mean. I would imagine that what you are witnessing in the teenagers in your life is a trickle down effect of that. Not saying that your kids are reading these kinds of magazines - more likely just that this "trend" has spread into the mainstream.

I'm 32, and I've also shaved my hair on my arms since I was a teenager. It's actually the opposite of what is thought. I do not have to shave mine as often now. My theory behind it is kind of like shaving legs. I prefer my legs and my arms to look nice. I always felt my arms looked like boys' arms when I had a lot of hair on them. To me, it's just a part of my grooming - shaving arms and legs, shaving under arms, plucking eybrows, etc.

I did this when I started shaving (long, long ago). Because of the virtually hairless women in ads (I had no idea they were airbrushed) I thought I should shave every single hair on my body that wasn't on my head or bikini area. I shaved my lower back fuzz, my arms... anything I could reach. Then my mom sat me down and told me what was actually supposed to be shaved, and the consequences of shaving everything. And that I took more than an hour in the shower every day b/c of all the shaving! I started looking around at that point and realized what regular women looked like, and went to only shaving my pits & legs. Maybe nobody told her about airbrushing vs. reality! If she's self-conscious, they do make a lightening cream bleach that you can buy at any drugstore.

All I can say after 5 years teaching high school is that it is tough to be a teenager. It is tougher to be a girl. Girls are mean and your boyfriend's daughter is trying her very best not to be teased. They are too skinny, too pretty, too much make-up and not enough fun. They are too concerned about their appearance and it is not healthy - but completely nornmal. It is survival of the fittest out there in high school and she is doing what it takes to survive - however odd it is. I think you need to make a point of telling her how smart and beautiful she is. she won't make an outward appreciation of it, but she hears you. she will need it to survive the petty junk at high school. good luck to her and you!

B.

My daughter is 12 and has dark hair on her arms also, she is very self conscious about it and has been since she was about 8. I dont think its that dark really. I have no advice other than saying I think they are just embarrased by it. Think about some of the silly things we were embarrassed about when we were in school or how we thought we were fat when we were really skinny. Teenage world!!!

Hello. I am 27 years old and it was a thing in my high school too for a minute. It seemed like someone did it and it caught on. I never did end up shaving my arms but some friends did. Everyone's arms are fine. No one looks like a gorilla today. It was a two second thing. Girls tried it once and then that was it.

I remember going to school 10 yrs. ago and all the girl's did this not me, it'll grow twice as bad for me.Something about the smoothness of no hair and how soft their skin is.This will pass in time but warn her it may grow back twice as bad,after she get's out of highshool she'll laugh and say I did that.