Hibernation Time: Shaving in the Winter...Overrated? Or a Must?

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This piece might seem a bit random, but I would love to hear opinions on hair hibernating in the winter…

A few months ago, like many other women, you could catch me in the shower shaving my legs every few days, my armpits every other day, and more (if you know what I mean) in the hopes of having hairless areas and those baby smooth legs that with the help of Shea butter, glisten in the summer sun. Any sign of stubble had to “get got,” and any and every sleeveless tank or top required a check up. Those shaving days required a bit more out of a chick in the morning and out of my morning routine, but when the weather was hitting 80 degrees, I wasn’t complaining about it.

I don’t know if you have checked outside recently, it’s colder than a polar bear’s toenail.

I’m talking cold even in places that are usually somewhat warm year round. I think I spend more time in the shower just trying to warm my bones and revive myself for the work day than I do worried about reaching for the Veet and doing some body lawn mowing. I’m rocking sweaters and jeans for the next few months, so I’ve decided to go on a shaving hiatus for the winter. I’m talking the whole nine yards. No razors on me, no more small nicks and cuts under my arms, just a trim in certain places, and I’ve heard many women say they opt out of the big shave during this time, too. So it so wrong of me? I guess it depends on who you ask.

I’m not trying to go for the Mo’Nique look or anything (though last I checked, she made a big leap and shaved), I’m just hoping to keep my legs from being any colder than they need to be as the temps hit 30 and lower. Not only can a good pair of thermals keep your limbs toasty, but so can a nice layer of womanly hair. And seriously, unless you’re talking about busting out some skirts (which I’m not–at least not without tights), going hairy for a month or two can’t really be that gross.

But there are negatives to doing such a thing also it seems. Some men don’t seem to be fans of Chewbacca chicks (go figure). I noticed when the question was asked on an answers site, a guy tried to claim there was nothing nastier than a woman with hairy legs. Really? NOTHING WORSE? It has always boggled my mind how a chick with a little bit of hair here and there can catch the ire and disgust of a guy whose pubic hair can resemble a wooly coat of fur for the nether regions. But as a single chick at the moment, I’m not too worried about any sort of backlash or reaction to it by a guy. If I have one coming to see me at house soon, the BIC will come out to play.

But on top of some negative manly attention, word on the streets is that shaving is supposed to help exfoliate dry skin that’s ever-present during the winter. If your legs are covered in hair, no matter what you put on your legs early in the day while you’re in get-ready-mode, they will probably feel and appear a bit more scale-y and look like they were dipped in powder after a few hours. And, as a friend of mine pointed out, a lot of hair can trap in heat, and heat can cause you to sweat, and sweating can of course, create must (or mustation as I would like to call it). I like to pride myself on smelling like a ray of sunshine thanks to my love for lightly scented baby powders and statement making perfumes, but it makes sense that the hairier, the funkier you could wind up. I can’t go for all that now…

I seem to struggle to get out of the house (and do so on time) more when it’s colder outside than when it’s warm, so despite the negatives associated with a hairy chick, I think I’ll let my hair grow for a few weeks instead of months, and if the mood strikes me, maybe I’ll shave sooner than later. But if I don’t? Well, I’ll just double up on the baby powder. Who’s with me!? Nobody? Awww man…

Do you often ditch shaving in the winter? Anything wrong with that? What do the fellas have to say?

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Categories: Beauty