A
female
age
13-15,
anonymous
writes:Should you shave your arms? It's just I have some quite dark hair on my arms, and I wondered if it's normal to shave your arms. It's not like super-dark, so I don't have to shave. I just wanted to know. Reply to this Question |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, Spanner28 +, writes (22 January 2009):
 Satindesire, as much as you think you know the ins and outs of pretty much everything in the world i can guarantee you dont know shit about hair folicles or anything beauty related for that matter. I studied beauty therapy for 4 years and i know everything there is to know, i know this from hard work and a lot of reading.
Whereas taking information off the american side of the internet is really not that practical or believeable so dont assume you know about this kind of stuff because lets be honest..you dont! If you do want to learn about beauty therapy i suggest you go to some kind of education centre and LEARN it not just read it off some site you googled.
To the creator of this question (sorry about that just now i just hate fake people). If you so wish to leave it a while before you go for a wax then you do that but as i stated earlier, it is so possible to be allergic to many beauty treatments, even wax so make sure you get a patch test done before you go through with the procedure :)
A
reader, anonymous, writes (22 January 2009): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThanks everyone! I'll just leave it as it is at the moment and maybe get it waxed at some point in the future.
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A
female
reader, shna  +, writes (22 January 2009):
 loads of my friends shave there arms and they regret it personally i bleach my arm hair its itchy but it does the job all my friends say its so much effort to continuously shave you arm hair . . . like you already have to shave you legs your arm pits wax your vagina do you r hair your make up your eyebrows nails (in my case an mst of my friends fake tan) so why add to the stress just bleach . . . you seem more natural like that anyway girls cant be perfect
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A
female
reader, satindesire  +, writes (21 January 2009):
 Shaving your arms is very common, lots of women (including myself) do it!
However, I wanted to speak about the other posts that have been given by all these wonderful and helpful Aunts and Uncles.
There are a lot of misconceptions and wrong information here about hair and hair follicles. I really want to clear this up with the CORRECT information so as to put aside these myths that you're hearing.
Shaving does not make hair grow back thicker, darker, or more profuse. Shaving is not harmful to the skin or follicle if done correctly with the right tools.
When you look at a side-view of a hair, the hair strand itself is finer at the top than it is in the middle and bottom. Only about half of the hair strand pokes out visibly from the skin's surface, the rest is inside the skin of your arm in the follicle. When you CUT THE HAIR with a razor, in example, you are cutting the hair at the slightly thicker mid-line of the hair, because you are cutting it to be even with the surface of your skin.
Body hair has a certain 'limit' in length that it is genetically programmed to grow to. When you cut that hair, your body notices and makes the hair grow back. There is a cycle that all hair goes through, from anywhere between a few weeks all the way up to a few months. The hair grows out to it's natural, genetically programmed length, then eventually falls out and the follicle goes into what's like a hibernation, or a 'rest period' where no hair grows in that specific follicle.
Now, once a hair has been cut, the body signals the hair follicle to regrow the hair to it's natural, previous length before you cut it. The top of the hair at the very tip is now the MID LINE at the skin's surface where it has been cut, making it appear thicker and darker, and more profuse because the thin tip of the natural hair was cut off.
Also, cutting the hair regularly will eventually sync up these regrowth patterns and all the follicles will be growing hair at the same time (to keep up with your shaving it) and it will make the hair look thicker, darker and more profuse.
Shaving is a good temporary fix to your problem if you have very light, blonde, red or fine arm hair...However, if you have very pale skin and very dark, thick and coarse arm hair, you might get a 'shadow' effect on your arm, that cosmetically might not be pleasing. Only shave your arm hair if you don't have dark, coarse hair and pale skin.
Also, you should not attempt to wax or bleach on your own! These are very dangerous chemicals that can cause tears, cuts, and burns on your skin if used incorrectly!
Unless you cannot afford it, or your parents would not let you, waxing (which removes the entire hair from the follicle, below the skin, causing it to have to regrow the entire hair instead of merely half and resulting in a longer refractory period.) might be your best option. A salon often will do both arms for about 20-50 dollars, depending on where you live.
Remember, shaving does not actually make your hair grow back thicker, it is merely the illusion created by the shape of the hair itself as it regrows after being cut!
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A
female
reader, xxbecksyxx +, writes (21 January 2009):
 I wouldn't personally. I tried it once and it made them grow back thicker, darker and denser. Underarms and legs I would advise instead.
x
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A
female
reader, Spanner28 +, writes (21 January 2009):
Im was a beauty therapist and i had so many clients if it was a good idea to shave/wax their arm hairs and i gave them the same answer im giving you...DONT DO IT!
Have you noticed when you shave your legs or underarms, the hairs always grow back darker? This is because the hair folicle in which the hair stands is being repeatedly bashed about by shaving/waxing..think of it being bruised. This in turn bruises the hairs making them grow back darker and in some cases alot thicker.
If this is a problem thats bothering you and causing you personal discomfort then i suggest bleaching. Its a very simple procedure carried out in every beauty salon. Basically the beautician mixes up a blend of a special bleach powder and a liquid formula to create a paste which is then applied to the hairs. It is then left on for about 15-20 mins depending on the darkness/thickness of the hair and is then slowly soaked off, resulting in you having very fine and un-noticeable hairs. (dont worry they dont turn out platinum blonde). The only side affect of this procedure is that the process can make you extremely itchy so be aware of this.
If you do decide to go for bleaching then make sure you go for a patch test first to make sure you arent allergic to any of the ingredients used
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A
male
reader, volcomdrew32 +, writes (21 January 2009):
Yes shaving your arms is common among women. I think you should always look your best. I recommend getting your arms waxed....last longer and doesnt get pricky...good luck
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A
female
reader, maid_Marian_vetbabe + ♥, writes (21 January 2009):
 I agree with Gina, dont shave your arms... it will make the hair grow back worse, more stubbly and darker, and thicker. If it really really bothers you, you could wax, but that really isnt needed im sure! And honestly, a bit too much hair looks way more normal than baby smooth waxed arms! :)
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A
female
reader, Ginalolabridga + ♥, writes (21 January 2009):
 I wouldn't advice it because they will just come in darker and more of them! if it is under your armpits that is different it is ok to shave under there just be careful at first.
Gina
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