Quantcast

Woman Goes 18 Months Without Shaving Armpits: Gross or Great?

SodaHead Living 2012/05/04 21:00:00
You!
Add Photos & Videos
If there's one beauty ritual that almost all women partake in, it's shaving their armpits while they're in the shower. But graduate student Emer O'Toole from Dublin decided to examine why she felt she had to be hair-free -- and stopped shaving 18 months ago, The Daily Mail reports.

pits

"I started examining my own relationship with my body, and my body hair," she told "This Morning." She continued, "Why did I feel I had to shave? I thought back to when I first started shaving. When I sprouted hair at 14, I didn't think, 'Will I shave or not?' I just knew I had to shave it off."

Over a year later, O'Toole says she's mostly OK with her armpit and leg hair. "Over the past 18 months, if I've felt awkward in a certain outfit that shows my hairy armpits, I've started to examine where my confidence comes from. If it's my looks, and my self-esteem is linked to that, then I've realized I need to find other sources for that confidence. Your looks aren't with you when you wake up in the morning if you have to put your makeup on first. And they don't stay with you as you age."

And she says guys are totally fine with her fuzzy pits, but women are pretty grossed out by it. Do you think women should feel free to go without shaving their armpits? Or is it a beauty must-do?
Add a comment above

Top Opinion

  • Riobhca 2012/05/04 22:32:37 (edited)
    Great
    Riobhca
    +50
    If that is her preference, so what? If you bathe, you won't smell, hair or not. Sometimes it's good to question societal conventions. Good for her for having the courage to do just that.

    Americans are always so quick to judge other cultures. That is what is "gross."

Sort By
  • Most Raves
  • Least Raves
  • Oldest
  • Newest
Opinions

  • Dick Nixon 2012/05/05 12:53:36
    Gross
    Dick Nixon
    Ship her to Russia so she will fit in.
  • Always 2012/05/05 12:52:01 (edited)
    Great
    Always
    I don't care what another person does with their body. I'm not even sure why this is a question, it's her business. I'm not sure why she decided to advertise whether or not she shaves.
  • Bronar 2012/05/05 12:39:20
    Gross
    Bronar
    Until I saw the pic I was ok with it, but that's gnarly.
  • Bigbrow... Bronar 2012/05/05 22:04:08
    Bigbrowneyes
    +2
    The majority of women who don't shave don't have anywhere near that much hair naturally...Or maybe I'm just judging myself...
  • lm1b2 2012/05/05 12:23:45 (edited)
    Great
    lm1b2
    +5
    Who cares?Why do woman shave to begin with,for Men?
  • The Pot... lm1b2 2012/05/05 12:59:39
    The Potato Princess
    No.
  • Miranda Panda 2012/05/05 12:22:04
    Gross
    Miranda Panda
    +3
    I'm not even sure what to say except, No more clicking weird questions while I'm half asleep -.-
    facepalm
  • thepastord Miranda... 2012/05/05 13:43:39
    thepastord
    For sure!
  • Party o... Miranda... 2012/05/05 14:49:44
    Party of One
    lol
  • Walaa 2012/05/05 12:19:08
    Gross
    Walaa
    +1
    To me its simply gross, to her apparently shes proud of it and she finds it suitable, it doesnt harm me at all. However I want to bring some attentions to the Sikhs who in their religion are not allowed to remove hair from their body (both men and women). You are disgusted by her 18 months, just check out a person who never did. Bottom line is, as long as it suits her its fine.
  • Bothergirl 2012/05/05 12:14:25
    Great
    Bothergirl
    +5
    Well I said great until I saw how much hair there was. However, why is it okay for men to have pit hair and it isn't okay for women? There is a purpose for the hair. It helps us cool down.

    I don't shave but that's because I my body hair is really fine and light. I also am past that age to care. I've been married for 18 years and my husband isn't that shallow to be bothered by it.
  • BlackPoison 2012/05/05 12:07:18
    Gross
    BlackPoison
    woman and hairry arm pits is not a god match
  • All American 2012/05/05 11:14:33
    Gross
    All American
    Hairy arm pits plus woman doesn't compute to me.
  • ticlo7 2012/05/05 10:48:09
    Great
    ticlo7
    +3
    So what? I applaud her for standing up and doing that! I doubt many women would have the courage the be so open about it, let alone go on the telly. To think, if you go back a few thousand years this is what most women were like...
  • cddjmikey 2012/05/05 10:38:23
    Gross
    cddjmikey
    It is off course her choice. Just don't expect the phone to be ringing a whole lot from guys asking you out.
  • Bear 2012/05/05 09:43:03
    Great
    Bear
    +6
    Actually my answer is who cares? As long as she is clean it really doesn't really matter, it can't be any worse than some sweaty over-weight dude in a wife beater wandering around the mall.
  • Party o... Bear 2012/05/05 14:53:29
    Party of One
    probably better, in her case...i doubt she's a wife beater :)
  • ItsYaFace 2012/05/05 09:17:19
    Great
    ItsYaFace
    +2
    I went about thirteen years.
  • jim 2012/05/05 09:12:04
    Great
    jim
    +1
    Not exactly great. But, cute enough in the face for it not to matter too much.
  • Bulanova (Team Hargitay) 2012/05/05 09:04:40
    Great
    Bulanova (Team Hargitay)
    +5
    Why is it gross? It can't be about hygiene or men would be expected to shave their pits too. Heaven forbid we just accept the way nature made us.
  • Leah 2012/05/05 08:57:03
    Great
    Leah
    +4
    It's a personal choice.
  • Jo 2012/05/05 08:53:19
    Gross
    Jo
    +1
    sorry, but no-can-do on this one; all these people that think if you wash, armpit hair wont cause a smell are sadly mistaken; it'll take about 5-10 mins after bathing before you start to sweat under the arms, and due to the overabundnace of sweat glands in that area, there wont be anything you can do to prevent the smell other than remove the hair that all that sweat is sticking to.
  • Bigbrow... Jo 2012/05/05 22:06:23
    Bigbrowneyes
    +1
    1. Deodorant blocks smells. 2. Sweat won't magically disappear if you shave off hair. It sticks to skin instead.
  • Jo Bigbrow... 2012/05/05 22:14:32
    Jo
    nothing like what it does to hair---its the reason that when your leg sweats, it doest smell the way an armpit does when IT smells; you;ve also got ducts and glands in the armpit that you dont have elsewhere.
  • Juanb 2012/05/05 08:20:22
    Gross
    Juanb
    +1
    i don't understand why shes smiling like shes thrilled thats not a wonderful achievement thats like saying Man goes 3 weeks without showering
  • Scream Juanb 2012/05/05 13:26:24
    Scream
    +3
    How is that the same thing?
    I don't get why they're making such a big deal either, but it's not comparable to something like not cleaning. This is at least a good thing because she's evaluating her body and where her self-esteem comes from. It's not exactly news-worthy but it's still something good.
  • Juliet 2012/05/05 08:13:44
    Gross
    Juliet
    +1
    everyone can do what ever they want. but my arm pits will never look like that while i am alive. i dont need makeup for confidence but it does make me feel good and my looks do bring me confidence but its not only my looks.
  • fcombs Juliet 2012/05/05 08:33:51
    fcombs
    +3
    Can you imagine the reactions she must have got from guys who asked her out (assuming she is single), and then she bared those lovely armpits. Holy Quacamole, I bet they beat a hasty retreat.
  • Juliet fcombs 2012/05/05 09:02:25
    Juliet
    even i would run lol
  • BritPunk fcombs 2012/05/05 10:35:06
    BritPunk
    +3
    I'm not too sure. I think very few chaps who have got to the undressing stage will give up over a bit of hair.
  • TKramar BritPunk 2012/05/10 15:38:45
    TKramar
    +1
    lol...it's called focus.
  • D D 2012/05/05 08:07:01
    Gross
    D D
    +2
    Yes, it is gross.
  • fcombs 2012/05/05 08:05:21
    Gross
    fcombs
    +4
    It's called hygiene, stupid. You shave under your arms because it cause bacteria to grow when you perspire, and th e bacteria quickly causes odor that is not anything close to the wonderful Eurphoria by Calvin Klein. Body odor is disgusting.
  • fcombs fcombs 2012/05/05 08:07:10
    fcombs
    +1
    I disagree with the statement that if you bathe, you won't smell. If you have hair in places that are warm and moist, bacteria grows and causes odor - even if you bathed just a few hours prior to starting to develop your pungent scent.
  • jackie fcombs 2012/05/05 08:26:46
    jackie
    +1
    I dont get why people from other countries gives reasons for not shaving under their arms and brushing their teeth =.=
  • fcombs jackie 2012/05/05 08:29:15
    fcombs
    It's a cultural thing. They get used to it. But the teeth - well, that's another matter. That is a health issue. If you don't brush your teeth, you're going to be in a world of hurt - sooner or later, and bad teeth cause all kinds of health problems.
  • Jo fcombs 2012/05/05 08:56:12
    Jo
    i know, I said the same thing. the armpit is NOT like any other body part; the bacteria in that area because of the sweat is out of control, and you wont be able to keep the smell at bay, so I dont know what this girl is talking about.
  • Bulanov... fcombs 2012/05/05 09:06:55 (edited)
    Bulanova (Team Hargitay)
    +7
    So then where is the societal pressure on men to shave their pits for hygiene's sake? By the way, I have gone weeks at a time without shaving at various times in my life. Bathing and deodorant is all you need, hair or otherwise, to be odor-free.
  • BritPunk Bulanov... 2012/05/05 10:36:31
    BritPunk
    +1
    Ah good point! Goose and gander, as they say :-)
  • Scream Bulanov... 2012/05/05 13:28:41 (edited)
    Scream
    +1
    Exactly. I know a man who started shaving his 'pits in the hopes that it would help his smell. It didn't change a thing. He smelt just as bad as he did with armpit hair.

See Votes by State

The map above displays the winning answer by region.

Living

2013/05/22 02:42:17

Hot Questions on SodaHead
More Hot Questions

More Community More Originals