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Should I Shave My Arm Hair?

By: Sarah Knowles BA, MA - Updated: 5 Mar 2016 | comments*Discuss
 
Arm Hair Shaving Waxing Skin Forearms

Some women have thick, dark hair on their forearms, which they consider to be unfeminine and unsightly. Some resort to shaving their hair, some wax it away, while a third group of women resort to bleaching or using depilatory creams.

The sad truth is that thicker, darker arm hair is common amongst women from many countries, especially in the Mediterranean, but is not always seen as an attribute.

So what can you do about a profusion of dark arm hair – if you cannot learn to live with it?

Shaving: The Right Answer?

Shaving is not recommended when it comes to arms, with the exception of underarms. Women who do shave may find that the hair grows back thicker, or becomes even coarser.

Shaving has other problems as well. Women who experience fast hair growth may find it necessary to shave daily for best effect, unless they want tell-tale stubble to be visible on their forearms.

Shaving can also result in ingrown hairs, which can be much less attractive than the original arm hair, although this is not common when it comes to forearms. Some women, however, experience rashes from shaving their arms, as the skin there is delicate and becomes irritated easily.

What About Waxing?

Waxing is often seen as a good solution to the problem of profuse arm hair. Waxing normally doesn’t irritate the skin, if done properly, and the results of waxing can last up to six weeks.

Waxing works by pulling the hair out by the roots, leaving no stubble behind. Some women find that if they wax regularly, the hair eventually will stop growing or thin out altogether, or at least grow back at a much slower rate.

Many home waxing kits are available that promise good results, but you might want to practice with a patch of hidden leg hair first. If you are a waxing virgin, a salon visit might make more sense for your initial trial.

Creams and Bleaches

Many depilatory creams are available on the market today that will get rid of arm hair. Always test a patch first to make sure the cream is not an irritant to you, and that you suffer no adverse reactions.

Bleaching can work well if you have minimal hair, but does have its drawbacks. They include:

  • Bleached hair can sometimes look unnatural, and if you have a lot of thick hair on your arms, then bleaching it can look silly.
  • Bleaching can affect the skin as the same way having your hair doused in peroxide can, so be careful if you have sensitive skin.
  • Regrowth of dark hair closer to the skin can look silly alongside lighter, bleached hair, so be aware of the look before you decide to do it.
Waxing and using a depilatory cream or bleach is the best way to get rid of unwanted arm hair, while shaving might make you look a lot worse than before you started.

So if you’re tired of wearing long sleeves even in the heat of summer, take heart. There are tried-and-tested ways to get rid of unsightly arm hair, with minimal irritation to the skin and little tell-tale stubble.

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"Women who do shave may find that the hair grows back thicker, or becomes even coarser." Do you believe it does, because I don't think so ;).
antonymous - 5-Mar-16 @ 11:28 PM
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