There’s a big rite of passage that you go through as a teenager {well, for many females} and that’s the first time you shave your legs.
I can remember it quite clearly. I have blonde hair on my body, so it’s fair but it’s visible. The thing with having blonde hair that everyone thinks that you shouldn’t EVER mess with it. “Don’t dye the hair on your head, don’t shave the ones on your legs, and don’t think about plucking the ones on your face!” that’s what the people said, because once you start it will go dark and a forest will implode on your body.
My mum was one of those people.
I think I was in high school {year 7} and I knew I wanted to shave my legs for a while, but I also knew mum had that whole blonde hair issue thing going on and I just wasn’t going to be allowed. So I hung out and stayed hairy for a while. The breaking point was when I was hanging out with my older sister and her mates in the bus sheds after school {and by ‘hanging out’ I mean lingering, trying to listen in on what the cool crowd was doing} when one of her male friends said to me, “Dude, you’ve got man legs. So much hair.”
I wanted to die. I wanted my legs to fall off and walk themselves home.
I got home and begged mum to let me shave my legs, “HE SAID I HAVE MAN LEGS!”
Eventually, with much tears and crying and debate over blonde hair, I was allowed to shave my legs.
But only below the knee. “Don’t ever go above the knee!” mum warned.
I didn’t dare go above the knee, because I was just grateful to be shaving my legs and removing the man hair. And do you know what? I have actually never gone above the knee. It’s like that was drummed into me and I forgot to even question it.
Like when dad would tell me stories about how cheese was made, or how lightning happens, or how babies are made, and I just believed it because if my parents said it, it must be true… right?
It was only when I was reading something Amy Schumer talked about her own mum telling her that she shouldn’t shave above the knees either that I realised that people ARE PROBABLY SHAVING THEIR THIGHS.
Thank goodness my short stint* at modeling mini skirts is over, and I actually don’t have very hairy legs and any follicles are actually blonde, not dark brown and visible… BUT I might just be the only person who didn’t rebel against her mother’s ways. Am I?
* as in, you know, non-existent
You’re not the only one! If I am having a tropical holiday I might get my ‘above the knee’ zone waxed, but generally I have the same warnings echoing around in my head 🙂
PS. don’t you love Amy Schumer?!
I shaved above the knee once when I was well into my forties. Once was enough. Never again. My mum gave me the same advice and I have to admit, mother is always (or at least on this occasion,) always right!
No! I’m a shocker for still doing things my mum tells me even if I don’t want to! This post made me laugh because I’m fair too and had everyone of those conversations with my mother as well.
Hehe my mother said the same – not above the knee. I did years later and now regret it. That soft blonde hardly visible hair is not short spiky and a much darker shade! Mums are always right!! 😛
I was taught to shave one hand span above the knee, I’ve been doing it since I was 13 and had no issues. It’s the man beard from menopause that makes me cry…no one warned me about that!
Mum told me never to shave above the knee, and also to never shave the hair on my forearms. I have blonde hair on my body too, but a lot of it. When I was in year 7 I was mortified when I realised what I thought was a dog hair stuck to my tights was actually attached to my leg! I was allowed Veet until I was 14-15 then I got a razor. Unfortunately I’m naturally hairy, and by not shaving my arms or thighs for years meant it was getting pretty obvious! I shave everywhere now, mums not impressed – but luckily the hair that regrows isn’t dark or prickly! Yaaay
My Mum told me not to put foundation on my eyelids when I was a teenager… as it was a waste of make up as I was just going to put eyeshadow on there anyway??????
Ha ha ha. I love this. It’s kinda funny. How much foundation would your eyelids use?
Ha, yes! I was told not to go above the knee and of course, I immediately shaved above the knee and immediately regretted it. Should’ve listened to Mum!
AnastasiaAmour.com
I don’t. Well i shave to just above the knee. ..knee included but no higher. ..
I’d never shaved above the knee either Chantelle! Until 3rd child and I started growing these disgusting long black hairs on the backs of my thighs. Still don’t do the front thighs though! Your mum was wise, I think!
I might need to look back there!
Hahahhaha! This post is hilarious… I’ve never heard of not shaving about the knee and certainly not from my mum! I’m dark haired all over with Greek heritage, we shave everywhere!! Heehehehe! I remember a sports teacher at school that didn’t shave above the knee and she wore shorts all the time so it was really obvious. Maybe her mum warned her against that too 😉
Oh dear God. That is not good!
I’m a blonde leg-haired girl too (of which I am very grateful) and to this day have never shaved my legs, wouldn’t even know how. Depilitatory cream then waxing all the way (including the knee but not higher)
I have tried the cream before but can never get the hang of it. I think the smell knocks me unconscious and I can do nothing else.
I am not a blonde leg-haired girl obviously! BUT I do NOT shave above the knee either. Not like I had that much hair to begin with but it became a habit to shave anyway. I tell my girls the same rule – do not shave above your knees! And yes, I shave, not wax because I’m a wimp!
I’m a wimp too then! 😛
I would never wax.
I do my whole leg in summer, quad down in winter. The thigh is more of a touch up than a full service job like the lower leg! But the crap about it growing back darker etc is just that. Crap. It’s just that it is the same length when it grows back, not all different lengths, so it looks darker.
I started doing above the knee when a girlfriend of mine was told never to do above her knee, and she had like a little black fringe. It was so scary that I immediately went home that night and did my whole leg! Think I was about 18?
I recently read some beauty articles about shaving your face as an exfoliator. Dude, they sell products for that at the shops. Now that’s some scary stuff!
SHAVING YOUR FACE? No. No. No.
I got told that too and I have no idea why! I am Asian so the hair is sparse and pretty fine, but dark. My mum is not Asian (I am adopted) but had naturally dark hair. What’s the fear? That it will become really thick and unsightly? Or that we won’t know where to stop and our leg hair will eventually merge into our bikini line or something? I have never really questioned it either – so funny. I have occasionally shaved above the knee, but those were for special occasions when I was wearing something very short (most likely before child)!
I don’t know what the fear was. I’ll have to ask Mum next time I see her. It’s pretty funny when you think about it! 😛
I got told that too and being half Italian I definitley rebelled lol. I shave everywhere!!
I can imagine that you could have to, but I didn’t know you were half Italian!
Oh my goodness, I was told not to shave about my knees too! I’m pretty on top of my shaving game in summer, but come winter I relax the rules a little… and don’t bother shaving above the knee! x
It might have been in the parenting rule book back then!
I am blessed with dark, coarse hair, and my mother was no supporter of razors as well! Still I attempted shaving as a teenager and found that my hair actually grew back to be prickly, and just gross!!! Since then, it has been waxing and bleaching, and razor has never really featured in my personal grooming kit 😉
I wish I was brave enough to leg wax. Good on you. 🙂
Never above the knee here also and I didn’t. I’m quite a hairless person so barely shave, well unless I have a special occasion!
Ha! I feel like I might have to check your legs at PB and see if you class it as a special occasion! 😛
I don’t think I did last year – but I’ll have to now!
My mum gave me the ‘no above the knee’ shaving rule too! I rebelled though and did it anyway, still shave above the knee to this day.
REBEL!
So does this mean you shave up to & including your knees – or only below? I couldn’t not shave my knees but am a bit more relaxed about depending on the season…
Including, but you probably couldn’t tell either way.
I have never shaved above the knee… nor my armpits. Not sure if I should admit that last one. I waxed them once or twice in my twenties, then promptly forgot about them. I only think about it when I get asked why I don’t shave or wax them.
Wow, that’s so interesting. I can’t remember how old I was when I started shaving my pits. It’s not fun.
Being naturally blonde, well now grey, I have never had much armpit hair. So it is just a tiny tuft. That I forget about until every couple of years someone asks when they see my pits in summer.
I just wish I could be in the below the knee only club! Dark, course hairs all over the legs. I remember having to beg my mum to shave my legs too. She kept trying to hold me off because shaving makes your leg hairs grow darker. What she told me – it’s totally false, but it’s surprising how many people believe it!
I’ve never shaved above the knee either. Nor below, now I think about it.
It’s comforting to read your story 🙂 I basically had the same thing happen to me, my “friends” started laughing at me and telling all the girls and boys in our class, I never told me Mom though and attempted to shave my legs myself, but then got scared thinking “but what if I have a monobrow? How does that work?” So I actually ended up semi-accidentally shaving my eyebrows off!! Looking back its a hilarious story but at the time was horrific! hahaha
I definitely rebelled against the ‘not above the knee’ rule. Even though I’m blonde, I still just prefer the smooth feel.
Maybe it’s a generational/media influenced thing as I’m 23. My mum is in her mid 50s and would never dream of shaving anywhere other than legs and pits! 😉
You’re lucky you have blonde hair! Being very pale skinned with super dark hair – seriously, we’re talking black monobrow in high school – I’ve had to shave from toes to thighs since I started getting bullied about it in year 8. Awful!
I’m the same, I’ve always subscribed to the ‘not above the knee’ rule!
My mom taught me how to shave when I was 12. She instructed me to shave my legs up to my knee and that is what I learned. You and I did the same thing.