Shaving Legs

[Devin87]

It's that time of year again-- it's warm enough to wear my nice, comfortable shorts outside the house.  And, like every year at this time, I'm choosing not to because I really don't want to shave my legs.  I like my hairy legs.  I like how they look and feel and how low maintenance they are.  I've always hated shaving my legs-- it's time consuming and gross and annoying and usually painful.  But I've been doing it in the summer since some random 7th grader made a comment about my hairy legs (and my Vans shoes) while I was peacefully trying to pee in the school bathroom one day my first month of middle school.  Every year I put off wearing shorts because I don't want to shave until I finally give in and shave my legs so I can wear them.  And here I am again.

I know that when I'm passing full time it won't be an issue-- I just won't shave them.  But even though I pass to strangers here, people I know still know me as female and the last thing I need is running into one of my student's parents in WalMart and them getting all uppity about a woman who doesn't shave her legs teaching her child.  It's dumb that I need to worry about that, but I do.  I guess this is more a rant than asking for advice.  The risk of that happening outweighs my wish to wear shorts with hairy legs.  I'll probably just wear pants until I go back home for the summer (I'm going to try to go full time as male this summer) and then I'll let my legs in all their hairy glory stand out for the world to see (as long as my bosses at my summer job don't make a big deal out of it).

I just wish this wasn't an issue and it's so stupid that it is.

[Silver]

the last thing I need is running into one of my student's parents in WalMart and them getting all uppity about a woman who doesn't shave her legs teaching her child.

Has that happened to you?

[Jigsaw]

I can understand how you feel.  Even with me being on T, I won't be able to wear shorts all the time because I have not come out at work (and don't plan to since I won't be at the job but about a year).  I will be wearing long pants all summer when I am around work or functions with co-workers.

It's so easy to say who cares what others think, but sometimes it can affect your job.  Last thing I want is to draw attention to me and have people start trying to pick out other things not the norm.  If nobody knew me and I was a new face it would be different.   Good luck with trying to find a happy middle ground, I know it can be a pain.

[Sam-]

I'm having the same issue/thoughts about wearing shorts. It's quite a conundrum, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm so uncomfortable with looking at my legs when they're shaved, but it's probably what I'm going to have to do if I don't want to start explaining myself to people.. I hope you figure out a way to make it work for you, whatever you choose to do.

[Lee]

Yeah, I'm having the same issue.  I'm probably just going to stick to pants through the summer, but that might be harder if you live in a hot area.

[emil]

i have the very same problem....people on campus hear my female name when names are called out....and i'm too scared to sit there with my (albeit light blond) furry legs on display. but i'd just feel ridiculous to shave them and also i want to pass as male, and will run around in shorts outside the university setting.....so i pretty much decided to stick with pants, maybe switch to linen pants, for school, and wear shorts when i'm not at school. it's so weird when you're supposed to fit into two different sets of expectations.
at school i'll be expected to use the ladies room by those who know me but will be expected to use the mens room by those who don't know me...confusing as hell.

[Nygeel]

Before I identified as "not female" (a chunk of time as genderqueer and some as male) I wouldn't shave my legs. I wear shorts, I never passed and never really cared about my legs. Lots of people don't shave their legs, I don't really see the issue is.

[coyote]

I'd be inclined to think that a parent so shallow as to judge a "female" teacher for having hairy legs is not going to hold a trans-male teacher in high regard, either. For that reason, I'm not sure full-time passing is going to be any easier for you where judgemental people are concerned. At that stage, a student may tell a parent that their teacher "used to be a woman" and you may get confronted about it. There are always going to be some who knew you pre-transition, so even if you look 100% male, information about your past is always accessible, even if only through rumours.

I'm not saying any of this to be discouraging. On the contrary, I'm offering an alternative perspective to consider that is actually intended to encourage you to just go ahead and be yourself and not worry about the hairy legs. It's possible you may be allowing your fear to hold you back. Yes, someone may say something that you fear will place your job in jeopardy. However, someone may just as easily say something later on in your transition that may do the same. Should you hold back because of it? Basically, this is all a matter of deciding when and where to draw the line. You, of course, are the only one that can decide what's best for you.

I realize you aren't asking for advice, so feel free to completely disregard this entire post. I have no way of knowing whether or not my opinion is at all relevant, since I'm not the one living under your circumstances and I don't have all the facts.

[Brent123]

I don't shave mine. I've worn shorts around friends and the haven't said anything about it. I don't have that much hair on my legs bu still. I'm worried about my parents noticing though. We have pool parties at our house so I may end up shaving them unless I come out in May which is the goal I've set.

[sascraps]

I'm having the same issue, too. I guess I don't pass as well as I thought I did. I do usually get taken as male, because a lot of people in this small town automatically think short hair = male and long hair = female so that's all there is to it. But I guess more people can tell than I had thought, and I wondered if I should shave my legs. I don't know why I have had fear of or had been offended by people calling me or thinking of me as a dyke. I mean if I were a lesbian, what's so wrong with that? Absolutely nothing at all. But there's still a part of me that doesn't want that assumption made about me. Then again, this is a small town, and the mindset here is like a town of 100 in 1800. So to them, there is only male and female, gay and straight. Gender roles are rigid and old fashioned, and I'll just never pass for a not-lesbian woman 'round these parts. (redneck joke there) So, every day, I ultimately decide not to shave. I don't have much hair on my legs at all. I can see it under very bright sunlight, but otherwise, my legs don't appear unshaven. And I do kind of wish there was more hair and that it was darker.

[Konnor]

I worried about this for a while, but I finally got a point where I just didn't care anymore. No one has ever said anything to me about my leg hair, and they're rather fuzzy with dark hair on my calves. I'm not out to people at school and still. Nothing. Honestly, I'm not sure people will care much. If you get confronted, just use the "I'm a hippy" excuse. Other guys have used that and said it worked. Good luck dude!

[FinnBear]

I'm out to everyone now but even before that I didn't shave my legs. Gods I don't think I've shaved my legs since I was 14? Either way the most I get are people looking at them but I rarely even get that. I see lots of people who don't shave their legs. -shrug- I've never thought it was an issue.

[emil]

I don't know why I have had fear of or had been offended by people calling me or thinking of me as a dyke. I mean if I were a lesbian, what's so wrong with that? Absolutely nothing at all. But there's still a part of me that doesn't want that assumption made about me.

this. except that for me, the category just seems way out of place...after all i'm a bisexual/asexual/but leaning towards gay guy, and as a guy who likes guys and sometimes girls to be mistaken for a girl who only likes girls...that just upsets me. but then again, even if my legs were clean shaven, those who know me as female and don't know i'm trans may still jump to that conclusion, after all there's the haircut and clothing i don't know, where i live there's usually a very unkempt , "i don't care what i look like" attitude and appearance connected to girls with leg hair. maybe that's what makes me feel awkward?

[skakid]

I had this same problem and I was really worried about shaving before I went to FL a couple weeks ago for vacation.  I didn't shave no one said a thing.  My mom noticed but she didn't make any comments (and she hates the fact I'm trans) and no one else said anything either.  I think people just don't want to bring it up, like they're more embarrassed than you.

[Devin87]

I'd be inclined to think that a parent so shallow as to judge a "female" teacher for having hairy legs is not going to hold a trans-male teacher in high regard, either. For that reason, I'm not sure full-time passing is going to be any easier for you where judgemental people are concerned. At that stage, a student may tell a parent that their teacher "used to be a woman" and you may get confronted about it. There are always going to be some who knew you pre-transition, so even if you look 100% male, information about your past is always accessible, even if only through rumours.

I'm not saying any of this to be discouraging. On the contrary, I'm offering an alternative perspective to consider that is actually intended to encourage you to just go ahead and be yourself and not worry about the hairy legs. It's possible you may be allowing your fear to hold you back. Yes, someone may say something that you fear will place your job in jeopardy. However, someone may just as easily say something later on in your transition that may do the same. Should you hold back because of it? Basically, this is all a matter of deciding when and where to draw the line. You, of course, are the only one that can decide what's best for you.

I realize you aren't asking for advice, so feel free to completely disregard this entire post. I have no way of knowing whether or not my opinion is at all relevant, since I'm not the one living under your circumstances and I don't have all the facts.

Well I currently live in a part of the country I only plan on being in for two years (I'm just finishing up my first year).  I'm going back to the other side of the country for the summer and want to try to pass for the summer there, but I'll come back here in August as a female for my second year.  After that I plan on switching career tracks slightly (become more specialized and maybe not work in a school setting), but I don't plan on ever coming back out to where I am now (it's the middle of the desert-- not my favorite place).  So right now I'm going for more of a masculine-looking female here for the next year.

[FinnBear]

I think people just don't want to bring it up, like they're more embarrassed than you.

LOLz cause, you know; no body wants to be with the "chick" who doesn't shave.
I donno why I just found this so funny. Something is probably wrong with me.

[Devin87]

Has that happened to you?

No, I've never gone out in public with unshaved legs.  Unless most female-bodied people, I take after my father in the hair department.  I might even be considered slightly hairy for a man.  And this is pre-T.

[Just Shelly]

I hope you don't mind a little help from the "other side"

Last year was the first time I went out in public with shaved legs, yes I got a few looks but very few, and NO ONE said anything.

I know to you this may not seem the same, sure there are guys that shave there legs, but how many of these guys are starting to look like a female!

Its kind of the same, there are woman that don't shave and still look feminine.

I think the big question, is do you possibly want to be outed. I think this was more my worry when I thought about it more. I hope I can give you some insight of how an MTF feels, its not much different

Shelly

[joeybrogue]

I had this problem a few years back.  After about 2 summers of being on T, my family got used to it, and it's just not an issue anymore.  Patience is key! 

Now my legs are brushable, and only my grandmother still says, "My god did your legs get hairy."  She says this everytime I don't have long pants on tho.  It's kind of funny. 

I do actually trim mine though.  Otherwise it just looks messy.  Keep things tidy and "real."  I have to admit the leg hair creeping own onto the top of my foot is gross.  Zip that right off. 

Last summer I did have ONE awkward incident.  I was browsing in a Dollar Tree and ran into a close Art teacher of mine from HS.  She was unaware of my transition as I didn't tell her; I didn't think she'd be jive.  Luckily she was, and she was also shocked.  She looked at my legs like, "OH MY GOD," but then snapped out of it.  Kinda funny moment. 

Don't let your anxiety get super high on this.  =)  I think of things as "just do it now and get it over with..." people can't get used to think (or, the revised you) if you don't expose some things.  Y'know? 

[JohnAlex]

It's nice to read that some people here simply "don't care" what others think of their harry legs or if people stare. 

Where I come from it's like HORRIBLE for a woman to not shave her legs.  it's like the most disturbing and ugly thing in the world.  And since right now I think most people think I look like a lesbian, I couldn't bear to go out in public without shaved legs and have people staring at me because of what I think that they'll be thinking. 

I really wish I didn't grow up with that view of women with unshaved legs, because I would really like to not care what other people think either.  But since I didn't grow up with a bad view of men with shaved legs, I think I'll just have to stick with shaving my legs until I feel like I pass the majority of the time.