I feel so much better when my legs are clean shaven, but I'm worried that someone might see. Particularly my dad or sister, although there are others I'm nervous about.

For instance, I hardly ever shave during the summer. As much as I love swimming I have bad luck with Dad announcing spontaneous trips to the lake right after I finish shaving my legs. More recently, I took a bit too ambitious of a walk and realized the next day that my left ankle and right knee still hurt. My step-mom being a nurse, I figured I'd ask her to look at them, but then I realized my legs were hairless and she might tell Dad.

I remember another time, I had something else happen to my knee (I forget what) and when I showed my sister she commented on my legs having really short hairs, and went on this rant about how her and her friends all think guys who shave their legs are weird.

Does anyone else have similar problems?

Now-a-days , many men remove their body hair.  Weight lifters, body builders, bicyclists, swimmers and just the average guy who just does not like body hair.

I never worried about it because the one that would care , did not because we were on the down hill slide.  But personally, I would do it and just say I don't like body hair.

My boyfriend is bio-male and he shaves his entire body.

But really, you aren't the one that needs convincing.

Ever seen a hairy 300 pound wrestler?
Don't fret just say it is what you want. Oh BTW it's your body, no one else's

Cindy. Never had a hairy anything except moments

Hi,

Many men only shave  legs . arms . for swiming & bike raceing & a few do it any way because they look like great hairy apes  they cant help it,
many women do it face as well . so if any one make s a comment just say Dr orders because you get alligeys what ever.  ,

I had problems while riding our horse s   dumb as i am ,  i never thought to shave my legs , if i had oh dear that would have been great ,   oh well.

& any way what the hell has it to do with any one else  its    your body . just do it.

I epilate my legs, arms ,chest & any thing that moves. & have done for over 6 years & about every 8 weeks now . my hair rate is down to about 10 %   so i look more how a female looks .

any way id go for it,

...noeleena...

Are you into cycling?  Racing cyclists do it because if they have a fall, the friction with the road melts the hair together and pulls out large chunks of flesh! Nasty!!!

So there is an out already, even if you "don't ride all that often due to study" etc. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!!

Choosing to shave your legs is entirely your decision and ultimately effects no one but yourself. Ive been shaving my entire body since its started growing noticable hair. Most people dont notice/dont care enough to ask  or they ask with simple curiosity. In my opinion, shaving body hair is not femanine, its a level of comfort.  I also dont feel theres any reason you should fear someone thinking your weird, whats normal ? Without differences there is no individuality.

i say shave em if thats what you want. and if someone asks, just say you like them like that, so what? i shave my legs, and so does my bio-male boyfriend (who isnt even femme, like me). also, i think that was kind of rude, your sister * saying it was 'weird' when guys shave their legs. um, way to insult you, and a ton of other guys, right there :/

i stopped worrying about what people think/say about me a while ago, and i find its a lot better to just forget about anything anyone might say and do what you want. youre here to make yourself happy and do what you want to do, not 'please' other people that are gonna judge you over something stupid and pointless.

* fixed to 'sister' :p

yes... your nervousness is right... the first times are the hardest!

I did it for some time, years ago. Stopped doing it, and now I recently started again.

What I usually say is "I don't like body hair". I have a slim/athletic body, and it looks better without hair. And that's about it.

I don't care much about what people say about it.... and it surely does make me feel much, much better!!

I will start HRT soon... and I am looking forward to see how it would affect my body hair...

I am also thinking about starting laser... just one are of my body first.... more to follow

Thanks you guys, but my dad knows me well enough to know that I'm not the atheletic type. XD Still, with it being autumn with winter drawing near, I really have no reason that I can think of that I'd be forced to wear anything shorter than pants in public. Still, if my ankle and knee keep acting up, I really do think I'll need to have them looked at, and if that happens I would really rather my step mother not know I shave. But they do seem to be getting a lot better, I guess I'm just paranoid of something happening.

And rexgsd, thanks for pointing out a mistake I made. It was my sister who ranted about how she thinks guys who shave their legs are weird. Also, I normally wouldn't give a crap what anyone has to say about me, but I'm still financially dependent on my dad, who I'm pretty sure would have a problem with it, so that's a bit of a difference to me.

Rather than hide it, have you considered coming out to your family? I don't know how they'll receive it, and only you can decide to move forward with something like that. If you think your family will receive it well, it might not hurt to get it out of the way. Believe me, it's liberating.

But again, only you should decide when the time is right. I always live by the standard that being open is better than hiding.

I'm actually a bit worried about coming out to my family about this. I already came out to my dad about my liking men, he didn't take kindly to it. I mean, it could have been much much worse, sure, but my dad, who is usually super cool, told me outright that I'm not to let anyone know that I like guys as long as I'm living with him. I'm pretty sure if I told him that I don't always feel so much like a guy, he wouldn't take it well. My step mom, I'm not sure how she'd take it. But my sister, I have no idea why but she's pretty outspoken about her beliefs on ->-bleeped-<-, and they're none too pleasant.

I dunno. I'm not full on MtF; if I were I know I'd need to come out eventually. For now, at least, I'm fine with forcing out my male self while around family. Maybe the day will come when I feel otherwise. Maybe when I'm finally independent enough to move out I'll tell him. But for now, when he's my only reliable source of food and shelter, I would rather not risk disappointing him so much that I get kicked out or anything.

Yes, we certainly understand that you are nervous.  Some of us were nervous too when we started shaving our legs.  I certainly was.  Once I started shaving my legs, however, I never looked back and continue to shave them to this very day. 

Go for it. 

Awesome, thanks, I do feel much better about it

  I had the exact same concerns when I was younger.  And for the life of me, I can't figure out why, if a person shaves their entire body. That should be of any interest and concern to others. I wish I had the courage I have now, back when I was young. I wasted so much time dwelling on what others may think.

   Hugs, Erocse

My wife gave me a ration of crap when i first shaved my legs. I just kept doing it, and i haven't heard anything else about it lately. I love the way they feel after shaving.

As far as what other people say - lots of guys shave now. It's not unusual at all.

It's these small steps that help you accept your self. Shaving the legs, then getting waxed, then getting ears pierced, then getting a pedicure.  Before you know it you are walking down the street as the girl you are and life is worth living.

Cindy

Ya theres a bio guy in my class that sits infront of me who always wears shorts and always has his legs shaven. Hes like a big tough guy too, nothing girly about him, so like everyone else said,  its your descion and i dont think theyll further question you if you just tell them you dont like leg hair.

Quote from: CindyJames on November 15, 2010, 01:23:46 AM
It's these small steps that help you accept your self. Shaving the legs, then getting waxed, then getting ears pierced, then getting a pedicure.  Before you know it you are walking down the street as the girl you are and life is worth living.

Cindy

I'll second this..

I know enough guys - not trans, not gay - who make efforts to keep the body hair down (and more than enough women from Berkeley who I swear are using werewolf cream to get it super thick and dark) to think that anymore body hair is not a gender deal, but simply a cosmetic/fashion one.

1. Tanning helps.  The tanner you are the darker the skin, the lighter the hair (from sun bleaching) that it becomes a lot less noticeable.  If you are pasty white and have dark hair people will notice right away, if you're a California girl or boy, not so much.  Of course, if you're on the coast of Cali, it's hard to find people who even care all that much in the first place.  Like I'd even care what the girl with the braided armpit hair thinks anyway.

2. Don't get caught up in some BS lie that will out you even harder.  i.e. - Racing cyclists do it, while I'm sure is true (just like a lot of surfers do, it makes the wetsuit go on and off better) anybody who knows thing one about 'racing cyclists' can tell one from across the room when they are wearing shorts.  Normal people don't have calf/thigh muscle structure like that.  Just like a surfer can't hide the face that's been out in the beach sun and salt water all year.  "I just don't like it" is pretty hard to argue with.