Friday Hair Poll

[slemslempike]

Okay, I have created A Poll of Great Importance. It is about hair, and the lengths thereof. It is open to everyone, but the answers are private, because of the last question, to which, in case anyone wants to know, my answer is "yes", and I don't mean the small fine hairs like on the back of my hands, oh no. I wish to know if I am a freak. (I am using my birthday icon from coconutswirl because of the pigtails. It's a theme.)

ETA: Oh, damn. Where it says "less than usual, more, more than usual", the middle option is meant to be "the same".

[Poll #501596]

Comments

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

I always have to expand on my poll answers, don't I? Re. head hair, it's between chin and shoulder length, and none of the answers really fit because I swing wildly between short and long hair - I'll grow it and grow it until it gets to about bra strap length, and I'll like it for a few months, and then I'll snap and cut it all off to about ear length (with variations in style), and then I'll love that for a few months and then decide to grow it again. I am right in the in-betweeny stage at the moment, which I loathe and will have to suffer through for another few months, but I want it to be plaitable by the time I go to Sudan. In short, I have no 'usual'.

For the armpit and leg hair questions, I answered as of right this moment. In general, I am hairy in winter but I shave in summer.

For the pubes, they generally remain untrimmed and unshaved, though I have had a Brazilian in the past.

I don't have bum hair, but I do have other little weird patches of hair on my body - on my chin, my neck, my boobs, etc., so I certainly don't think you're a freak (and for all I know, I could have bum hair but I've never noticed it and Mark's too polite to mention it). Basically, I have all those troublesome hairs that women are supposed to get when they're menopausal, so I dread to think what will happen when I am menopausal myself.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I have just realised that it's getting a bit summery, and that I might think about going back to less hair for that. If I want to wear a skirt to work, I should probably shave my legs, although I bought some pumice mittens from the discount shop just because I really don't think that they will work. We shall see. But my leg hair got really long this year, and I'm entranced by it. Maybe I will just wear trousers until I have to be a bridesmaid.

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

I've used pumice mittens before (when I first wanted to dehair my legs I was about 11, and my mum didn't want me to use a razor because I'm so clumsy, so she bought me the pumice things instead), and as I remember they worked really well. Where did you get yours? I didn't think they were around any more.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

QUality Save! One of those shops where they have some end of line items, and name brands that are cheap because they're close to sell-by date. They were about 50p for a pack of three. If you don't have Halfpriceorless.com shop or Quality Save, I can get some for you.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

I discovered this week that Pepys shaved with pumice, so maybe it does work. I don't really think I want to do that to my skin, though, it's uppity enough as it is.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I'm going to have a go anyway, but I shall have buckets of moisturiser standing by for repairing the damage.

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

It didn't damage my skin at all, and, as I remember, was actually quite good for exfoliating - the skin on my legs is always quite dry.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

I might look into it when the eczema clears up, then. At the moment I'm either not shaving them at all or shaving very very gingerly.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

The things you learn on LiveJournal...

http://www.livejournal.com/users/pepysdiary/232008.html

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I agree with him about this:

"the hereditary curse of child-bearing, which seemed a pretty strange expression."

I shall try the pumice stone and report back!

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait! There is such a thing as rubbing all the hair off your legs with a pumice stone instead of shaving?! Really?

Oh I would like that so much more.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

We're all waiting for a report! Go and try it NOW! (Did that work? Am I scary?)

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

Well I have a nice pumice stone, but... does one use with loads of shower gel? Soap? Plain water?!

Oh hell, I should just go try it in the shower, shouldn't I?

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to give orders to you! I meant slemslempike, as she was going to try it anyway.

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

I got that, it's okay.

Heh.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

The instructions on the back of my thing said to use them on dry legs, and then have a damp towel for afterwards. Apparently the white powder is perfectly natural.

On the mittens, it says to do small circles at a time, and do four clockwise rotations, followed by four anticlockwise rotations.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

It is very scary, the more so since I can't do anything until I get home on Monday! I may well try it though.

[felinitykat]

To the best of my knowledge I don't have hair on my bum. That doesn't mean I actually don't, though.

I do get it in other annoying places, like a little bit on my toes (eww). Also, I shaved last night, which is why today I am less hairy than usual.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I have very hairy toes. I'm growing that along with my legs. I'm not quite sure why, but I delight in showing people.

I may well shortly deforest for summer, if I decide I might want to wear a skirt at work.

I seem to be the only female-performing poll answerer with bum hair. Hmm.

[leedy.livejournal.com]

I'm another person who waxes their legs in Summer but can let them go au naturel for ages in the Winter. I always shave my armpits, partly out of sheer force of habit. Pube hairdressing is a very sporadic thing, and normally only if I'm going to be in a swimsuit. Head hair is now the longest it's been since I was a teenager (how exciting!) - I spent many years with really short hair after a number of traumatic experiences with hairdressers who couldn't deal with curls/waves.

I don't have bum hair as far as I know (you realize the next time I'm in the bathroom I'm going to have to check), but in the interests of full disclosure, I have weird random dark hairy bits on my toes, breasts, and upper lip.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I'm never seen my bum hair, but it's certainly tangible. I have a few sporadic dark hairs around my nipples, but that's about it.

I've kind of stopped shaving my armpits now - partly no shower apart from at the swimming pool, and the bath is too short for comfortable shaving. But I shall probably start again soon.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

I am That Cliche who had a baby then cut her (head) hair off shorter than it's ever been. It was mid-back-length from ages 14 to 22, and then it's been between shoulder and chin. The last cut (the post-baby one), it was actually cropped at the back, and I adored it, and it needs doing again.

Underarms I never shave (there's not much hair there anyway), legs I depilate below the knee (with cream, usually) in the summer sometimes, at least partly to show off the tattoo on my left leg. Pubes I never remove, but they're quite well contained anyway - I might feel different if they showed a lot under a swimsuit but they don't. As for other random hair - quite a lot of those wiry breast hairs, which I sometimes cut off, and quite a hairy neck, but generally I'm not very hairy at all (though my leg hair is black and very visible).

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I didn't know of that cliche. Is that to avoid sick in hair?

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

That's one reason (and a damn good one). And the fact that she loves to entwine her hands in long hair, and her hands are grubby and grabby. Also, though, lots of my hair started falling out when Naomi was a couple of months old (apparently this is because it doesn't fall out while you're pregnant and so there's some catching up to do, and you don't actually go bald. But it's still a bit alarming.) and it's easier to deal with when short.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

Yep: intending to have v. short hair cut in July/August in preparation for the baby. Is SO MUCH EASIER to wash and dry and such like.

Again, I don't have a 'normal' length of hair. It was v. long for many years and then got cut really rather short last March -http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sabethea/detail?.dir=434b&.dnm=72a8.jpg&.src=ph

is now inbetweeny length.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Yep, also having hair that doesn't need blowdrying to look reasonable is a Good Thing when blowdrying is an unimaginable luxury.

Also, hello! You're a PhD-writing person who's going to have a baby - I'm about to return to my PhD after having mine. And you sound interesting and cool. Want to be /friends? (I do sound like an idiot, don't I?)

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

yay to new friends. and no, you don't sound like an idiot :)

golly, so you only took 6 months off from PhD-ing to have the babe? I'm wondering whether to ask for a 6 month interruption or a year. (Presumably I can always go back early if I ask for a year, but it might be more awkward to ask for ANOTHER interruption, especially as I've only just got an extension on grounds of illness anyway...)

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Yeah, though I only PhD half-time anyway - I used to work half-time and have stopped that. But, I've already had a 2-year break because of going nuts and fighting with my (ex-)supervisor, so I really need to get going again.

Actually, I think I'm ready to stop being a full-time at-home mother now - though I may change my mind in a couple of weeks when I'm trying to act intelligent and still being woken up 5 times a night.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

I PhD part-time, too. And work less than half-time (8-12 hours a week, usually). And am ill part-time. Well, ill always, really, but sleep a lot. I'm intending only to take 6 months off from work (because that's all they pay me for) and I don't think I'm really full-time at-home mother material, either.

You'll actually find nothing much about anything to do with babies in sabethea as I know half my friends list find the whole idea of children somewhat less interesting than watching cats poo (and with your own, you may feel that that's enough for you, too) - but sabsbaby has any baby-related stuff I write.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Have friended both - though my technique is to ignore the fact that half my friendslist are fiercely child-free and expect them to adore mine anyway. And, honestly, at the moment I will listen to anyone talk about their baby as long as they listen to me talk about mine - I'm now not the newest mother in my LJ circle, and it's lovely to hear people being at stages I've been past. So I'm sure your baby will inspire me to fits of nostalgia when it arrives.

Which is odd, because in real life I'm noted for being a smart-mouthed and rather mean activist type.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice hair! So where is it now?

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

sort of (*looks at self in mirror*) ... If it were straight, the longest bits (it's layered) would be shoulder length. Because it's wavy, it's a little less than shoulder length. Is going back to being v. short soon.

[alicamel.livejournal.com]

I am another one who is hairy in the winter and tend to shave more in the summer. I don't do anything with my pubic hair, although I would if I ever wore a swimming costume or something, as it is, quite, um, wild.

I also have hairs on my big toes. Charming. ;)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Hobbit toes! Is fab. I did a presentation on body hair for uni once.

I don't do anything with my pubic hair despite swimming, and now I'm wondering if I should. Hmm.

[alicamel.livejournal.com]

Apparently hairs on your toes means you have good circulation or something.

Hmm. Mine is very noticable, which is why I would do something. If it doesn't bother you I wouldn't worry. :)

[biascut.livejournal.com]

I don't do anything with my pubic hair despite swimming, and now I'm wondering if I should. Hmm.

Heh, I'd been thinking about a poll on that very subject. I can't decide whetherhaving pubes on show is a strike against the patriarchy, or whether it looks too much like "hello, here is my CUNT!" which is the last thing you want people in a swimming pool to be thinking when they look at you. Swimming pools are all about de-emphasising the sexual, hence the fluorescent lighting.

Thing is, I LOATHE the cultural norm that says that you shave off as much pubic hair as possible, and then wear the skinniest, highest legged bathing suit ever, in a kind of simultaneous sexy/de-sexed look. The answer is clearly low-legged bathing costumes. I've got a bikini with shorts with covers all recalcitrant hair, but my swimming costume proper lets the world know that I am a true redhead. Dilemma!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

My swimming costume is quite low cut (at the bottom!), so I don't know if anything shows. I think for me it looks more like a strike against the patriarchy than "hello, here is my CUNT" but I do see the dilemma.

[whatsagirlgotta.livejournal.com]

I wax year round but this means periods of hairiness whatever the season, i can't shave and am allergic to depilatory creams so its the only option. As for bum hair, not really but pubic hair does go toward bum if that makes sense rather than bum cheek hair.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's more what I have, although a little on bum as well.

I am going to be trying the pumice stone thing for shaving my legs next week, I think. Failing that, I have some kind of immac stuff. I don't think I'd like waxing, although I used to do it myself at home, I no longer have the patience.

[whatsagirlgotta.livejournal.com]

I pay someone as it takes half the time and I don't get stuck to myself that way!

[leedy.livejournal.com]

Ditto! I don't have the patience for home waxing. Mercifully, there is a magnificently unglamorous beauty salon at the end of our road, where you can get a decent and inexpensive leg wax administered by a bossy Indian lady to the accompaniment of cheesy Bollywood music.

[peeeeeeet.livejournal.com]

Well, I seem to be the only gentleman who has disclosed his hirsutiness situation. It's a shame I'm not in London this weekend, or we could discuss each other's excessive hair over a pint.

I have a hairy bum. It is not nice, and if a life partner ever requested it to be removed, I would.

The hair, that is.

Not much Higniffy squee this evening. Ho hum.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I don't mind my hair - depending on how the partner asked, I would either do so grudgingly, or grow it long and luxurious.

I haven't seen hignfy yet - waiting for the repeat.

[blindfish.livejournal.com]

Everone has hair on their ass because, well yur ass is just an extension of your leg (or your back however you want to look at it) so unless by some freakish happy accident God (or whatever) has seen fit to give you hair on your legs and small of back but just magically miss out that area you will have hair there. It just depends on how dark and coarse your body hair is as to how noticeable it is.

Of course you could have waxed it off.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Nah - it's not an extension of my leg hair! It has a definite individual identity of "ass hair", I feel.

I don't mind having it at all - quite like it, but wondered if I was the only woman.

[ex-rita.livejournal.com]

I'm wild and unshaved!

Anyway...I answered "no" to the bum question because I didn't think you mean "asshole." I've got some hair there. But I think most people do.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I ma currently, although I'm going to have to do some hacking to be a bridesmaid later this year. I am itching to try the pumice stone thing though.

I kind of did actually. Maybe I was being too delicate? Most poeple do? Very good to know!