Razor Burn

I think all caucasian American women fall into one of two groups: those who can handle letting their leg hair grow out for a while, and those who can't. Most of my friends fall in the first group, and kudos to them. Me not so much. I don't know why, but I really really hate having hairy legs. Ick. Maybe because I like to wear skinny jeans, and skirts in the summer? But even when it's the middle of winter and I could use that tiny extra layer to keep me warm, I whack it off. Regularly, I shave at least once/week, usually more.

One thing I learned while reading "A Good Life" was how bad disposable razors are for the environment. I swept through the information, analyzing each sentence. Then I took all the new facts I'd learned and stored them as far into the back and dusty corners of my brain as possible. Could I give up eating tropical fruits to cut down on the gas it takes to fly them to Iowa? Yes. Would I stop shopping for clothing at retail stores as a sign that I wasn't going to be manipulated by big box retail and glamorous advertising? Yes. Would I walk to work every day even if it was 40 degrees and raining? Yes (*cough sometimes*). Was I willing to stop shaving? I'm sorry, what? Um... let me get back to you on that one...

The facts about disposable razors are pretty sad. Let's start with the fact that keeping our skin smooth and neatly shorn is a strange cultural phenomenon that appears in almost every Western state, as well as the Middle East, India, and Brazil. Generally speaking, we're taking a razor to our bodies for the sole reason that our culture finds leg hair and under arm hair especially offensive and unattractive. Don't even get me started on how young I was when I was asked if I kept other areas of my body shaved, too. It would make you sick. Yes, women go to great lengths to have silky smooth, hairless legs and underarms (and other areas of the body) because our culture tells us to - and it's one of the cultural norms that few of us question. In fact, most of us women have bought into it and agree. While I can't wait for that cultural norm to undo itself, chances are it won't in my lifetime. Why not? The most likely reason is that the razor business is huge, and I doubt they'll ever run out of manipulative advertising that keeps us coming back for more and more razors (the Economist has concluded that the 14-blade razor should arrive in 2100, if trends continue). There are some interesting socio-sexual reasons too (type "leg shaving" into wikipedia for some interesting reading on that). Men love them young girls, and we're all trying to keep our men coming back for more.

Back on the subject of the razor industry: at this point, we're expected to keep our legs silky smooth for the men in our lives (or the men we want in our lives - lord knows if you finally get him interested, he'll back away if he sees your legs unshorn). Each disposable razor is expected to be used 10-15 times, which means that, if I'm using mine properly, it needs to be replaced at least once each month. The US alone tosses 2 billion razors into landfills every year, and you can forget about the urban legend that razor blades are being recycled from decommissioned ships or that the razors are plucked out of your garbage and recycled. Businesses like Gillette earn $10 billion/year, and the industry isn't even creating something complex or seen as a necessity the way toothbrushes or clothing or cars are. Ten billion dollars! For disposable razor blades! Then again, I guess even though we don't think about it, razors really are considered an essential in this country.

Like I said at the beginning, shaving my legs is a staple in my daily (or at least, weekly) routine. I've never been in love with shaving my underarms, but ever since my boyfriend in high school complimented me on the fact that my underarms were always shaved (unlike SOME people he knew), I've kind of gone out of my way to shave there every day. And let me tell you something men - shaving your underarms hurts! With that thought alone, I decided to hide my razor a few weeks ago and was determined to put this cultural double standard in my past. Not only was I hoping to make a difference by cutting back on spending on something that isn't even necessary for my health, but I saw myself making a teeny tiny difference in the local landfill. Thanks anyway, Western culture, nobody is telling me how to be beautiful!

Long story short: I failed. Two weeks later I was hairy and disgusted and ravenous to get that hair OFF MY BODY. I felt sooo ugly! I felt just gross! I felt like a hag! Can you believe it? I couldn't. Every single day in the shower I would lift my legs up and take a look and just be repulsed. It was a serious mind over matter situation, and I felt myself quickly losing. One afternoon after a long day of itchy legs and feeling nasty, I ran home, slipped into a bathtub full of hot water, and lost all self control. I felt like a relapsed smoker, taking long sweet drags on a cancer stick. Thank you Jesus! My legs! My beautiful legs!!! Steven came home to find me sitting in cloudy water, hiding my legs and the razor from his view.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Just taking a bath?"

"Yes."

Long, awkward pause.

"AND SHAVING MY LEGS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Now, unfortunately I'm sorry to say that Steven hasn't been very supportive of this branch of alternative living. I kind of enjoyed not shaving my underarms (by the time I finally did, I gotta tell you - no razor burn for the first time in months!), but every time Steven looked over at me in that way, both of our gazes would slowly wander to my hideous old woman nasty backwoods culturally unkempt hairy legs. Steven jumped for joy as I screamed out in frustration over my complete lack of restraint.

This is a battle that I'm still working on. I've decided that this might not be something I can do cold turkey. I know that I don't agree with WHY I'm shaving my legs (to fit into what my culture expects of me) and I don't agree with the environmental implications of buying and tossing razor blades willy-nilly. But the feeling of smooth legs sliding into tights or jeans as opposed to hair sticking and poking as I try to put my clothes on and walk around all day... well so far it's been hard for me to try to support the ethical side to this dilemma. So baby steps, my friends. Keep me accountable: for now, shaving once/week.

The ultimate goal, I guess would be to not shave at all? I'm not sure if I'm quite there yet. The other options offered by A Good Life are to have your legs waxed, although this is somewhat painful and costs much more than shaving. However, the legs stay smoother for longer and longer with each wax. Or else, going back to the olden days of a "straight razor" - you know the type? The ones seen in old Westerns and historical time pieces? Well, I don't know where you can pick those up these days, but I'm sure they're out there, somewhere. But what to do when it comes to sharpening them on a piece of leather. My growing PETA enthusiasm makes me cringe at the thought.

I'm not saying it's easy or fun, but even small things like shaving less (or not at all, if you have more strength than me) can make a difference in the way our culture and the next generation spend their money, how our daughters will view themselves as beautiful without having to impress a man with her razor-wielding skills, and the thought of billions of tiny silver and rusting razors in a grave below the surface of the earth... if nothing else, maybe our children will never have to know the pain of razor burn.

Question to those of you living in other areas of the world: Do women there shave their legs? In the Netherlands? In Egypt? South Korea?

Resources:

A Good Life: The Guide to Ethical Living

"Ask Leo & Lucy" (Leo Hickman, writer of A Good Life actually wrote an article about razors, seen here - basically the same thing written in the book)

Wikipedia - shaving, leg shaving