3+ years with shaven arms and legs

[AKAMichelle]

I have read so many postings about should I or shouldn't I shave. What will everyone think? What will happen? This has caused me to reflect a great deal about many of those fears and how they have changed my life.

I started going out 3+ years ago. I took a year off in the middle and another 4 months lately. The most recent break is the reason for few postings from me. Everything is fine, but I needed to spend some time as a male. I had done a lot of things as Michelle over the years and the male side had been neglected somewhat. So I worked on that. So I have spent sometime as a male and reflected about Michelle. My life has really blended together in such way that even when dressed as a male, Michelle is there. She has become a very intrigual part of me. She completes me.


So now I will discuss many of the fears and how the last 3 years has affected me.

1. Shaved arms / legs - This one has people the most afraid. My wife use to ban me from going out in shorts because somebody might notice. In the 3+ years that I have shaved my arms and legs the only people who have said a word is my wife. I have been around clients, neighbors and friends who don't know about Michelle without a single word. In fact if you really think about it - how many people have you noticed others arm / leg hair. Unless they are a hairy ape, they just don't get noticed. I think they get less attention shaved than they would be hairy.
2. Long Hair - I have let my hair grow out to about 6-8 inches past my shoulders. I wear my hair up in a ponytail most of the time when out. I got more attention after I colored my hair than when it was grey. Most of the attention now is teasing me about coloring my hair. Mostly it is the mid-life crisis crap. They would never believe that it was far more.
3. Chest / Back Hair Removal - Since I don't go out much without my shirt, nobody has noticed or said a word to me.
4. Clear Polish on Nails - This one has gotten a few comments but none negative. Most of the comments came from women. Men either don't notice or don't care. This one I'm not sure about the reason.
5. Beard Removal - It is just one of those things that I got comments that I shaved my beard off. Nothing ever came out negative just a couple of people noticing the difference.

We spend so much of our time worrying about the what ifs that I wanted to share my experiences. I am preparing to come back out next weekend if everything works out. So I will be posting a Michelle 2.0 post showing the changes.

[Danielle Gee]

Michelle:

You are so right!! I always enjoyed winter because I could keep my body clean shaven. Every spring for years I’d allow it all to grow back out….I WAS MISERABLE ALL SUMMER.

Then my Sweetie convinced me to try maintaining my smooth body all year round. “Nobody gives a damn if you have hair or not” she said. So I tried it last Summer and lo & behold she was right….Nobody said a word to me. And she said no one mentioned it to her either.

I think Michelle’s post is right-on!!

Danielle

[Patty]

Michelle is correct
It is my worrying that has kept me back, Now I am hairless, have acrylic nails with gel and get a pedi with color and Ii love to wear my fem sandals. The painted toe nails is what get noticed but nothings neg has been said. Only pos remarks. I use to worry all the time but near as much as before.

[Misti]

Michelle: You are so right! “Nobody gives a damn if you have hair or not” I think Michelle’s post is right-on!!

What more can I add? Like Nike, "Just do it!"

And, Oh yes! "You'll absolutely love it, day and night!"

[lynn_lynn]

I have a friend I grew up with has Alopecia universalis.. No hair on his body whatsoever, cant say Im not jealous. But he has very pale skin also, and needs to avoid sun ..

[AKAMichelle]

It is our own fear which causes the most problems for us. We fret and worry about so many non-issues. Only when you figure out that the world continues to spin after you shave or go out that you can finally begin to accept who you are.

[Starr]

I have been shaving my legs and body for over 10 years i guess now... kind of forgot when i started.. My arms I have not shaved but i do keep them trimed close.. my hair is way past shoulder lenght and i too keep it in a high pony tail.. my nails have always been long for a guy but now they are almost long for a woman.. i keep them shaped and polished with clear polish.. while nothing has been said to me some comments i have heard show some poeple have noticed the nails being longer and polished.. as well as the hair.. on the hair i just go back to something i said once.. when i retire i will have a pony tail all the way down my back.. still a few years away but not enough to make anyone think anything after i say that.. One other thing i am doing is slowly thinning and shapeing my eyebrows nothing with a big arch but thinner and more fem lookig when in make up but not to over done when not... No one pays a lot of attention to anyone else as to hairy legs or not, long hair or not.. well to some extent anyway... nails.. women notice mostly on them... had several complements on my nails from women.. no oe really cares

[Raychel Torn]

I only came out to my wife six weeks ago, but to great support. She has picked out clothing with me and seems very turned on my fem identity. But, even with all her support I only just started shaving my armpits. It would be nice to shave my legs some day, but my plan was to wait till winter. This thread may help me move a little faster on this. Thanks!

[Karinsamatha]

I have been removing my hair for the last two years, and I can say most people don't care or notice. The woman I have been seeing likes the smooth feeling much like men like the smooth feeling of a women who removes the hair from her legs and arms.

[Aeron]

Just started doing this myself. Was a deforestation peoject of major proportion. Am hoping that it gets easier as time goes along, and I am doing it regularly.

[marny]

Been shaving legs tummy chest for 6 years and arms off and on. You inspired me. just epilated the hands and arms. Tingly but great an long lastong results

[Kathy4ever]

All most sounds like my life except the chest and back hair part. Luckly I.m pretty smooth in those parts. The other part that is different is I've only done it for 9 months. It is the best choice I ever made. No negative comments either so far. I don't really care any way. It's my body and i will D__m well do with it I want to.

[wendy360]

Started shaving 5 years ago. No one said anything. Got tired of that and started laser 4 years ago. Legs, arms chest and abs. Wear shorts all the time. No one says a thing. I really don't think people care as much as we might think.

[PretzelGirl]

The only comments I have received on any of the items in your list is being called a hippie by guys I work with. But since you went past hair and added nails, then we could also consider:

6. Getting ears pierced.

[DebbieL]

The only time I grow a beard, is when I'm planning to wax it off. After doing this 5-6 times, only my chin and moustache come back in dark, but they come in slower. I may have to consider eletrolysis for these areas, but the rest of the face is good.

I shaved my legs the first time when my wife went back to Colorado for her friend's wedding. I loved the feel, and when she came back, we ended up conceiving my son. I wore shorts when I was out by myself in the summer time. In the 70's men with lots of hair were sexy, but in the 80's, we saw more "man-scaping" and several popular male vocalists were clean-shaven head to toe. Later, I discovered Nair and once my skin adjusted to it, found that this was a great way to keep my legs bare and reduce the need to shave to once at the beginning of the week-end.

Arms, I almost always did exclusively with Nair. The result is that the hair that did come back was thinner, and lighter. Since I don't shave my arms, the hair that is there is very light and soft, and I can go out as boy or girl without much notice.

It was always interesting when I would go out shopping in shorts with my baby in his stroller. Mom was home getting much needed sleep. Teen-aged girls would start giggling, and I would think to myself "Laugh today if you'd like, but if you insist on a 'macho man', will he end up drinking beer, beating you, raping you, and then spend all the rent money on strippers and hookers?". I had a college degree, a high paying job, treated my wife very well, took good care of my children, and when I did get divorced, I never missed a child-support payment.

My sister married 3 "macho men", one ended up addicted to crack, the next was still married and had to go back to his first wife or face jail, the third quit his job as an engineer to make knives and ended up on disability. I had three girl friends who dated soldier boys, got pregnant, and suddently the fathers-to-be didn't want to acknowledge ANY activity.

Of course, the one that's hardest to deal with is little boys, 5-7 years old, who make very loud remarks. One one hand, I'm amused, because they are just now learning about gender roles and a guy who looks a bit like a girl doesn't fit with what he is learning from the other boys at school. On the other hand, I also feel sad because I know that this boy, and his friends, are learning to repress important parts of their personalities, getting conditioned for life in street-gangs, military service, and other "macho" environments. I also know that many of these boys, when they become teen-agers, will go through mental health issues, suicide or criminal activities, drug addiction, and general self-loathing because they want to express their feminine side, and hate themselves for it.

The good news is that teens are much more accepting and understanding than they used to be. The diversity awareness programs in the schools has made them aware that there are people who, including classmates, who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, and there are people who have dark skin, speak spanish, or whose parents or grandparents came from other countries. They have learned that all of these things are just parts of being a human being and that being different isn't necessarily bad. Training in sexual harassment has taught kids that it's not OK to try force someone you are attracted to, to concent. This applies to boys who like boys the same way it applies to boys who like girls. GLBT diversity is also more widely tolerated. Adam Lambert had a huge following. American Idol contestants who are obviously gay or transgendered still sell millions of records and get millions of votes.

When people see me with my bare legs, short shorts, ping tennis shoes, and purse, and pierced ears, they realise what I am, but they also know I'm not going to try to seduce them. I am also polite, and generous with compliments and flattery. One of the great things about being openly transgendered is that when I complement a woman on her outfit, or her hair, or her jewelry, she knows it's not a pick-up line, but a genuine compliment. I love the way women light up and get really happy when I give them compliments. When I'm in "Man Mode", compliments are often percieved as lewd or sexual harassment. A bit sad when you think about it.

[Claire Cook]

I've been fully shaved (arms and hands too) for over a year now, wear shorts most of the time FL and haven't had a comment yet. Ditto for clear nail polish. The pierced ears have gotten comments, but almost always positive.

[Juliannlg]

I have been for over 5 years from below eyebrows down and have never had a comment. I got my ears pierced 2 years ago and only one bad comment about a month after I had them done nothing since.

[charlytuna]

I been clean shaved for past 25 yrs now and only once my sister-in-law mentioned it to mind her own and my wife said the same. I just don't care if someone notice it or not this my life so ...........

[Marcia Polari]

I don't like shaving.
I epilate my chest, shoulders and back, and legs by waxing and love the smooth feeling.
As someone commented, I do that every mid falls till the end of winter/beginning of spring. My wife was very accepting from the beginning as I claimed the skin contact with her is more pleasant.
The only point of discussion came once when I waxed pubis (Brazilian way) and armpits. Since then I can only keep them trimmed but not 100% waxed.
Go figure!

[AKAMichelle]

The only comments I have received on any of the items in your list is being called a hippie by guys I work with. But since you went past hair and added nails, then we could also consider:

6. Getting ears pierced.

You are so right. I left off pierced ears. I have had very few comments about them.

[Lorileah]

Maybe it is just Colorado But I agree with Michelle, I did all the things she has mentioned except coloring my hair. Maybe a half dozen people said anything about nail polish and then mostly because I had done them in Purple and Black or Orange and Blue. One client said she would buy me earrings now that I have pierced ears (have been for 7-8 years now). I wax when possible, Nair when not. My hair is mid back but unfortunately the top is gone . My daily clothing is anywhere from 50% women's department to 100% daily (funny when you wear slacks that zip backwards no one noticed that either) and my shoes have been female for years.

The only people who will notice are the ones who have something for you (love or hate) usually.

[kimdl93]

Michelle, my experiences with shaving are a lot like yours. I started shaving my legs about 12 years ago - no ban on shorts - and no one has noticed or commented. as for my arms, etc, being a blonde, my body hair is so light that it barely shows. So its really not all that noticeable now that its gone.

I don't have a terribly heavy beard - again blonde - and so far I haven't felt compelled to lazer or otherwise.

Honestly, as so many have pointed out, most people just don't pay that much attention to other people. they've got their own things to focus on. those that do, just don't seem to care. that discovery has been hugely liberating as I've recently ventured out into public en femme.

[Steph.TS]

I wawnt to get the nono hair removal system I plan to have hairless legs. if it work it could be a good alternative to lasering...

[Ashley911]

I have shaved my legs in the summers but I start to become really afraid of being around people and I start to isolate. I would much rather them smooth but I also feel it will make finding a spouse more difficult!