Legs, Underarms, Eyebrows, Oh My!

[Margaret L]

Actually, if you wait a while, a long while, the hair eventually goes away as you age....

True, but unfortunately, while the hair on my legs is diminishing, I keep getting more on my chin. Ugh! That MUST be plucked, and with my near-vision fading, I'll have to carry a super-magnifying tweezing mirror. Menopause & beyond is not for sissies.

[-SEEKER-]

Don't bother with plucking chin hairs just shave them.

[Margaret L]

Don't bother with plucking chin hairs just shave them.

Hmm ... certainly would be much faster.

[Blissful]

They just grow back

[trails148]

Good information ladies! Thank you

[AmandaBroun]

On longer hikes, I've carried a bit of 'Magic Powder' - a product sold for men in the shaving section. It is a powdered depilatory (mix with water, use like Nair) and works well enough to keep me from getting nabbed as an escaped gorilla... I have lots of body hair and it is very dark.... It also works on the 'lady place' for those who prefer to keep that area hair-free as well (some feel it makes staying clean easier)

I really have to second the recommendation for the Magic Shaving Powder! It works better than any of the women's Nair/otherbrand products for me, and doesn't irritate my skin. I've never had occasion to use it on a hike, but it's become a must-have for me, especially in the summer. Nothing worse than trying to have a good time on the lake with a bunch of angry razor burn in your bikini. lol.

[mdp9]

I'm actually kind of intrigued to see how long my leg hair will get.....!

[texas&fla]

Ladies, do be careful with the razors. Do NOT reuse them. For years, I had got a couple of shaves out of a disposable. then this year, i got a horrible case of cellulitus, right before going to Africa for a safari and a mountain trek. It could have been fatal if not treated. My doc told me it was from the razor being used twice and then I nicked myself with it. She told me that she sees it a lot. She said if using a razor...no using it more than once (especially when shaving armpits..they are more sensitive) and put antibiotic ointment on your pits after shaving.

I had probably gotten a tiny tiny nick and gotten an infection. I just happened to get it really bad b/c I got a sunburn a couple of days after the nick and that weakened my immune system. Just all around bad luck. Now of course I am terrified to even use a razor on my pits...went to nair.... still use a razor on my legs.

seeing as how days fo hiking can be quite sweatier than normal days, ....we need to be careful.

[C Seeker]

I didn't shave when I was on my AT hike this year nor worried about my eye brows as I never looked at myself in a mirror and didn't care what I looked like. I always told the guys if they didn't like it then they didn't have to look, and I never ran into a guy who said anything about. I did have to shave and wax when I got off trail for a wedding, but if I didn't have that then it would have stayed. It is also keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so why not keep it- one less thing to worry about.

[C Seeker]

I didn't shave when I was on my AT hike this year nor worried about my eye brows as I never looked at myself in a mirror and didn't care what I looked like. I always told the guys if they didn't like it then they didn't have to look, and I never ran into a guy who said anything about. I did have to shave and wax when I got off trail for a wedding, but if I didn't have that then it would have stayed. It is also keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so why not keep it- one less thing to worry about. <BR>

[Echraide]

I didn't know anyone was concerned about this on a thruhike. I consider long distance hikes to be a wonderful release from things like makeup, shaving, etc.

[foreversuperawesome]

I always carry a small cheap bic razor with me for those days i'm becoming a sasquatch. Eyebrows is the least of my concerns, and I often wear pants anyway.

[Mariposa2014]

I was on the swim team in high school and college, and we were not allowed to shave from Dec. to Feb. As a white Latina, I have pale skin and dark, fast-growing hair, so this was awful for me. On the AT, I will be waxing beforehand and probably I'll stop to wax about halfway through as well. But here's my advice:

(1) When shaving, you typically moisturize afterwards. A lot of the itching is actually because most people forget to put lotion on unless they're shaving. If you're bringing lotion anyway, make sure to keep your hairy legs moisturized and they probably won't itch as much. (This goes for your vaginal region as well!)

(2) Wear leggings instead of shorts. My own legs always grossed me out (especially whenever the wind would blow), so I keep hair legs covered pretty much all the time.

(3) This is more important when wearing pantyhose, but it applies to leggings as well: when you put them on, hike them up and then smooth them back down so that the hair sits in the right direction.

(4) If you're hiking with a romantic partner or you anticipate having sex on the trail, bring knee-high socks. Personally, I'm thru-hiking in part to get away from the douchebags in my life, so I don't really mind grossing all the dudes out. But on the swim team that's basically how we dealt with it.

[Different Socks]

I do take a disposable bic razor with me. I leave about an inch of the handle and break the rest off. I just personally don't like having hairy legs. Since I take it anyhow, I also keep up with my underarms. I don't do anything with the brows though. I do shave less often on the trail than I do at home.

The disposable razor has multiple uses for me though, I hike with my dog so need that in case he has an injury I would have to shave fur away from. Luckily I've never had to put it to that use, but if I didn't already have it for that reason I'm not really sure if I'd still carry it or not.

Pardon me for asking, but why do you break off the handle? The razor weighs an ounce or less to begin with.

[AliciaG]

Nah, definitely forget about the aesthetic things on long hikes. although I have light eyebrows so that is never an issue for me. You can bring a little mirror and tweezers and do it on the go though no problem.