A few weeks ago, I posted something small—a joke about how every girl in my group chat has a “legs strategy” for photos. The comments proved it: almost everyone had one. A certain way of sitting. A specific angle. Knowing exactly where to put your legs so you could avoid showing too much.
Mine started the summer I finally wore a skirt again. I sat down, looked at my legs, and all I could see were the red bumps and irritation I always got from shaving. I wanted to hide my legs, not show them off, and I genuinely thought I was the only one dealing with it.
And honestly, it wasn't just about how they looked. It was the time and effort that went into trying to make them look “smooth” in the first place. Then there was the mess the tiny hairs stuck to the tub, the razor covered in shaving cream, the towels you had to clean afterward. All that time and effort just to have smooth legs for a day or two.
And then came the part no one really talks about: the agonizing itch of ingrown hairs rubbing against my clothes. Instead of just enjoying a beautiful day, I'd find myself checking the lighting, crossing my legs a certain way, or wondering whether anyone could see the bumps.
Looking around at everyone else's seemingly effortless skin, I genuinely thought it was just a “me” problem. I didn't realize how many other women were spending their time, money, and energy trying to hide the exact same thing.