Are Zalanthas females hairy?

[The Lonely Hunter]

Are the human and elven females on Zalanthas hairy or do they actually take the time to shave? I assume shaving for a female would be a bit harder for males since they have a greater area to cover but I just wanted to get everyone elses input. Also, I havent seen any special...feminine products in the markets which also spurred a bit of thought. =)

[Barzalene]

Absorbant cloth.  Or maybe moss.

[Delirium]

I think this gets filed under 'Things I'd Really Rather Not Think About'.

I imagine, though, that living on a desert world for so long, that bodies are generally less hairy. I doubt that they take the time to shave unless they're nobles or Templars with a strange fetish for hairlessness (explaining the convoy of mulish pleasure slaves), since it would be perfectly normal to be au natural and in fact, shaving could be seen as a rather strange habit and quite unsettling to discover without prior warning that your lover has shaved their legs. "What in bleeding sands is this? Ouch! Your legs are stubbly!"

[Master Z]

I dunno, I don't imagine that its really that hard for even a Zalanthian to get their shave on every few days, like when its too stormy to go out or on a day off. Like I know the docs say somewhere, fasion is dictated by the nobles, and something easy to do like shave might be a way normal folks try to aspire to being classy. I know that in real life, poor people don't just submit to being ugly and run down, so I can imagine Zalanthas is the same way. On the same note, I imagine that far more people would forgo their apearance, but I don't think this has to always be the case.

[Delirium]

Thing is, though, I don't think they'd necessarily equate a woman being unshaven with being ugly. For an elf or a human female to be shaven, it could even be thought of as rather unusual or some sort of passing fad. This is all, of course, just my speculation. Many cultures do not/did not shave, I'm fairly sure that it's much more of a modern thing that's become 'standard' over the years thanks to American influence.

Though I'd say if they do shave, it's more likely that it's mostly 'cityfolk' that do so. I doubly doubt that those tribals and nomads and wanderers much care whether their legs are furry.

Not to mention, have you thought about HOW they would shave their legs/pits? It'd have to be dry, with the flat of a sharpened blade...

I'm getting shivers just thinking about it. Shaving woudl be a highly unpleasant experience and just not worth the hassle, I figure.

I pick the wierdest topics to speculate about.

[Anonymous]

Just a thought off of the top of my head, but I don't think human women or men would shave much at all, at least non-facial areas.

If for no other reason than it could be viewed as trying to look like a dwarf.

[Master Z]

I guess you could say it could be a cultural thing that they don't shave, but really its just as arbitrary if they do. Lots of old tribal cultures and the like -did- do obscure things for various reasons, like odd daily rituals that don't seem to have much to do with anything. So I don't think this is that far-fetched. I do agree that it'd make sence to be far more common among city-folk where the lifestyle is more allowing to such things.

As for how you'd shave with ancient tools, its not really that bad. A dry sharp blade does a better job than you'd think, from what I've seen in real life. You'd get good at it / used to it. Maybe I'll try later.... if I do I'll tell you how it goes.

[deviant storm]

I have dryshaved with a regular razor before. The razorburn stings and that's with a metal razor. I'd think most women would say forget that. Zalanthas life is painful enough. There's sand everywhere!

[edit: let me specify. Dryshaved legs. I don't think you could do pits with stone/bone/chitin.]

[Tribeless One]

In liu of water and soap, I think oil or animal fat could be used as a shaving lubricant.  Wasn't there an episode of Seinfeld where Kramer shaves with butter?  It seems like it would work very well, but I'm not inclined to try it myself.

[gfair]

It was Egyptians that first discovered that shaving one's body hair resulted in less body odor given off, and their women shaved often.  And they had razor-sharp metals and rocks.  And you know if they had that, they had the wits enough to realize that after a few attempts, using some sort of balm or olive oil or wetting the hairs would be far more preferable to shaving dry.

So I have few doubts that an obsidian sliver could be made sharp enough, and some sort of oil or other soothing balm be used to moisten the hairs, provide a slippery surface, and let women shave.

That would be reserved for the wealthy women, of course.  The fighting and common class, and the poor, would likely either have to shave dry and suffer, or not be able to afford to shave, or not care about shaving, or accept that it was for the rich.

[Sanvean]

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_012.html

[gfair]

http://www.quikshave.com/egypt.htm

An interesting read on how Eyptians viewed body hair and the extent to which they did it.  The article clarifies that they used pummice stone to remove their hair.  Not sure how nice that left the skin, but there are also old copper and even sharp flint razors.  I recall reading that either flint or obsidian (what a coincidence!) were used for making the sharpest objects more than 4000 years ago.

And one more:

http://www.e-shaving.com/history.html

Aparently Alexander the Great was a freak when it came to shaving, shaving before battles.[/quote]

[SwanSwanHummingbird]

Obsidian (or glass) can be made much sharper than can metal, even today.  A lot sharper.  The problem is that it dulls and breaks really easy.  So, an obsidian razor would probably be even better than a metal one, if you're careful.

[Angela Christine]

http://www.hairfacts.com/methods/friction.html

Friction methonds might be more suitable than shaving, pumice or fine grit sandpaper can remove hair without needing the water and lubricants of shaving.  The buffing can even make your skin softer.

I have had female commoners that shaved, but they included the hair on their heads, purely a practical method to reduce lice and other pests.  Shaven or very short hair is also good for warriors, it gives your enemies one less thing to grab onto.

Armpit hair is tricky.  If I shave I usually get itchy stubble and often a red rash that is as unsightly as the hair was.  Dilapitory creams work, but stink and involve holding my arms up in the air for 20 minutes.  Luckily in Canada it is possible to wear long sleeves half the year and not need to remove the hair that often.  I'm seriously considering going all bohemian or neo-hippy just to free myself from the tyranny of hair removal . . . but that would require buying a whole new wardrobe.  Hmm.

Body hair is most noticeable on people with dark hair and pale skin (all those night haired, lirathu skinned ladies) but isn't that noticable for blonds (who generally have finer hair to begin with) or anyone whose hair and skin colour is similar.

I think shaving cultures are possible on Zalanthas, but probably not universal.

AC

[Nen]

Women only have more shaving to do if you hold to modern ideas.  Egyptian men were every bit as fastidious about it as Egyptian women.  Some more so: on a visit to Egypt Herodotus recorded that priests shaved their bodies all over to ward off lice and all things dirty.   Egyptians used soda to cleanse themselves in lieu of soap (the drying effect of soda may have helped bring on the first recorded strike in history, when laborers complained they hadn't been paid their oil rations!).  Egyptian men also applied cosmetics: powered malachite (ore of copper) and an ore of lead for a dark eye makeup (resembling kohl), red ocher and animal or vegetable fat for lipstick.  And, well, they were big on dinner parties, and beer.

I always kinda figured Zalanthan elves were pretty sparse of bodily hair, mostly cause the Dark Sun elves on which they're based are hairless, except for head-hair.  Desert evolution wouldn't seem to favor much hairiness for humans either.  And if lice or fashion have a say, obsidian razors in the south and perhaps flint in the north might be a routine for many, men and women.

[John]

Well IMO if being hairy causes hygeine problems in Zalanthas then both men and women would shave their entire bodies including the tops of their heads (or at least cutting the hair very short). IMO the only people who wouldn't shave (regardless of sex) are the unhygienic as well as the rich. Hairiness would probably show that you can afford the extra costs that being hairy would create to stay clean (that or your just a very dirty person).

I also just thought of something. Would Zalanthan males be circumcised? IMO yes because circumcision was originally created so it would be easier for males that live in the desert to clean their penises.

[naatok]

I've had PCs who shave, but in general, body hair, other than distinguishing hairstyles or facial hairstyles is not something I put into my character descriptions.  There's too much to go in there as is.

I tend to think Zalanthans would be alot less hairy than their earthly counterparts, but the reality is that many folks indigenous to desert climates on Earth have plenty of body hair.  Nostril hair is an essential element to filter out impurities which might otherwise end up irritating the bronchial tubes and lungs.  Also nostril hair helps to trap moisture in the nasal passages to keep the nasal system from drying out in the harsh desert climate.

As far as body hair styles go, I've had PCs who shave ritualistically as part of some personal, familial or cultural fetish.  Same with head hair.

Properly flaked obsidian is one of the sharpest known substances that can be worked without modern precision machining.  A flake of obsidian can hold an edge that is sharper than a steel razorblade, believe it or not.  I see no reason why shaving would not exist in a world where obsidian is fairly abundant and steel is practically unheard of.

[Angela Christine]

I also just thought of something. Would Zalanthan males be circumcised? IMO yes because circumcision was originally created so it would be easier for males that live in the desert to clean their penises.

I think it's a toss up.  People do all sorts of things to thier bodies, for all sorts of reasons.  Male circumcision is usually done on infants in north america, but in some cultures it has been a right of passage at 13 or later.  I can see some groups doing it, like some groups wear lip tusks or nose rings, but I doubt it is universal.

The cleanliness argument is out of gas.  It is not harder to clean under the foreskin than it is to clean under the clitoral hood and between the labia, so a culture obsesessed with genital cleanliness would probably do both males and females.  Nice and smooth, with no nooks or cranies.  Then again, I've yet to see a culture on Zalanthas that seems obsessed with any kind of cleanliness.   :roll:

http://www.exn.ca/sexfiles/TheErection/Story1.cfm

The same with hair.  If people are shaving for hygene, like the ancient egyptions, you would expect both males and females to shave.  I have seen some hairy female NPCs, so shaving doesn't seem to be universal, although like I said individual cultures are prone to doing all sorts of strange things.

Western culture has recently started ingecting botchelism toxin into our skin,  :shock:  so it isn't like we can look down at people and cultures that use branding, scarification, tattoos, neck stretching, skull modification, or any other of the apparently senseless things people do to their bodies, and their childrens bodies.

Angela Christine

[DustyOldMan]

Well, unless they decided to take some time out now and then to get down with that thar obsidian razor blade, I should think they'd gather a fair bit of fuzz.

Well, not the Dwarven ladies, maybe that explains that why a wealthy noble I once knew had his servant force made up mostly of...

... ... Oh. ... Gruh?

...

::shuffles off mumbling incoherently, shaking his head from time to time::

[P-ton]

I imagine, though, that living on a desert world for so long, that bodies are generally less hairy. quote]

Maybe some one else already said this but....
i dont think that statement would be true. People from the Middle East and Central Asia spend most of thier lives in deserts and they are generally hairier than other cultures like eskimos which are generally unhairy and live in snow all the time.

[Carduus]

Hair is used in some senses to deflect light away from one's skin, keeping the skin from getting too hot. It is also used to protect one against the effects of sand and dust that would be prevailant here, so that fast-moving sand would have to get through a layer of hair before it hit your skin, keeping you from having raw red skin everytime you got stuck in a sandstorm.

Having skin as smooth as a baby's butt seems to be quite detrimental to a desert society, which is why I think dwarves are at such low numbers.