Why the arms?
 

I hope that no one takes this the wrong way or anything, but i was just wondering why people cut themselves on their arms...

I have been a SIer for 3 years and i have never cut my arms.

Cutting is a very private thing for me and therefore doing it on my arms wouldn't be very suitable.

It's just,
There are hundreds of threads about peoplw frantically asking how to hide arm scars/cuts...

Why do them on your arms if you know that people will see?

I'm sorry if this sounds mean or anything, i didn't mean anything...

for me, it was mostly a matter of convenience, lazy as that sounds. arms are easier to reach and available for quicker access.
at least for me, there was seldom any rational thought that went into it in the moment. in the beginning, only once or twice did i stop and think "oh wait, someone might see, maybe i should try a better place" until after the fact.
on some level, i think i wanted to be noticed so that someone would realize that no, in fact, i was not alright. on another level, i was just counting on the fact that people would continue not to notice me and my hiding it reasonably well would be enough.

meh. sounds stupid and kind of cliche, and i can speak only for myself, but there it is.

When I first started I never did cut my arms ... because it was harder to hide ... but after a while I began cutting there because it is more convinient, quickest acces...

And this may sound wierd but cutting my arm feels "better" than other places ... don't know why though o_o

The first time I did it was on an impulse, I didn't really think it through at all. I sorta looked at my wrist and thought, what's it like. It was never an issue for me to cover up, it started almost innocently, just the odd scratch now and again, easily explained away by a cat or hedge or something.

It was a couple of years before it started looking strange and by then I'd do it on my legs as well. I just prefer my arms though, and I've basically always covered them with no problems. It just feels better to have cuts on my arms - I can see them. They calm me down sometimes, other times it disgusts me but if I need to see cuts, I can. Bah. *Stops rambling*

I started off cutting on my upper arms, cause It's so much easier to hide, but then when it got worse I kind of just moved down my arms, I guess it's just habit now.......People are likely to find out wherever you cut

Mostly I don't cut my arms exactly because it is harder to hide

for me, it's a few things:

1. my arm don't really touch dirt and thus my cuts don't come into contact with as many germs or potential infections

2. my skin is thinner on my arms and so it's easier to get through it.

3. and I guess I kinda do it to see if I can hide them, even though I know somewhere deep down, I want someone to see them and tell me what's wrong with me and how to make it all better.

4. Plus, when I cut I'm usually upset so I'm not going to take my jeans off to cut my thigh, I'm going to go for something that doesn't require work to get to.

I used to cut my arms, and that was due to ease of access. I started self-harming when I was at school and wore trousers - it was easier to get at my arms.

Hopefully I won't have another slip, but all my recent slips have been on the top of my thigh - much easier to hide and no chance of getting found out.

Arms feel much more 'right' for me, thinner skin and more sensitive I suppose, but I'm trying to be descrete, so I'm only doing it on my legs currently. I'm just too scared/tired out (if that makes sense) of people finding out, I hated it so much when someone would ask me what the marks on my arms were, made me feel totaly disgusting and attention seeking, and then I would completley stress out about hiding them...so the legs it is...

Doing it on my legs seems to have a lessening effect on me too. I don't get so much pleasure out of it, so I do it kinda less then when it was my arms too.

The first time I cut I wasn't thinking about whether other people would see, I just wanted relief from what I was feeling so that's all the mattered to me at that moment.
After that, I didn't see why not to carry on there.

There's not really any part of me that isn't covered in scars anymore, it turned into whereever I have space.

I also liked my arms because they're easy to access and the easiest place to bandage.

To be honest, there's not really anywhere I can cut which would be that easy to hide. In school we wear skirts, because I'm quite tall a lot of my t-shirts show my stomach, I'm not too keen on cutting over my ribs, so I think my arms was actually the easiest place for me to hide.

ditto.

except at one point my arms were so screwed up i had to cut on my thighs :whistling:

i used to cut on my arms because it was there. it never even occured to me to cut my legs. it started super small soemthing no one would see or know but then it got to big. i eventually moved to my legs because it was way easier to hide. i also liked doing it on my arms because then i could pick at my scabs and interfere with my wounds and it was easier to do that when i couldnt cut plus if people saw me playing with a scab they wouldnt think i was "hurting" myself...

I have actually wondered the same thing poisenapple. I haven't ever cut myself on my arms, but in fits of panic I've grabbed my arms and dug my nails in, which was a bad plan as it DOES leave a mark. But I only cut myself on places like my shoulders or knees, because then no one can see it.

For me, I think it's just because it's easy access. I think it's easy enough to hide cuts or scars, just wear long sleeves. I've only ever had a few problems & I've always managed to get away with it. In PE etc, I wore the PE fleece or if I have to go somewhere in short sleeves and I have fresh cuts, I generally bandage my entire arm from wrist to elbow and say I've sprained my elbow or similar.
I think I am testing myself too. Part of the effect of cutting for me is to bring me back down to Earth, and I find that works better if I have to worry about hiding it. I like to see if I can manage to pull off not getting caught.

I have cut my legs and stomach before though. Stomach more because of my ED and my legs when my parents found out and were doing "Arm Checks". I've just always preferred my arms.

It felt nicer. In a screwed up kinda way.

Because I'm lazy, and arms are just the easiest place to cut. Heh.
Although, I haven't cut my arms in years, precisely because I don't want anyone to know when I slip up. But when I started, I didn't really think about scars or getting caught, I just did it, 'cos I'm stupid like that.

When I first started I was young and didn't think about the fact that people would see until afterwards (stupid me did it in the middle of summer and had to walk round all the time with a hoodie on to hide my arms)

Then I realised it was easier to hide if I cut the top of my arms - I could still wear t-shirts and people wouldn't notice.

I used my legs a lot at one point but then it meant I couldn't wear my cut off jeans.

So now it's back to the top of the arms where people generally don't see.

But yea about your question, the arms are best for easy access which is why I still sometimes have to walk round with my arms completley covered.

Yeah... I started on my arms (for lots of reasons that other people have shared) but then moved on to legs, stomach, hips... anyplace I could reach, basically. Arms are so close, easy to hold, touch, and because they're always "out there" it's easy to make up an excuse for a burn or cut.
Also, I've read a couple of things on reasons why people cut where they do. I've heard that a lot of girls/women cut on their breasts/hips/thighs for reasons associated with being uncomfortable with sexuality (feeling like femininity = weakness, having been sexually abused). And as for the arms... there's some speculation about arms being symbolic of being held, security, representing parents who are supposed to hold and take care of you... stuff like that.
Food for thought.