The beauty standard women face is truly challenging. Society expects women to have flawlessly sleek legs, without hair. The same goes for the rest of their bodies. However, there are a few women out there who are defying those expectations. They are letting their hair grow as naturally as possible and flaunting their bravery for the world to see. Their body hair might be visible, but so is their true beauty.
Liberating women’s body hair
Ageism makes women feel unappreciated as they grow older. Especially when it comes to their hair. The strange thing is, as women age, the hair on their heads thins out, and they go to great lengths to have a full head of hair (even if that means adorning a wig). On the other hand, women’s body hair grows a lot thicker and becomes tricky to maintain.
Heather Widdows, the author of “Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal,” said in a phone interview: “It’s been deeply stigmatized — it still is — and cast with shame. Its removal is one of the few aesthetic traditions that have gone from being a beauty routine to a hygienic one. Today, most women feel like they have to shave. Like they have no other option. There’s something deeply fraught about that — though perceptions are slowly changing.”
Some women have chosen the more natural look. They have taken to social media to promote their defiance over the social norms that women face. Even various celebrities have been seen flaunting their body hair. A photographer caught a snap of Julia Roberts in a dress with visible armpit hair. Additionally, Miley Cyrus and Amandla Stenberg are notorious for not shaving. Furthermore, the muggles of society, the not-so-rich and famous, are starting to promote their body hair. Here are 15+ of society’s body hair influencers. The last six on our list are celebrities who have embraced their body hair for good.
Blond hair, dark armpits
“Being blonde for a day was fun, but I love my dark armpit hair that I’ve been growing out for years.”
2. Body hair freedom
“I felt liberated and more confident in myself.“
Read: Hair Colorist Help Clients Gradually Ditch the Dye and Embrace Their Grey
3. “It’s been years since I bought a razor”
“Society has told women for so long that their hair is gross and improper. To me, it’s natural and everyone has it, so why would not love it?”
4. baby steps is better than no steps!
“Bleaching instead of shaving… baby steps!”
5. When you truly start to feel like yourself
“It makes me feel so me — like I’m not trying to be somebody else. I feel sexier, more alive, and more confident in my skin than I did before when I was trying to box myself into society’s expectations by shaving, waxing, etc.”
6. Natural within nature
“Hanging out with an apple tree dropping blossoms everywhere!”
7. The normality of body hair
Kicking it back, with her crystallamp, sunflowers, and body hair to bat.
8. Summer means outfits to boast body hair
“Really going to miss armpits out weather.”
9. Going old school
“The 70s called, they want their shag back”
Read: Woman Who Started Growing Beard Aged 15 Is Embracing Life With Facial Hair
10. Living her best life!
“I started to grow out my body hair right around the time I came out to my friends and family as queer five years ago. Once I became comfortable with my sexuality, I started to become comfortable with my body and sense of self.”
11. Madonna
In 2014 Madonna posted this picture in honor of body hair. She captioned the post: “Long hair…… Don’t Care!!!!!! #artforfreedom #rebelheart #revolutionoflove“
12. Adele
Adele said in a recent interview, “I’ll have no man telling me to shave my fuckin’ legs.”
13. Paris Jackson
In an Instagram post, Paris said, “If you’re not competing with your brother over who can grow longer leg hair wyed.”
14. Miley Cyrus
From a young age. Miley Cyrus has been doing what makes her happy. At this present moment, Miley has decided to embrace her underarm hairs. She enjoys bleaching and dying her body hair funky colors. You go, Cyrus!
15. Julia Roberts
Julia said, “I think I just hadn’t calculated my sleeve length and the waving and how those two things would go together and reveal personal things about me. So, it wasn’t so much a statement as it’s just part of the statement I make as a human on the planet, for myself.”
16. Sophia Hadjipanteli
This fashion model who is well known for her eyebrows.
Keep Reading: Woman decides to fully embrace her facial hair and grow a beard
Sources
- “Why women feel pressured to shave.” CNN. March 3, 2020.
- “How Your Body Hair Changes Over Time.” Women’s Health Mag. Grace Gold. August 18, 2015.
- “8 People Get Candid About Why They Stopped Shaving Their Body Hair.” Shape. Gabriel Kassel. August 1, 2022
- “13 Celebrities Who DGAF About Shaving. Glamour. Deanna Pai. August 17, 2019.