Armpit Hair Don’t Care
Update since original posting: Emily Ratajkowski wrote a piece for Harper’s Bazaar on a woman’s choice in how she displays her femininity. A lot of her thoughts resonated with me, and you can read it here.
If you know anything about me, you know I’m sensitive (and also that I like to hide it). I’ve been told by doctors that I’m “easily affected” and have to take extra precaution—classic Pisces/Indigo Child am I right? I digress—my sensitivity certainly doesn’t stop at my skin.
Throughout my life I’ve rarely shaved my legs because it’s always been a hassle (including all the moisturizer I had to apply afterwards). I initially stopped shaving my armpits as the only cure to horrendous cystic acne or painful rashes that would show up very shortly after the shaving. I even had one of my medical school friends ask to pop one of the pimples while we were in a bar to no success (yes it was gross, yes people watched).
My choice to leave my body hair as-is started as a necessary solution and has now become a greater lifestyle. Only in my mid twenties did I realize that personal care acts that I had always associated with “womanhood” or “maturity” have turned out to be topics I wanted to explore more. The choice to shave or not to shave is always a personal one—however, I opt out of it with [growing] pride.
Brief History
Since it’s #2019 I wasn’t surprised to find as many female body hair articles as I did; the resources are endless for 1) the history of hair removal and 2) the current political status of body hair (to have to not to have). The more modern parts of history below are limited to the US/western society—body hair history globally can vary drastically based on religion and geography. Worth a read if you’re interested.
Hair (and hair removal) goes all the way to Egyptian times where lack of hair was considered more “civilized.” In The Decent of Man, Darwin mentioned that less body hair was more sexually attractive to mates—Homo sapiens have less body hair than antecedents because of this natural selection. In the 20th century, reasons range from a lack of pantyhose given supply during WWII to the emergence of Playboy, which started to promote “ideal” forms of female beauty. Women were destined to get rid of “objectionable” or “unsightly” hair (two words used by one of the first Gillette campaigns).
Nowadays, body hair is an intersectional debate. First, is choosing to shave or not to shave always associated with making a statement? Are you not a feminist if you choose to shave? Is the ability to go without shaving a privilege limited to those who have lighter skin and body hair? Is this the fight that’s worth having when there are so many more pressing female issues to tackle? If my dive into body hair taught me anything, it taught me complexity.
On “Grossness”
I mean yeah, hair is generally not something humans love to touch and collect. Have you ever watched someone at a hair salon sweep up clippings? It’s kind of unnerving.
However, there’s nothing “unhygienic” about not shaving your armpits as a woman unless you also aren’t washing them. No one questions the dudes of their pit hair!
An article by The Cut outlines how one of hair’s most coveted roles is to relay scent—scents which include pheromones, used to attract mates. The article suggests armpit hair to be sexual in nature as it would emphasis the taboo of sex (starts during puberty when women are becoming fertile, carries our scent), which removal creates a barrier for. Hair removal, therefore, takes care of the “disgust” aspect of sex.
On Comfort
Some people choose to shave or wax because they don’t like the appearance or the feel of having body hair, and this is completely fine. I don’t mind having body hair and tend to like it on my body—at the same time, I fully realize that I am generally not very hairy and have generally lighter hair. My comfort, combined with the fact that I love saving money on crazily overpriced shaving or waxing products, makes my personal decision very easy.
The discomfort arrives in the professional world when I feel like I still have to be mindful of showing my body hair in the presence of senior leadership (though might I add—self inflicted. Comes with the female guilt territory). I think about my armpit hair and leg hair for a split second while getting dressed in the morning when opting for a sleeveless, shorter dress, but then the thoughts completely disappear once I’m at the office. I’ve never received a comment from male or female colleagues about my choice and even if I did, I’d encourage the dialogue.
On the Environment and Health
I couldn’t write this without thinking about the environment, right? According to the EPA, razors may be the most wasteful product we use in the bathroom. Single use is always going to stir up waste issues, primarily concerning the associated mass manufacturing and packaging.
Some solutions? Reusable razors with replaceable blades, recycled products (Preserve is a brand which has razors made from recycled materials) or electric shavers. You can also opt for plant based shaving creams or try sugaring.
Billie is a new female-focused razor company that you can’t get away from on social media. They are a subscription-based company that omits the “pink tax,” or an extra cost that certain female products have, of which their male counterparts don’t. The company also donates 1% of revenue to women’s causes around the world. Most interesting about Billie is their “Project Body Hair,” a collection of images of women who do indeed have body hair. Even if you don’t shave, Billie also has body washes and lotions free of parabens and sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and their products are not tested on animals.
Conclusions
Given my blog is primarily skincare and beauty, my stance on body hair still falls primarily into those categories over a bold attempt at visible femininity or identity. Body hair as a taboo only exists when there is a system to place it against, only when you accept and conform to patriarchal standards does this “body hair debate” become real. I feel beautiful and feminine with my body hair and it doesn’t interfere with my ability and desire to still be feminine. I view body hair as a more carefree lifestyle, meaning free of cares related to how I should be upholding an image of my self identified gender.
Sources
https://www.thecut.com/2014/06/why-were-grossed-out-women-pit-hair.html
https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/the-history-of-female-hair-removal/
https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/vbepny/the-problem-with-feminist-body-hair
https://www.headstuff.org/topical/body-hair-removal-feminism-sugarist/
https://groundswell.org/2-billion-tossed-per-year-whats-the-most-wasteful-bathroom-product/