It's Time To Stop Shaming Women For Growing Out Their Body Hair

Here's a hard truth that one likes to acknowledge: women are hairy!

In fact, we've always been hairy. Since the beginning of humanity, women have had body hair. So, why aren't we "allowed" to have it anymore?

Let's make one thing perfectly clear: no one is telling YOU to stop shaving.

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You don't have to stop shaving, waxing, or getting laser hair removal! Keep doing that to your heart's content, because what you want for your body is the most important thing here.

However, in that same vein: What other women want for their bodies is just as important. And if they choose not to shave, then that's great! We support them!

See, we didn't always shave all our hair off.

In fact, women shaving off their body hair has an unsurprising — yet disappointing — origin: marketing.

See, in the early 20th century, safety razor companies needed a new revenue stream. Men were already buying their products, but what what about women? They decided to advertise that having body hair was inherently masculine, and shaving was more feminine, more ladylike.

Social media has started a no-shave revolution.

Influencers have become more and more vocal about shaving, especially when it comes to how the pressure to shave is a result of the expectations placed on women's bodies.

From "Januhairy" (a play on no-shave November) to posting pictures of hairy armpits, social media is playing a big role in normalizing body hair on women.

If you still want to shave, I could not support you more.

I like to shave! I prefer for my armpits to be shaved, and that's down to aesthetics that I'm pretty sure media instilled in me. But I'm learning how to be okay with my legs being a little hairy, you know?

The hair is supposed to be there, and that's okay with me. How about you?

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