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"Why I Stopped Shaving My Armpits" and Other Stories From Women With Body HairMost of us think hairless is better. These women have plans to change that |
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More and more women are choosing to reclaim society's stance on the matter. Armpits, legs, brows, nether regions -- these days, we're definitely seeing a few more razors being tossed.
And why shouldn't we? After all, it's just body hair. We've all got it. Still, for some reason, the larger consensus on female fuzz -- even among otherwise progressive, open-minded people -- is that it's kind of, well, icky.
Which is why, exactly? Turns out, the answer is complicated. A recent study showed that most American women are quick to nix their body hair for a myriad of reasons, from romantic partners' negative reactions to an internalized feeling of "dirtiness."
All hair has "symbolic meaning," explains Breanne Fahs, PhD, a professor of gender studies at Arizona State University. "For women and body hair, it can symbolize a threat to the existing social order ... choosing not to adhere to traditional standards of beauty."
Body hair on women hasn't always been so loaded. "Women really didn't start removing it until the widespread circulation of fashion photography in the 1920s," continues Fahs. But even today, going hairless isn't the norm everywhere -- only in the U.S., Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Fahs says that here, shaving is so popular, "we forget it's actually a choice."
Though not all of us have. We talked to 17 women across ages, cultures and time zones who don't shave due to laziness, razor burn, rage against The Man and more.
Credit: Ben Hopper
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