In this article for Cosmopolitan UK, I spoke to three women about their relationship with body hair. Whether an in-betweener, a fan of going au naturel or embracing all things smooth, it’s 👏 your 👏 choice.
“I’ve always been a rebel. At school, everyone said we should shave for prom, so I turned up with hairy pits and no shame. I saw Miley Cyrus showing her body hair and thought, ‘If she can do it, so can I.’ My peers gave me grief for not shaving, but no one could make me conform.
“Growing up in Manchester definitely had an influence. It’s a super-diverse place – I’d mix with punks, hippies, goths – so always knew I could be anyone I wanted to be. It’s my life, my body, my choices; your opinion doesn’t bother me.”
“I first became aware of body hair at around 13 years old. Shaving my legs was a rite of passage – all my friends at school were doing it, I was going through puberty, boys were making fun of ‘hairy girls’. It felt like the done thing.
“Dancing was also a huge factor. Every day after school, I would race to my dance lesson, eating dinner in the car and getting home at 9pm. Being hair-free became my normal. Costumes are often revealing and the moves can be intimate, so I’d feel more confident when clean-shaven.”