Why more and more women are choosing not to remove body hair

About 85% of women in the United States are in the habit of removing their body hair regularly, or even every day. The concept of the beauty of shaved skin is not new, quite the opposite. In ancient Egypt and Rome, people chose to remove hair from the body, considering that their presence was a sign of incivility. However, times are different, and the fact is that an increasing number of women are preferring to keep their hair, adopting a more natural look.

we, from awesome.clubwe were curious about this current trend, and we decided to delve deeper into the reasons why certain women are preferring to leave waxing aside.

Beauty standards and societal demands can end up making women worry too much about their appearance, and that involves the issue of body hair. However, some of them decided to prioritize their own interests and choose what is best for their own bodies, regardless of the opinions of others. And it’s not because they judge those who prefer to shave, but simply because they realized that they could decide anything about their own body.

I think I stopped shaving a year ago. I simply stopped worrying about what other people would think about my body hair, and so I became much happier about my own body. Also, I suffer from ingrown hairs and sensitive skin, so stopping waxing, for me, means physical well-being. @Queerandcurious/reddit I started shaving my legs when I was 14. I live in New Zealand, and here the temperatures are higher. I ride my bike everywhere, and it’s okay to do it in the winter while wearing jeans, but in the summer it’s a terrible thing. So I decided to wear shorts from now on. Humans are mammals. Mammals have fur. And while I’ve already faced 20 years of social conditioning telling me that shaved legs are prettier… I’m sure this supposed beauty isn’t worth all the inconvenience. @ unknown / reddit

Dealing with body hair can be challenging for many women, as they need to make time in their schedule to shave properly if they want to be free of skin irritations. In addition, they are made to worry if the skin is really smooth, because the hair can grow back sooner than they would like. Not to mention that the market makes several products available to consumers, such as razors, shaving creams, exfoliators and moisturizers that women need to use if they want to obtain better results, protecting the skin from the damage that depilation can cause.

I stopped shaving to buy more time so I could dedicate myself to really productive things, like my career. I took the trouble to spend a month tracking how long it took to remove my hair, and I came up with a total of 8 hours. @Poopoopeepeeworm /reddit

There are those who believe that removing hair reduces the intensity of body odors, but this is not entirely true. Shaving your armpits actually helps the deodorant to be better absorbed by the skin, while the hair can create a kind of barrier that makes this process difficult. However, the same barrier prevents the skin from suffering damage caused by friction. And even knowing that each organism is different, it is possible to say that not shaving brings more benefits than disadvantages:

I tried to shave my armpits when I was in high school. In the winter everything was fine, but during the summer, I hated that disgusting feeling of sweating without having the hair to hold the perspiration back. @NoseFlock/reddit This is my second winter without shaving, and I think the odors have gone down, compared to when I shaved. Definitely, I prefer it that way than having to shave myself almost every day, for fear of showing the growing hairs. @BigBoud / reddit

Many women struggle with imposed beauty standards, and have been trying to show that all people can choose not to hide their natural beauty. They want to prove that anyone has the autonomy to decide about their own bodies, having their own perception of the concept of “femininity” and feeling at peace with themselves, shrugging off social pressures.

I stopped shaving because body hair is a natural thing. I decided that I shouldn’t do that anymore just to please others. Also, the history of waxing is very misogynistic. @radicalchanges/reddit Last year I stopped shaving my armpits. At first, I had the feeling that I was taking an important position. I felt free, brave, but a little self-conscious when in public. Ironically, I feel much more feminine and self-confident these days. I believe this was due to my courage. I can still put on a red dress, put on lipstick and feel sexy. My armpit hair doesn’t change that. In fact, I think they make an interesting contrast to my often super-feminine style. Currently, I no longer feel the need to please anyone. @unnuka / reddit

Although razor hair removal is painless compared to other methods such as hot waxing; there are countless women who are forced to deal with unpleasant consequences. The burns and bruises that can result cause a lot of discomfort, as do red, red rashes, tenderness, and inflammation of the skin. And since most women shave frequently, they end up having to deal with the side effects of the procedure on a daily basis.

I basically stopped shaving because of skin irritation. Most of my body can’t be shaved more than once a week without it getting red and bruised, but my hair is visible the day after I remove it. I shave my legs once a week, only during the summer. In other areas, I only trim when the hair is too long to bother me. The biggest impact of this on my life was that I stopped feeling eternal pain in 80% of my body. @betsybraddock / reddit I’ve had bad experiences related to shaving and waxing. He suffered from terrible redness, sensitivity, ingrown hairs, bruises, rashes and burns. Most people I live with knew this, so no one questioned when I stopped waxing. However, on occasions, I notice stares when I’m wearing shorts. Some people even point at me. @MJWatWat/reddit

For many women, having body hair does not cause any problems, and there are even those who are not even aware of its presence. These are people who don’t even understand why they should invest time and money to get rid of something that is natural, just to try to please others and give up their own comfort.

I never understood what the issue is. I have always felt very comfortable with my unshaved body, but I was always driven to remove my hair so as not to make others uncomfortable. Why should I irritate my skin and spend a few days itchy when the hairs grow back? Why would I want to please people who don’t even know my name? I feel much more comfortable not having to worry about something that is useless to me, and that I would only do to meet other people’s expectations. @Gluebluehue/reddit Waxing is a painful thing that I’d rather not participate in, except when I decide to do it myself. I even like to feel my skin smooth and soft, but lately I haven’t been worried about that. All of us (with a few exceptions) were born with body hair, where nature intended it to exist. @arnber420 / reddit

In each organism, hair grows at a different rate, which varies greatly from person to person. Razor hair removal removes only the hair itself, without affecting the hair follicle. Therefore, the procedure does not interfere with the growth of the thread, which tends to reappear in a short time: in 1 or 2 days.

Keep in mind that hair on different parts of the body has different growth cycles. Because of this, you may notice that in some areas the hairs reappear more quickly than in others.

How long have you gone without waxing? How do you feel when you don’t remove your hair? Leave a comment sharing your experiences and opinions on the subject!