It all started by accident.
It was early June and I was road tripping from New York to Boston with some friends to see Beyonce. As we danced in the back seat to Lemonade on repeat, my friend stuck her leg out and proclaimed, “Look! I stopped shaving!” I marveled at how fuzzy and soft her leg hair was after just two weeks. I then looked down at my own legs and realized that as winter had turned to spring and shorts weather had creeped up on me, I had totally forgotten to shave.
Perhaps it was because I wear pants to work (newsflash: adult life means shorts are only a thing for home and weekends) or because I usually only have 5 minutes to shower in the morning (because sleep) or because I was just generally too busy to take a knife to my leg hair. Whatever the reason, I noticed that I too had a good two weeks of leg hair. It was soft and light and kind of patchy in a cute way.
I want to say I went to Beyonce and left with so much feminist energy that I made a huge sweeping anti-patriarchy decision to stop shaving, but honestly I just didn’t change my habits. Almost three months later, I’ve barely touched my razor. Occasionally, I shave my armpits because I am a weird mutant human who only has eight armpit hairs and I don’t like how it feels, but besides that, I’ve gotten pretty hairy.
If you are a female-presenting human and have been thinking about not shaving, here are a few tips for smashing the patriarchy so you can live your life how you choose.
Keep your head held high.
When people stare at you on the subway because you have hairy legs and are wearing a dress, stare right back. Ten times out of ten this will make said person way more uncomfortable than they are with your hairy legs.
Remind yourself that it’s a sign of being human.
If you are wearing a bathing suit and somebody makes a comment about your unshaved bikini line remind them that you are a human and that humans are hairy and if that makes them uncomfortable they should have a conversation with evolution and biology because you are just trying to live your life.
You’re saving all of the money. Pat yourself on the back.
Remind yourself daily how much money you are saving by not buying the ridiculously priced lady razors. Instead, treat yourself to a nice dinner or a spa day.
Proudly embrace your right to decide.
Finally remember: your body, your choices. Nobody else gets to decide what you do with your body except you. If you want to grow out your armpit hair, braid it and dye it purple, that is your prerogative.
So if you have been thinking of throwing your razor out the window and living your best hairy life, then by all means do it. Except maybe don’t actually throw your razor out the window because safety, but you get the point. Do what makes you feel good; you only get one life, it might as well be a hairy one.
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