After years of worrying about being hairy, it was a breath of fresh air and while it wasn’t necessarily the ‘norm’, I was surprised at how good it looked (Picture: Daisy Jordan)
For as long as I can remember, my body hair has horrified me.
At the tender age of 11, I begged my mum to let me buy my first razor so I could shave my hairy legs and feel ‘normal’. I still remember the pang of joy I felt at having smooth, soft legs for the first time and vowed never to let them get hairy again.
But this insecurity didn’t stop at my legs. As the years went on, I began shaving my arms and armpits, bleached my facial hair and endured the pain of bikini waxes every month.
I started over-plucking my eyebrows. I felt ashamed of the thin trail of hair on my tummy, and grew worried that the blonde hair on the sides of my face would make me repulsive to the opposite sex.
I was mortified when a college friend told me I had ‘hairy hands’ and I developed an irrational concern that I had hair on my back, even though it was barely noticeable. With images of hairless women on every advert I saw, I felt like a freak. I began scouring the internet for laser hair removal but when I saw the exorbitant prices, I decided to cover up as much as possible in long-sleeved tops, jumpers and trousers.
I was paranoid that everyone thought I was disgusting and this seemed to be the best way to cope.
Things changed when I moved to London in 2013 and met my friend Leah. She had shunned hair removal and let hers grow out.
To me, women entirely at one with their bodies are really beautiful and I want to practise what I preach (Picture: Talal Musa)
After years of worrying about being hairy, it was a breath of fresh air and while it wasn’t necessarily the ‘norm’, I was surprised at how good it looked.
The more time I spent with Leah, the more I saw the beauty in looking natural. It made me question why I was so terrified of my own body hair in the first place.
I was apprehensive about taking part for fear of feeling unattractive, but I’ve also felt insecure about my body for my entire life and had had enough. It was time to take control.
Female hair removal dates back to 30,000 B.C., when women used sharp sea shells and shark teeth to remove facial hair for social acceptance. Hair removal creams first became available in the 1800s, when an advert told women that the cream meant it was ‘no longer immodest or embarrassing to wear evening gowns without sleeves’.
While the first razor for men was released in 1760, it wasn’t until 1915 that the first female-targeted razor was released – Gilette’s Milady Décolleté. A million products were sold by 1917 and hair removal among women soared.
Fast-forward to 2018 and the hair removal industry was worth £558million.
From fashion campaigns to pornography, everywhere you look women appear to be hair-free.
Without even realising it, I had let societal norms get the better of me. But the older I got, and after seeing and meeting more women who had the bravery to ignore what society was telling them, I saw that pressuring women to get rid of their hair is just another way to oppress us.
Januhairy‘Vaginal hair is normal 🤷🏽♀️ Shave or dont shave. - But dont shave coz you think its nasty or because your afraid of other people's opinions, that's just highlighting internal issues you have yet to face within yourself. - Society brainwashed you into thinking your natural body hair is nasty you need to unlearn that shit.’ @kalinawatsonroberts 👆👏👆👏
It’s been a huge relief not to have to worry about shaving my legs every day.
I’ve saved the money I’d usually spend on razors, wax and threading and using it to have more fun. It also saves a huge chunk of my time every morning and makes me feel empowered.
My boyfriend Talal has been entirely supportive, telling me he finds me attractive either way. But regardless of what he thinks, I’ve done this to prove you can feel confident with or without body hair.
I’ve spied people glancing at my legs and it’s been hard not to feel self-conscious, but it’s been worth it. To me, women entirely at one with their bodies are really beautiful and I want to practise what I preach.
My friends and family have also been behind me, but I know not everyone would react positively to giving up shaving. Influencer Chidera Eggerue spoke to women about their pubic hair on C4’s Bring Back The Bush earlier this week, with many expressing their disgust and horror at its presence on their bodies.
It was disappointing to see so many of us struggling with something that’s perfectly natural – but it takes courage to go against the grain.
Some may call Januhairy a fad, but it’s a good place to start.
It might not conform to society’s ideal of what women should look like – but there is something really sexy about women with body hair and I encourage every woman to try it.
