Womanhood & Beauty: Armpit Hair or No Armpit Hair?
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In this post, Womanhood & Beauty: Armpit Hair or No Armpit Hair?, I explore the deeply ingrained belief that women’s body hair needs to be removed to be considered clean and desirable. Unfortunately, this mindset shaped my upbringing during the era of Brazilian waxes, and I never questioned why women remove body hair — I simply followed suit.
Can we undo the shame of body hair and stop caring about how others perceive us? Fortunately, there’s a growing movement of women embracing their natural body hair, and I absolutely love it. Ultimately, hair or not, I hope to inspire you to think about what you find sexy, not just what’s expected.
The Challenge: Six Months Without Waxing
A friend challenged me to grow out my armpit and leg hair, and I accepted. Now, six months later, I don’t know what to do. I vividly remember the moment I was finally allowed to shave as a young girl. It was one of those rites of passage I had eagerly awaited, a symbol of womanhood. I prayed for the day I could finally remove my body hair like all the other girls. And so, I did.
For the next three decades, I became a slave to body hair removal — from electrolysis, waxing, and shaving. Never once did I stop to ask why. Why do I need to remove my body hair? More importantly, do I want to?
So here I am, stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, I actually like my legs without hair. Unfortunately, my ideal of femininity has been shaped by societal norms, and I can’t easily undo that (though I’m trying). But what about my armpits? Perhaps I can let go of that expectation. Maybe I can keep the hair for a while longer. Maybe, just maybe, I can redefine what femininity means to me.
Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like, I promise.
emma watson
Defying Norms: Women Body Hair
When I see a woman with armpit hair, I think she’s a badass. In fact, I find it sexy that she’s rejecting societal expectations, defying norms with an effortless kind of rebellion. I admire that. However, I’m not comfortable showing my own armpit hair because of how others might perceive me. Will they think I’m dirty? Unkempt? And if they do—why should I care?
The truth is, social conditioning is powerful. Women are taught from a young age that a smooth, hairless body is the ideal. We internalize this expectation so deeply that it becomes a personal preference rather than a conscious decision. But is it?
So, where did these expectations originate in the first place?
When did women start shaving
Women haven’t always shaved. In fact, for most of human history, people considered body hair natural. Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Romans removed body hair for hygienic and aesthetic reasons, but shaving didn’t become a widespread expectation for women until the early 20th century.
The modern obsession with hair removal began around 1915 when sleeveless dresses became fashionable, exposing women’s underarms for the first time. Magazines and razor companies saw this as an opportunity to capitalize on the new fashion trend by marketing razors to women.
Gillette launched the first women’s razor, the Milady Décolletée, in 1915, promoting the idea that smooth underarms were essential for femininity. By the 1940s, leg shaving followed suit, thanks to rising hemlines. What started as a fashion choice became a cultural norm—one that few have questioned.
History of waxing
Waxing has an even older history. For the Ancient Egyptians, body hair removal was a symbol of cleanliness and purity. They used sugar-based pastes in a technique known as sugaring, which is still practiced today. In the 1960s and ’70s, during the sexual revolution, the emergence of a new swimwear fashion trend, the bikini, made the bikini wax popular.
In the 1990s, the Brazilian wax was introduced to the U.S. Unlike the traditional bikini wax, the Brazilian wax removed almost all pubic hair, driven by the growing trend of thong bikinis. The Brazilian wax quickly became a cultural phenomenon, influencing beauty standards and reinforcing the expectation of female hairlessness.
What was once a personal grooming choice became a societal expectation. Today, the beauty industry profits massively from hair removal, reinforcing the idea that body hair is something to be ashamed of and eradicated. Companies like Veet and Nair continue to market their products by emphasizing smooth, hairless skin as the ultimate beauty standard.
The Psychological Impact of Hair Removal
The pressure to remove body hair deeply ingrains itself in our psychology. From childhood, media exposes women to images of hairless, smooth skin as the ideal of beauty. Advertisements, movies, and peer influences reinforce the idea that body hair is undesirable.
Our culture has structured itself in a way that makes a woman feel shame or embarrassment if she chooses not to remove her body hair. Studies have shown that many women who stop shaving experience social anxiety, self-consciousness, and even judgment from others. Decades of messaging have fueled the fear of being seen as unclean or unattractive.
More women are questioning beauty norms and redefining femininity on their own terms. This growing movement, fueled by social media, is positively reshaping the narrative around female body hair. Take Billie, a company that sells razors without shaming body hair. Their advertisement showcase diverse representations of beauty, challenge the stigma surrounding female body hair.
Reclaiming Choice: hair removal for women
Think about this: The hair removal industry was valued at $3.6B in 2023, and it’s expected to reach $7.7 billion by 2035. How you decide to spend your money is your business. For me, I will continue to wax my legs.
If your choice is to remove your body hair makes because you feel good, do it. On the other hand, if letting your body hair grow feels liberating, embrace it. Ultimately, the goal is autonomy over our own bodies, free from societal pressure.
For me, the journey isn’t over. Perhaps I’ll shave my armpit hair. Perhaps I won’t. But, at least now, I know that whatever I choose, it will be on my terms.
Sources
- Basow, S. A. (1991). The Hairless Ideal: Women and Their Body Hair. Psychology of Women Quarterly.
- Herzig, R. (2015). Plucked: A History of Hair Removal. NYU Press.
- Hope, C. (1982). Caucasian Female Body Hair and American Culture. The Journal of American Culture.
- Mears, A. (2011). Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model. University of California Press.
- Peiss, K. (1998). Hope in a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Sherrow, V. (2001). Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History. Greenwood Publishing Group.
- Tiggemann, M., & Kenyon, S. J. (1998). The Hairlessness Norm Extended: Reasons for and Predictors of Women’s Body Hair Removal. Sex Roles.
- Hair Removal Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Creams, Ready-To-Use Wax Strips, Electronic Devices, Razors), By Application, By Distribution, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 – 2030
