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Body Hair Is Healthy

It Is OK To Stop Shaving

Ok ladies, I know what you are thinking, “there is nothing like nice, smooth skin that you can show off with confidence.” While that seems to be accurate at first glance, it is crucial to understand the history, reasons, and consequences of shaving our lady parts! Try to keep an open mind as we delve into this newly controversial subject.

So, when exactly, did shaving become “a thing”? While shaving armpits started in the 1915's, the introduction of the sleeveless dress, by an ad in Harpers Bazaar magazine, really popularized the trend. The ad suggested that, to wear the sleeveless dress, “objectionable hair needed to be removed.” Between new fashions and modern dancing, by the 1920s, shaving armpits was no longer a taboo subject, as it was before the 1915's. Fast forward to the 1940s, when dresses and skirts became shorter and more revealing than ever before. Throw in the glamorous Betty Grapple, with her “million-dollar legs,” and who didn't want to shave their legs?! Well, what about our “vertical smiles,” you ask? Believe it or not, the shaving of women's pubic areas has been going on for hundreds of years in one of the most modest cultures, Middle Eastern. Come again! Yes, Muslim, North African women, and women from what is now Brazil were shaving pubic hair long before western society. The emergence of thinner bathing suits and thongs in America led to a strong acceptance, even expectation, of shaving the female pubic area, gaining its popularity in the 1980s.

As you can see, all the trends associated with women shaving have to do with fashion in some form, making one question society and how women are pressured and even manipulated into habits that can potentially affect their health. This idea brings us back to our original point of why female body hair is healthy.

Protection! Protection! Protection! Ladies, body hair exists for a reason! When it comes to our underarms, those pesky hairs help keep away moisture and sweat, aiding in ventilation, which in turn deters odor-producing bacteria that make us smell. As for those silky, smooth legs your significant other loves to caress, does he or she know what ladies go through?! Is it worth the shaving cuts, constant waxing, dry skin, time consumption, and money? I mean, nobody cared before the 1950s anyway! Also, keep in mind that much of our body hair aids in protection from the sun and skin-damaging weather.

Your pubic hair is your friend and you could even show it off on a hairy pussy cam if you wanted! This friend has been with you through thick and thin, protects you, and always comes back…..even when you reject it! Remarkably though, being one of the hairy girls offers quite a few benefits.

Here are four ways your pubic hair is your best friend!

  1. It protects your skin from irritation during sex. You know any repetitive motion against your skin, including constant shaving and waxing, will undoubtedly cause irritation and your pink fortress is no exception! Your vaginal hairs also play an essential part in lubricating the area.
  2. It protects against foreign particles. More than ever, women are wearing less and less, leaving your female flower more prone to dust, particles, and irritants. Like the hair in the nose or wax in the ears, it aids in trapping these foreign particles before it can cause any infections or irritation.
  3. It protects against contagious STDs such as genital warts. Often, genital warts can be hard to spot with the naked eye, and the victim may not even realize they are there, soooo, moral of the story….. better safe than sorry!
  4. It helps to regulate body temperature. Each hair follicle has a sebaceous gland, which releases oil into the skin that travels up to the skin's surface and cools it. This gland works much like your underarm hair.

While there are many more reasons your body hair is healthy, it is equally important to look at why shaving/waxing are actually your frenemy (pretends to be a friend but is actually a rival).

It causes regrowth irritations, including ingrown hairs, dry skin, even boils! Think about it; you are literally causing microscopic wounds to your poor bestie!

Its costs a lot of money and time! It is reported that American women spend 72 days shaving their legs throughout a lifetime; that's 1728 hours! And money?! A woman can spend up to $10,000 over her lifetime on shaving or waxing-related products. Of the approximately 60 companies that produce shaving equipment, as of 2014, they are making at least $3 billion a year! Come on, that's insane; imagine what you could do with all that time and money!

It increases your chances of contracting flesh-eating bacteria! Terrifying right?! Kaylee McQueen of Michigan started having flu-like symptoms, which then turned into a rash stretching from her stomach down her leg. Kaylee's mother described the inflammation as raised, 2 inches wide, and spreading. Doctors were able to remove the affected tissue and muscle altogether, but why take the risk in the first place? As Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is Power.”

Lucky for those who do or want to embrace their natural body hair, new movements occur, making it more popular to sport it without criticism. One such movement is the “Dyed Armpit Hair” movement, which became popular in early 2016 and features women dying their pretty armpit hair in all kinds of fun colors! You can easily search Tumblr or Youtube to see how to do it; the service is even offered at some salons! The trend even had Miley Cyrus post a picture of her pink armpits, racking up almost 400,000 likes.

The “Pro-Body Hair Movement,” embraced mainly by feminists, has been a growing trend even garnishing recognition in print media such as Nylon magazine and the New York Times. The Pro-Body Hair movement recognizes that female body hair is natural and beautiful.

Remember, ladies, embrace your body hair, whether female facial hair, leg hair, back hair, arm hair, armpit hair, or even cute hairy nipples. Women with hairy arms are actually pretty darn sexy! Oh, and it also shouldn't matter what the reason! It could be to make a statement, religion, time, or money. No woman should be made to feel less than for something that is entirely natural, feminine, and most of all, healthy!

 

Uhairy