Ladies, you aren't making a statement for not shaving your body hair. You're just trying to be edgy.
I understand you want to make a statement but as a woman you can do so much more than not shaving your arm pits. We have seen it in tabloids, on YouTube, on Instagram. Celebrities such as Bella Thorne promoting clothing with unshaven legs. This is a fad that serves no purpose and pushes the women's movement backwards. It is a fad that needs to die, and it creates a laughingstock out of those who post pictures of the overgrown bikini line for the sake of doing so.
Now don't get me wrong here, you have full control over whether you shave or not. I only ever shave my legs when I'm going to be wearing shorts, or when it gets itchy. It's your body, and your choice. Men and women all have days where we are lazy and lacking in our daily routines and personal hygiene. For some, it as much as a part of their daily routine as brushing their teeth. Like I said, it is your body and you choice whether you have hair on it or not. Pull a Jenna Marbles and shave your eyebrows, it's your skin and hair. Whether you decide to grow out your hair, shave, or whatever is your choice. Body hair expectations change from culture to culture, and how you perceive this type of grooming will depend on the environment you grew up in.
What I am saying is that you have the ability to make more of a statement. I'm tired of seeing glorified pictures on Instagram of women with long and hairy arm pits. Or challenges on YouTube where women grow out their body hair for a month.
I ask, what is the point? What are you trying to prove?
I understand trying to break 'gender norms', but is that really an effective way? Or are you just looking for a reaction? How does showing off your purposely grown out body hair make any type of a statement other than "Look at me, I'm edgy and am trying to be different?" You are not likely to see me post a Snapchat of me in pajama shorts with hair on my legs, even though I can say I haven't shaved in nearly a week at this point.
But in doing this, you are tearing down women who do see shaving, waxing, or threading as part of their hygiene routine.
How are you any better than the girl who chooses to shave? You don't see women posting pictures of their smooth legs saying "Hell yeah! I'm for the patriarchy!" So what is the opposite doing? You are putting those who chose to or have grown up without the idea of shaving in a tough situation. Now whenever a women has body hair, everyone will think that there is some sort of "feminist statement" that is being made.
Why as a woman would you limit yourself to another aspect of physical appearance? If you want to make changes for women everywhere, there are better ways to do it. Get an education, build other women up, join causes and groups that support women.
Another important thing is to understand while you have the choice to not shave and post a picture on Instagram, women around the world do not have access to shower and basic education. Let alone human rights.
You aren't being taken seriously by men or women. Validation by other people doesn't matter, but we shouldn't equate a movement or a push for women with an Instagram fad. Ladies, that just gets us taken less seriously.
