For years women have bonded over the embarrassment of forgetting to shave and having their legs out and the joy of feeling freshly shaven legs. The market is saturated with all different types of razors in a spectrum of colors and all claiming to be better than the last while simultaneously costing more than the last. Keeping up with body hair removal, whether it be shaving or waxing, is an expensive and annoying habit that women are taught is necessary. Shaving can also irritate the follicles and cause ingrown or infected hairs, but even still, other options are not that favorable either. Hair removal cream can burn sensitive skin if left on too long and waxing hurts. I made the decision to forgo shaving almost three years ago and have not shaved since.

One reason I made this decision was simply how time consuming the act of shaving is. It doesn't seem like it when it is something that you do every day or every other day but once you stop, you really realize how much time was spent on making sure you are hairless. It's nice not to have to worry about what I am going to wear based on my body hair and can just wear whatever I want.

But the main reason why I decided to stop is the societal notion that women have to shave. I refuse to subscribe to the idea that I must change something that naturally occurs to my body in order to be viewed as a valid image of femininity. The entire notion that women must spend money in order to be accepted is utterly ridiculous to me. Why would I waste my money to do something that I do not even like or enjoy?

Ultimately, it comes down to what each individual likes and should not be dictated by others' opinions. My body hair and lack of shaving is something I truly like the aesthetic of and am completely comfortable with. It is a direct undermining of beauty standards and the ideals of feminine beauty that surround women every day. My body hair does not define my femininity and never will.