I grew up swimming competitively-- at times year round. This meant a lot of different things during my years of puberty, but mostly it meant I started shaving any body hair not atop my head as soon as it started growing. This hair removal was mostly out of embarrassment and only about speed during districts. I was #blessed to have very blonde hair-- and yes to all those boys that asked in middle school I am this blonde everywhere. Fair hair meant that I could totally get away with stubble and sometimes I could go without shaving my armpits for a week or so before feeling it became necessary. I remember lifting up my arm only clad in my bathing suit and comparing it to another girl with much darker hair; she was green with envy that I didn’t need to shave.

But why did she have to shave? Why does it even matter? Everyone has armpits, and the vast majority of us have armpits that grow hair-- sometimes a lot of it. The human race has been removing hair for centuries, but American women have really only been doing so en masse since 1915. This is when short sleeves became more popular and you weren’t a whore anymore if you wore them. Removing underarm hair and any body hair became the norm for women throughout the 20th century, with only a small blip in the 1970s when growing your hair out became a political statement. Now as we finish the second decade into the 21st century, women are once again embracing armpit hair with open arms.

When I would skip a week or so of shaving in high school, I was always asked, “how does your boyfriend feel about it?” First of all, I was pretty young. The fact that my body was being sexualized in that fashion is disgusting. Was I supposed to be sexy at the age of fourteen? The perfect image of Lolita? Gross. Also, has my ownership of my body somehow changed because I had a boyfriend? Was my dowery going to plummet because of a few extra hairs?

Even less logical maybe, is the statement “Women aren’t supposed to have hair on their bodies.” Then why does it keep growing? Why is it so persistent? I think back to my strange second grade obsession with George Washington Carver, “a weed is a flower growing in the wrong place.” Armpit hair is a weed.

Something I have encountered is that the majority of the people that find my armpit hair gross are men, men who don’t shave their own armpits. GTFO bro! Why is my body gross for the same thing you have? My hair isn’t even as long as yours. Boy, Bye.

Armpit hair, at least mine, is also really soft. It is kind of like having a weird fuzzy blanket, or a kitten at all times. I find it extremely comfortable. Even if I did not find my hair there lovely, what I really don’t find nice at all is razor burn. Although some people might automatically jump to the conclusion that I am going unshaven for political reasons, I really am not. I find my armpit hair to be incredibly more preferable. If a guy shaves his armpits, it is seen as a fashion choice, but if I don’t shave it is a political statement. Nah. I just like it.

While I am on the subject of armpits, let’s talk about how shitty deodorant is. Deciding not to shave my armpits has forced me to make some more conscious decisions about my body. I had really big lumps in my breasts. Whenever I was home from college, I would have appointments with my OBGYN to check up on my breasts. These weren’t just scary, but also painful. I spent the Summer not wearing deodorant because I worked on a farm and I would sweat through it anyway. At the end of the Summer, no bumps or lumps. I have been eating super well and getting tons of fresh air and being really happy and healthy, and honestly, unless I am really working out, I don’t smell like body odor. Sometimes I have a natural pheromone smell, but that isn’t really bad necessarily. If you do feel like you need deodorant, try finding a natural recipe.

So, in short, ditch the razor and revel in your lady pits.

Or maybe, don’t ditch your razor and revel in your smooth underarms. Because guess what, it’s your choice what you do with your body.

“Whether you shave or not, women should be allowed to make decisions about their bodies without the judgement from others” Roxie Hunt and Rain Sissel.