I remember the first time I saw armpit hair as a style choice. It was my freshman year Welcome Week at VCU, and some girls were having a yard sale across from the dorms. The girls selling their clothes were sporting tank tops and unshaved armpits, and we thought it was strange. Now, in my senior year at VCU, I find myself with grown-out armpit hair, and I wonder if others are judging me because of it. It's not just a VCU. There's been an explosion of female armpit hair in the media from celebrities such as Madonna and Miley Cyrus to lingerie campaigns that feature more natural-looking models.
I spend a lot of time browsing Instagram, so I became normalized to the trend. Soon, I was tempted to try it myself, and I decided to stop shaving for a while. I was surprised by many things, but I was mostly surprised by peoples’ reactions.
I heard rumors that armpit hair itches and stinks. In my case, my armpits were less itchy and irritated than when I shaved, but they did tend to sweat more and smell more. I thought the hair looked nice and natural, and I assumed everyone would think so, too. I soon learned this would not be the case. One day at the gym, I noticed the hair in the mirror while lifting a pair of weights above my head. I glanced around, hoping no one was staring at it. After some time, I found myself with tense shoulders because I would unconsciously keep my arms down to hide the hair. I would ask people what they thought about it, because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to repel people. I wouldn't consider myself an insecure person, but having armpit hair was making me feel less sure about my affect on people.
I was the most surprised by my roommate’s reaction. She was the first person to tell me it was disgusting. I thought people would think it was weird, but gross? People thought I was unhygienic because I grew out my armpit hair? I thought it was absurd, but at the same time, I didn’t want people to think I was gross! I thought about shaving my armpits that night, but I decided to hold off because I wanted to document it. A friend of mine came over that week to take pictures of me, and I asked him what he thought about female armpit hair. He said he thought it was natural.
I liked how my armpit hair looked in the photos; it made me feel earthy and beautiful. At the same time, it caused me to act differently without knowing it. I became aware of why female armpit hair is such a statement. It's something people judge, even though it's completely natural. Whether someone is making a feminist statement or if they simply can’t afford a razor, we as a society shouldn't jump to conclusions about their personal hygiene or views. No man or woman should have to feel insecure because of their armpit hair, and perhaps we just need to be reminded of that every once in a while.
