Why I Don't (*gasp*) Shave.

There’s this thing called No ShaveNovember. It’s like Movember, in that it’s for cancer fundraising, but it’s unlike Movember in that it suggests both men and women can participate in it.

Except they can’t, not in the same way, not really.

For men not to shave, it means developing an interesting or amusing, socially acceptable face-statement. For women not to shave, it means grossness.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen men have the piss taken out of them during Movember, we all have. There’s always someone with a wispy excuse for a stash, someone who’s upper lip hair looks like a giant, horrifying hair worm from hell, who cops flack for letting it grow. But it’s all in good fun, isn’t it? And we’ll still put some money in the tin for them because it’s for cancer, and their face hair, while amusing, is totally fine, really.

I haven’t shaved my armpits in months.

I haven’t shaved my legs in years.

Did either of those statements make you freak out? Did either of them change your opinion of me? Why is that?

I get looks now. They are subtle looks, for sure, but they are there. They are always followed by an embarrassed look away, the way someone might react if they were caught staring at someone with a facial deformity. I always smile at people when this happens, to let them know it’s ok.

I am lucky in that my leg hair is blonde, and no one except me or Boyfriend ever get close enough to notice that it is there. My armpit hair is also light, but not blonde; it grows slowly and lightly, but it is this that people stare at. And it is ok with me that they look, because it is unusual. I don’t know any other women with armpit hair like mine. Or else, I’ve never noticed any. And maybe seeing it will make some people question it, I hope, because I think more people should try it.

I’m NOT saying EVERYONE should do it all the time. I am the kind of feminist who thinks women and men should be able to do whatever they like with their bodies. So if you like to have silky smooth legs and armpits then go for your life. But there is another option available to you. And I want people to know all the facts.

First of all, you have been told that it is unhygienic to leave bits of you unshaved. This is a fallacy, and it’s also illogical. Men have hairy armpits and no one calls them unhygienic for it. You’re not about to encourage lice into your pits, I promise. The only difference to my hygiene routine is that I take about 10 extra seconds to scrub my armpits in the shower in the morning. That’s it. I actually experience less sweaty patches on my shirts because there’s hair there now, doing what it’s supposed to do, catching sweat.  Fucking anatomy man, it knows what it’s doing.

Secondly, shaving does not equate “looking after yourself”. While I won’t deny that laziness was a factor in my choice to stop shaving (particularly my legs, that shit is a bitch), I’m not “letting myself go”. In fact, by not shaving my legs, I’ve experienced a revolution in my skin. Gone are the days of horrible dry legs, having to exfoliate all the time, and relying on moisturiser. My legs are no longer crying out in pain all the time because I’ve stopped scraping a horrible old razor across them all the time. It’s just logic. Meanwhile, I no longer have that horrible, blinding sting you get when you spray deo on a newly shaved armpit, and I don’t have to battle with stubble or in-grown hairs. Which is a real win.

Next up, razor companies are the devil. In the early part of the last century, short sleeve and sleeveless dresses became a thing, and a whole new market opened up to the people who’d previously been selling their razors to dudes only. Just think how clever they felt when they thought this up. Hair that no one had ever had out in public was suddenly anissue. And armpit shaving was born. Razor companies cackled to themselves maniacally, started making *pink* razors and sold body shame like it was going out of fashion. Unfortunately, it was not.  

Leg shaving came along during and after World War 2, when silky stockings became a thing. Now, I see the logic here, because it really is quite odd to have hairs sticking through your nice stockings. But which came first? The razor companies or the stocking companies? I might be getting into some bullshit conspiracy theory territory here, but the point is, everything anyone’s ever told us about body hair, that it’s “gross” that it’s “dirty”, “unladylike” or “masculine” has come to us straight from some old-fashioned advertisement. And it never went away. We’ve accepted it, as we’ve accepted painful waxing, plucking, shame and stigma. And frankly, that pisses me off. I don’t like doing things for illogical reasons, particularly reasons that have been created to take my money. I need that money, for food and books and such.

I’m not saying I’ll never shave again. I live in society and society tells us what is normal and nice and fashionable. The last time I shaved my pits was because I wanted to wear a particular dress and have a particular look, but I’ve worn it since without doing so and not felt weird. There may well come a time when I decide to take it up again, or shave my legs for a once off occasion. Or whatever. But for now, I’m enjoying being a little hairier than I once was, I’m enjoying not battling rusty, horrible razors in my tiny shower and I’m enjoying not paying Gilette for the pleasure.

And you know what else? I actually like how it looks.

And, I’m putting out the call. We’re half way through November. Ladies, can you go til the end of the month without shaving? You don’t have to tell me about it, if you don’t want, but I encourage you to try it. And if you’re a dude who’s read this and been “grossed out” by all this talk of hair, I encourage you to shave your pits *and keep them free from stubble and in-grown hairs* til the end of the month as well, and then get back to me.