“Body hair” has always been a contentious topic shaped by societal standards, beauty expectations, and a multi-billion dollar industry built on the belief that women should be hairless. If you’re blessed with abundant body hair (hi, it’s me), you’ve probably heard the range of opinions – from aunties offering unsolicited waxing advice to friends gasping at your “bravery” for skipping a shave.
Let’s ask ourselves—why do so many people believe that women, who are human, shouldn’t grow body hair? Or that when it grows, it must immediately be removed? Body hair is as natural as the hair on our heads, yet we’ve been conditioned to see it as something shameful.
I saw a tweet claiming, “Body hair makes you smell bad,” and I couldn’t help but laugh. Is my armpit hair brewing a storm of funk that deodorant can’t handle? I think not. It’s just hair. Cleanliness isn’t about being smooth—it’s about hygiene, plain and simple.
Growing up hairy
I was one of those kids who sprouted leg hair early, long before I knew it was something to be ashamed of. While my friends flaunted their smooth, shiny limbs at the pool, I was trying to convince my mum to let me shave. The answer was always a resounding no. “You’re too young,” she’d say, and I’d grumble while being teased at school.
When I finally got the green light, it was a slippery slope. Shaving turned into waxing, which turned into threading, sugaring, and that one time I almost burned my face with an at-home laser kit. It was exhausting, painful, and expensive. Why was I putting myself through all this struggle just to meet some arbitrary standard of beauty?
The body hair backlash
I spent years believing hair that grew on our body had to go because that’s what society demanded. From razor commercials showing women shaving already smooth legs to beauty magazines preaching the gospel of “silky skin,” the message was clear—hairless was beautiful, feminine, and acceptable.
Now, we’re seeing more conversations about body hair normalisation. Celebrities like Ashley Graham, actress Amandla Stenberg, and even some influencers are unapologetically showing off their underarm fuzz, and it’s refreshing. But it hasn’t come without backlash. For every photo of a celebrity proudly displaying their body hair, there’s an onslaught of negative comments labelling them “unhygienic,” “lazy,” or worse. It’s as though showing natural hair is a crime against beauty itself.
It is not dirty. It’s not some rogue bacterial playground. It’s just hair. It’s natural, it has a purpose (hello, protection), and it doesn’t make you less beautiful or desirable. The only thing making it “gross” is centuries of social conditioning.
The double standards
Let’s talk about men. When was the last time someone called a man’s hairy legs or unkempt armpits “disgusting”? Men are free to go about their day with visible body hair, no question asked, and society will still consider them attractive. Women, on the other hand, are expected to have dolphin-level smoothness. Why?
What’s even more ironic is how society celebrates full brows and long lashes—features that rely on, well, hair—while demonising the very same hair that grows elsewhere on the body. It’s almost as though we’re allowed to embrace hair only when it fits neatly into beauty ideals. And here’s the kicker: people with naturally thick brows and long lashes are often quite hairy everywhere else, too.
My body, my hair, my rules
I’m not saying you need to toss out your razors and embrace your inner wild woman. This is about choice. If you love the feel of silky legs, great. If you prefer to let your hair grow out, that’s great too. What’s not okay is shaming anyone for their decision.
As for me, I’ve made peace with my body hair. Some days, I wax for fun. On other days, I let my leg hair glisten in the Lagos sun. At the end of the day, it’s time we stop being each other’s biggest critics. It is normal. It’s not revolutionary or rebellious – it just exists. So, the next time someone feels the need to comment on my “bravery” for showing my hairy legs, I’ll smile and say, “It’s just hair.
