Dare to bare the hair: Women who stopped waxing their body hair speak up

To wax or not to wax: that is the question on more and more women's minds as they navigate what makes them feel feminine and feminist enough. Photo: visualhunt.com

Women's body hair both in images and as a subject of feminist debate has been attracting increasing attention on social networks in recent times, notably in France where the hashtag "#Jegardemespoils" (which translates as "I'm keeping my body hair") has caused quite a stir over the last few days.

Sara, a 26-year-old journalism student, shares about giving up waxing, and longstanding beauty diktats on what is and feminine and what is not.

"It was a very slow process. It took me around four years to come to a decision not to bother any more, and there were several reasons for it. First of all it was a matter of money, because it costs a lot for full-leg, bikini and underarm waxing, and you are paying for pain. It was also a feminist act.

"It bothered me to have to make that kind of effort, especially when you consider all the other efforts you have to make as a woman, so I took a decision to stop. I said to myself why do something that hurts and costs money, and which at the end of the day doesn't really serve any purpose.

"Was it an easy decision to take? No, not at all. You have to break down a substantial mental barrier. Even now after four years, I still notice people of both sexes looking at my legs and armpits, and I'm not completely immune to their reaction," she says.

Generally, says Sara, people have been "quite positive or they don't care" although some have been a bit critical.

"But the fact that they look at me is not oppressive, at least i don't feel it is. However, I'm not sure that every woman would see it that way. People often tell me that I'm courageous, especially women who say they would love not to wax, but don't dare to," says Sara.

Most of the men Sara associates with are feminists too and so, hair or no hair is "all the same to them".

"I have bumped into some (men) at parties, and they are capable of asking questions like: 'Are you sure that you are a woman?'. But you only have to respond to them and widen the scope of the discussion. I put them back in their place a bit, and they leave with other ideas... At least I hope they do, because for me not waxing is a militant political act. It is not just a matter of aesthetics. As woman, I also want to tell people to wake up!" she says.

Sara believes that her body hair makes her more feminine: a strength that she expresses when she raises her arms or wears skirts.

"For centuries, women have been killed, imprisoned, mutilated and raped, and we are only really beginning to open our eyes to the condition of women today. Things are changing now, and I am very happy about that. But we should be helping to accelerate that change.

"We also have to get rid of beauty diktats to make beauty more inclusive of other body types, faces and colours. Body hair is an integral part of these diktats. We have to liberate women from this constraint, because we waste a huge amount of time pursuing mad notions of beauty," she says, adding that she also "rarely bother(s) with makeup and (has) also stopped using deodorant, and avoids nail polish as much as possible.

Her advice to women who might be considering giving up waxing?

"It is perfectly normal to hesitate and to have doubts when you start to realise all that is focused in the issue of waxing and body hair. I would advise them to take it slowly, one stage at a time, and to begin with small areas. Every woman should take it at her own pace," she concludes. - AFPRelaxnews