Body hair. It’s normal for all of us, right? Well, unless I’m a woman, my legs look like a man’s, my armpits are unhygienic, and my mustache makes me unfit to be feminine. Once all girls hit a certain age, the gym locker room’s topic of conversation becomes shaving. Well, more of: which girls do and don’t. This part of growing up can be difficult for a lot of us. Whether your mom thinks you’re too young to do it, or you’re scared to put that sharp device on your body just to get rid of hair.

Abby Mccurry (11) says, “I think it is honestly ridiculous and ties into the fact that not only women, but little girls are the ones being sexualized. It is normal for a man to have body hair and is treated as a normal part of growing up, but when women get it and don’t get rid of it it is automatically ‘disgusting’ or ‘abnormal’. Yet, who are the only females with no body hair naturally? Little girls.”

But why is this not a universal experience, or maybe just any type of experience at all?

“[It is not fair], body hair is there for a reason. It protects our bodies and our skin, and wouldn’t grow if it wasn’t important,” says Mccurry.

Many women disagree with these beauty standards and have decided to stop shaving. This is commonly referred to as, “going natural”. Going natural is becoming more and more popular, and so is the acceptance of it; however, many people think of this as unhygienic, non-feminine, or just unattractive, which makes it controversial. 

“[Going natural is] controversial because in today’s society, women are seen as rebellious and ugly if they choose not to shave (because heterosexual men typically see it as undesirable if a woman is not hairless), when honestly it isn’t that big of a deal.” says Mccurry

So ladies, just because some people think that you should keep your body hairless, does not mean that it isn’t still your choice. Let yourself make that decision about your body, and don’t be scared to state your opinion.