Women’s bodies have been politicized and scrutinized in ways that men’s have not. Especially regarding hair removal, our body hair is deemed unkempt by society, while men face little to no social expectations when it comes to shaving. Hair removal among most of my female friends and family members is considered time-consuming and brutal, but often necessary. However, when it comes down to it, body hair removal is another way women are suppressed and controlled.
Shaving is a practice that is deeply rooted in sexism, racism, and capitalism. Cultural norms around body hair stem from historical biases of gender expectations and perpetuate Eurocentric beauty standards. Based on these facts, more people should reject shaving, as it is anti-feminist. However, I understand that some people prefer to remove their hair, and that’s totally okay. It becomes a problem when beauty standards and expectations create a biased representation of how a female should look.
Although there is an expectation for women to be hairless and flawless, on the flip side, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear and garment brand, Skims, has a new creation that disrupts this narrative. On Oct. 14, 2025, Skims released a faux hair thong for $60. This commodification of taboo is a shift from the suppression we’ve been seeing. However, it makes me wonder why Kim is capitalizing on women’s body hair. Does she regret lasering off her bush? The faux bush sold out in less than 24 hours, which raises the question and concern of who the target market is.
Before 1915, body hair was not an issue, as in the Victorian era, shaving your armpits was seen as unnecessary, as shaving off your eyebrows. The moment sleeveless dresses became fashionable, ways to remove women’s body hair consumed the population. Body hair removal did ebb and flow between eras as fashion and beauty standards were vastly different. However, it has always been considered an indicator of the classes. During the Roman Empire, hair was considered uncivilized, so wealthy women and men made razors from stones and tweezers to remove excess hair. Even in the present day, the choice not to remove body hair may be looked at as if you don’t have access to the necessary assets.
King Camp Gillette added fuel to this fire by promoting hair removal instruments to women. In 1915, Gillette created the first female razor called the Milady Décolleté. This product was promoted through aggressive marketing campaigns. The first advertisement for the female razor targeted armpit shaving by saying, “The Milady Décolleté solves an embarrassing personal problem.” The advertisement also continues, “Milady Décolleté Gillette is welcomed by women everywhere—now that a feature of good dressing and good grooming is to keep the underarm white and smooth.”
Framing body hair in this way perpetuates problems of sexism and racism. No one should be embarrassed by their body hair; however, when it’s considered something to be embarrassed about, it’s only human to feel insecure. This advertisement includes racial commentary and links being clean-shaven to this “white”, “pure” version of feminism that is not attainable for everyone.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stop caring about shaving. Whether it’s coarse, curly, bleached, sparse, or frizzy, we all have it! Once you get used to your fuzzy appendages and unshaven bush, life becomes easier, trust me. I don’t have to care about the status of my body hair or if I am able to wear shorts or not, because I’m not limited by the hairless expectation I had grown accustomed to for so long. Of course, everyone has their preferences, and if you like to shave, continue to do so, but I urge you to put down your razor for a week or two and see how you feel.