I first started shaving when I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade, at my local middle school. I can remember being in gym class and wearing shorts while sitting on the gym floor in my assigned spot. I remember looking over at a girl sitting next to me and realizing she was staring at my leg. Whether or not it was because of my hair, I quickly got super self-conscious and told myself I had to shave my legs when I got home. I decided I wasn’t a little girl anymore and I needed to shave! I remember feeling really vulnerable and very “un-girl-like.” I looked at the other girls with beautiful shiny hairless legs and I felt an immense amount of shame. So, like the others, I decided to shave my leg hair as well.
Shaving became something normal and a part of my regular shower routine. However, I hit a point where it felt like a chore. Who was I shaving my legs for- myself or for other people? I have vivid memories of complaining about shaving with my friends. We discussed how we were lazy, we didn’t want to shave and how that meant sweatpants for gym class. I distinctly remember not wearing certain clothes because my legs were hairy and I didn’t want people to look at me funny. Some women may say that shaving their legs makes them feel empowered and free, and that is a valid stance. For me, shaving was everything opposite of that. The principle of shaving barred me from wearing certain clothes. It made me feel shame if I forgot to do it. If my armpits weren’t looking like a smooth baby’s bottom, my hand might not go up in class.
Not only were the legs a big deal but so was the hair “down there.” Girls start shaving their pubic hair as young as 11 and 12. Sometimes, I think it is a choice, and sometimes I think it is expected. Hairlessness is an ideal when it comes to the reproductive parts and what it should look like. So, we shave because that’s what girls do and then we get ingrown hairs, and sometimes it can be itchy/ irritating. Hair is on humans for a reason. Whether or not you chose to shave, it grows for biological reasons.
You should try to be as comfortable in your own skin as possible. It is not about what others want or expects of you. It is about what you want, what makes you feel comfortable, and simply the freedom of choice. If shaving your legs and pubic hair makes you feel good, then so be it. If you don’t want to shave-don’t! We all have different opinions on societal pressures and expectations. If someone you know decides not to shave be supportive regardless of your personal choice. The amount of hair on your body doesn’t dictate how much of a woman you are! Whatever you choose, let it be something for good for yourself. Allow it to empower you.