Why I Don't Shave

I started shaving my body hair when I was in the sixth grade. I observed that the other sixth grade girls, covered in knicks from their razors, were shaving. So, in attempt to fit in, I started to shave as well. I was told numerous times by different prepubescent boys that girls who didn’t shave smelled bad. The idea of people talking about how I smelled behind my back petrified me. It gave me all the more reason for shaving to become apart of my daily routine. Flash forward to highschool and my intentions for shaving shifted. It was no longer an aimless day to day procedure, it became solely for the sex appeal. I would over hear upperclassmen talking about how they’d never bang a chick who didn’t shave her pussy. This struck an emotional chord in me. These words were like hammers chiseling a long lasting impression into my mind.

Then the messages came. Pouring into my snapchat, I would get requests from guys; they wanted me to send them pictures of my body. Boobs weren’t enough for them. Neither was my ass. They always ended up asking for more. I never felt comfortable enough exposing myself that much, so I’d always make up an excuse as to why I couldn’t send them. In hindsight, it’s so upsetting to me that I felt like I couldn’t just say no. There had to be an excuse. The start of my junior year came so fast, it was like a blow to the face. I started the journey to discovering who I really am. I spent more time with myself. Questioning everything I had thought to be true. I experimented with different hobbies and different morals. This is when I really started to love and accept myself for who I am. Ignoring the expectations of others is what gave me the courage to throw away my razor. Stephi Lee explains so perfectly , “If something as superficial as a perfectly shaved body is more important to them than your personality, then are they really worth your time in the first place? I don’t think so.” If you want to shave, then by all means, shave. But if you’re shaving because it is what others expect of you, I urge you stop. Also, tell them to go fuck themselves.

Oh, by the way. Not shaving doesn’t make you smell bad.

#feminism