To Shave Or Not To Shave: Women’s Hairy Affair
We, as a society, have upheld certain beauty standards as sacred, and the idea of women sans body hair is definitely one of them. From our parlor didi stripping us raw and harassing us for being hairy every month, to the constant battle of getting done the perfect eyebrows, it’s safe to say that this lockdown has seen some newly adopted beauty standards that are starkly different from our old ones.
“I think one thing that this lockdown has taught me, is how okay and normal it is to have hair on your body. I don’t rush to the parlor to get waxed every month now. Instead of feeling disgusted, I’ve started accepting my body hair. I don’t shave them off anymore just to look presentable for the society, I shave them because I CHOSE to do so consciously and to feel comfortable,” says Sana Arora, a 23-year-old consulting associate at EY, while explaining her pre-covid struggle to get waxed every month as to maintain her appearance in her office.
Now that we don’t know what day of the week it is, and time has no meaning, our ‘get waxed’ date on the calendar has been happily skipped by so many of us for far too long now. Plus, when you’re in the middle of a pandemic and start to consider the important things that actually matter right now, body-hair maintenance doesn’t seem to be that high of a priority.
Riya Rajan, a 22-year-old student at Ambedkar University believes how it’s actually been quite fascinating and liberating to let her hair grow out. It has made her re-think how much time and effort she used to put into it, and how much she actually cares about it. “Instead of spending time shaving my body hair for nothing, I can happily say that I get to spend that time on so many other things that are actually important to me. I think post-pandemic when I start going out regularly, I’m going to feel a lot less pressured to shave it,” Rajan adds.
This lockdown period has meant a lot of different things for different women. Now that all of us have had time to sit alone with our thoughts, and really look out for what we really want and what we feel comfortable in, it’s been a back-to-back abandoning of things that we were classically conditioned to opt for, but didn’t necessarily need. From the nightmarish underwire bras to our long makeup routines, women are finally leaving behind everything that they were ‘told by the society’ to do, to look prettier and more presentable, and instead of taking the narrative back in their hands.
“Body hair was and is something I’ve always been conscious about. From uneasy looks on faces to being name called as a ‘bear’ in high school- such incidents aren’t easily forgotten, no matter how hard I try. A hint of hair on my arm used to make me rush to the parlor to get them waxed off. However, this lockdown has taught me to look at myself in a different light. I’m being kinder to myself, realizing that my body hair doesn’t define my prettiness. I guess now when I’ll shave, it will not be because I despise my body hair, but more just for myself,” says the 32-year-old Assistant consultant, Aditi Mittal from Delhi.
The question is not about shaving your body hair or not, it’s about whether you’re choosing to do so or just doing it out of an obligation to look presentable in society.
While having a conversation with Shuchita Jain, a 28-year-old Financial Analyst from Delhi, she explained to us how this lockdown made her realize her real reasons for getting waxed. “I always used to think that I used to wax purely for myself, but this lockdown made me come face to face with reality. Normally, I’d make sure that my hands and legs were waxed before a date and eyebrows perfectly threaded. It felt a little awkward to realize how I’ve been waxing to look a certain way for men or society and not myself. I mean I don’t really mind my body hair to be honest, but that was only when no one was looking,” she says.
It’s strange that it took a pandemic to finally make us realize that obsessing over our hairiness being exposed wasn’t adding any happiness to our life. But it has still been one small, positive thing to come out of this pandemic. Amidst everything going on, seeing that our hair hasn’t stopped growing is a reminder that we haven’t stopped growing either. Even though it seems like our life has been frozen or paused at the start of March, the constant hair growth serves as a reminder of the very real passage of time.
With all the things that we’re leaving behind, it’s time we leave the societal expectations of women behind too.
Opinions and Perspectives
Each woman's story in this article feels so personal yet universal.
Encouraging to see more women making conscious choices about their bodies.
The financial and time savings are just bonus benefits of this mindset shift.
The pressure from beauty standards affects our mental health more than we realize.
It's empowering to see women making conscious choices rather than following norms blindly.
The lockdown really showed us how many beauty routines we can live without.
My confidence has actually increased since I stopped obsessing over body hair.
This reminds me of how much time I used to spend worrying about body hair.
The cost savings mentioned in the comments are real. I've redirected that money to self-care.
What surprises me is how many women continued hair removal even when no one was seeing them.
Feeling seen by this article. The pressure to conform to beauty standards is exhausting.
Really appreciate how this article emphasizes personal choice over societal pressure.
The pandemic really highlighted how many of our grooming habits were for others.
Interesting how personal comfort levels vary so much among different women.
I've started teaching my daughters that they have choices about their body hair.
Anyone else feel like they're still struggling with this despite understanding the societal pressure?
My relationship with my body hair has completely transformed since lockdown.
I appreciate how the article highlights different perspectives without judgment.
The liberation described by these women is powerful. Makes me question other beauty standards too.
Would be interesting to see how men's grooming standards have changed during this time too.
Amazing how a global crisis helped us question such deeply ingrained habits.
The pressure starts so young. My niece is only 11 and already asking about hair removal.
It's interesting how something as simple as body hair can carry so much social weight.
Love how this article addresses both physical and emotional aspects of body hair removal.
The time saved from not having to maintain a hair-removal routine is incredible.
Wondering how many women will maintain their lockdown attitudes now that things are opening up.
The emphasis on personal choice rather than societal obligation is key here.
I've noticed more diversity in how women present themselves post-pandemic.
Does anyone else feel like social media still promotes unrealistic beauty standards?
Sometimes I feel like we're replacing old beauty standards with new ones though.
Reading about Aditi's experience makes me want to be kinder to myself too.
Proud of how far we've come in questioning these beauty norms, but we still have a long way to go.
The financial aspect is significant. We spend so much money just to meet these arbitrary standards.
My partner actually prefers my natural look. Society had me thinking the opposite all along.
It's refreshing to see more women speaking openly about this topic.
Anyone else feel like they're swimming against the current when they choose not to remove body hair?
The pandemic really showed us what's actually important in life, and it's not smooth legs.
I've started asking myself why I do certain beauty routines. Is it for me or society?
What's interesting is how this varies across different cultures and countries.
The comparison to abandoning underwire bras made me laugh. So many uncomfortable beauty standards questioned during lockdown!
I work in a conservative office and still feel pressure to maintain certain grooming standards.
Has anyone else noticed that younger generations seem more accepting of body hair?
Never thought I'd say this, but the pandemic helped me accept my natural self more.
The article could have explored the professional pressure to conform to these standards more deeply.
I still remember my first waxing experience. Why did we normalize putting ourselves through such pain?
My teenage daughter recently asked about hair removal and I found myself questioning what message I want to send her.
This really opened my eyes to how much these beauty standards affect our daily lives and mental health.
The money I used to spend on waxing now goes into my savings account. Thanks, pandemic!
It's not just about the hair though. It's about reclaiming our right to choose what we do with our bodies.
Riya's comment about feeling less pressured post-pandemic is spot on. I've definitely felt that shift in mindset.
What amazes me is how young girls are when they start feeling pressure to remove body hair. We need to change this narrative.
I noticed my partner doesn't care about my body hair nearly as much as I thought they would.
That quote about spending time on more important things really struck a chord with me. Why waste hours on something that just grows back?
The article makes valid points but forgets to mention that some cultures have different perspectives on body hair.
I actually found the lockdown liberating. No more painful waxing sessions or judgmental looks from the parlor staff.
Seriously, who decided women should be hairless anyway? Our bodies naturally grow hair for a reason.
The social conditioning runs so deep that even now, knowing better, I still feel uncomfortable showing body hair in public.
I particularly connected with Shuchita's realization about waxing before dates. Made me think about my own motivations.
The article makes a good point about time passage. Our growing hair really was like a physical calendar during those strange lockdown days.
Anyone else notice how much money they saved during lockdown by not going to the salon every month?
I find it fascinating how many women discovered they were maintaining hairless standards primarily for others rather than themselves.
The part about Aditi being called a bear in high school hits close to home. I had similar experiences and it really affected my self-image.
Interesting how it took a global pandemic for us to challenge these deeply ingrained beauty standards.
Love how Sana's perspective changed during lockdown. Her realization about choosing to shave rather than feeling obligated is something I relate to.
While I respect everyone's personal choice, I still prefer being hair-free. It makes me feel confident and comfortable, and that's my conscious decision.
This article really resonates with me. I've always felt pressured to be completely hairless, but during the pandemic I started questioning these beauty standards.
I never realized how much time and money I spent on hair removal until lockdown. It's been eye-opening to question why I was doing it in the first place.