It’s impossible to ignore the trend of more and more women on social media opting to let their armpit hair grow. Now that doesn’t mean untameable hair that is bursting out of short sleeves and tank tops, but enough hair where when the arms are raised, it’s clearly visible. Boldly visible, as seeing armpit hair on a woman tends to stand out and get noticed, sometimes along with negative feedback.
It’s no secret that there is a positive body movement right now where we’re getting rid of the rigid status quo on what the beauty standard is. Women are encouraged to embrace their natural beauty and present themselves in a way that makes them feel confident, even if it’s not what society has deemed traditionally attractive.
But even so with this body acceptance era we’ve moved to, we all know most old habits die young and it’s still a big part of society’s standards that women should be just about hairless from the neck down. Shaving, waxing, lasering, threading, or using hair removal creams is seen as an essential necessity for most women.
But is it really that big of a deal to not shave your armpits as a woman? Do people care? Do guys mind hairy armpits on women? Will other women judge you?
The Pros of Shaving Your Armpits
- It’s natural! In the grand scheme of things, body hair is totally natural and normal. If you’re comfortable with your body hair, then more power to you!
- It’s less work. Shaving takes time and effort. If you’d rather spend your time doing something else, then why not just let your body hair grow?
- It can be empowering. For some women, choosing not to shave their armpits is a way of reclaiming their bodies from societal pressure to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty. If you feel good about rocking your hairy armpits, then go for it!
The Cons of Not Shaving Your Armpits
- Hygiene. Let’s face it, sweating can lead to some smelly armpits. However, this can be remedied by simply showering more often or using deodorant/antiperspirant.
- Stubble. Shaving can lead to stubble, which can be painful (especially when growth is rapid). This is avoidable by waxing or using depilatory creams/lotions.
- Social Pressure. Unfortunately, many people in society still view women with hairy armpits as “unclean” or “unkempt.” Some may even find visible armpit hair on women to be masculine. This pressure can be tough to deal with and may turn away some possible suitors.
1 Minute History of Armpit Hair Removal
The practice of hair removal can be traced back thousands of years. In fact, early forms of hair removal were even mentioned in the Bible. In ancient Egypt, for example, both men and women would remove all body hair, including pubic hair and armpit hair.
This was done not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because it was thought to prevent lice and other parasites from taking up residence in the hair. They used a primitive form of sugaring, applying a mixture of oil and honey to the skin and then pulling it off with fabric strips.
In ancient Greece, however, body hair was celebrated, seen as a sign of maturity and virility. But during the Renaissance in Europe, women started removing their body hair again to emulate the hairless complexions depicted in classical art.
Fast forward to the 20th century, and armpit hair removal became more mainstream, especially for women in Western societies. This trend gained momentum with the introduction of sleeveless dresses and the rise of advertising campaigns by companies promoting smooth underarms as a beauty standard.
Today’s Societal Norms and Attitudes Towards Armpit Hair
So why do so many women feel the need to remove their armpit hair? A lot of it has to do with societal norms and expectations. For years, we’ve been bombarded with images of smooth-skinned celebrities and models who almost always appear to be freshly shaven. This has created an unrealistic standard for what is considered “normal” and has led many women to believe that they must adhere to this standard in order to be considered attractive.
Another factor that contributes to our attitudes towards armpit hair is the way it is portrayed in the media. When armpit hair does make an appearance in the mainstream media, it is almost always in a negative light. For example, an episode of the show ‘Modern Family’ made headlines when one of the main characters—11-year-old Lily—was shown with armpit hair. She was immediately ridiculed by her classmates and was forced to shave her underarms as a result. This type of negative portrayal only reinforces the notion that armpit hair is something to be ashamed of.
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California found that nearly 60% of American women report feeling “ashamed,” “hairy,” and “smelly” because of their underarm hair. The study also found that nearly 90% of American women engage in some form of underarm hair removal, whether that means shaving, waxing, or using depilatory creams.
Do Guys Mind Hairy Armpits on Women?
So let’s get down to it. Do guys really care about hairy armpits on women? Of course, like any question where the answer depends on the individual, answers can vary, but we’ve collected some answers and comments from social media sites like Reddit and Twitter on what guys have said about women having armpit hair.
Men’s Thoughts on Women Having Armpit Hair
- Not attractive.
- She 100% has the right to do it.
- I 100% have the right to give her a hard pass and go for someone who shaves.
- Absolutely not. I really dislike hairy armpits. I even shave my own, so there’s no way I would date a woman who didn’t shave hers.
- Not a fan. I shave everything below my beard (apart from limbs).
- Call me Mister Natural, but I don’t care one way or another.
- Pits, pubes, legs, hairy is ok with me, whatever a woman wants to do.
- Complete and total turn-off. I shave my arm pits, because I find arm pit hair disgusting, so I would simply not date a woman who doesn’t shave her arm pits.
- I recently realized I’m kind of into it 🤷.
- Depends how hairy, but I’d prefer shaved armpits.
- I’ve asked my fiancé to not shave anything, i’m a hippie though and i prefer the human form in its purity. natural or whatever.
- Undateable. Though I celebrate their right do it…no thanks.
- Anywhere they want me to put my face, especially my mouth, I prefer it to be hairless.
- Everything else, I don’t really care much. There’s an aesthetic appeal from a lack of hair. But, unless there’s some extreme case where she looks like a gorilla, it’s never going to make or break whether or not I like a girl, or find her attractive.
- A dated a girl who only shaved her pits occasionally, yet oddly kept her pubes well manicured. At first it was kinda weird, but the sex was so amazing that I quickly learned to overlook her hairy armpits.
- My stance is this, regardless of the current year: Do whatever you want, but don’t tell me I need to find it attractive.
- I don’t really like it but I’ve been conditioned that way, if I saw it more I probably wouldn’t mind it so much and eventually not at all.
- I have no strong feelings one way or the other.
- It’s a left swipe on tinder and an auto close if it comes up in porn, but as far as women I’m not involved with, I couldn’t care less.
- Nothing really. It’s natural. But we also don’t live in caves anymore so if you want to expose that armpit better show me you’re a civilized person. LoL.
- Gross. Hairy armpits and hairy legs are an instant and complete turn off.
- I’m fine with them, to be honest. If they can live with my body hair – and I’m not shaving for anybody – then I should return the courtesy.
- I don’t give a fuck.
- I don’t care, but NGL (not going to lie) when I see it, I really see it. Think it’s just one of those things that I notice, like when a guy shaves their legs / arms I get the same reaction.
- I truly believe its attention seeking 45% of the times.
- Another 45% of the times its women who stopped feeling feminine maybe after being through a lot of trauma.
- And the last 10% are just living life the way they want to.
- The same way I feel about hairy knuckles and toes: natural, but not my thing.
- It’s pretty gross ngl idk why it’s becoming a Trend same with mustaches like what?
- Hair is normal. Stubble is awful!
What’s The Verdict?
While there are many men out there who don’t mind armpit hair on women or even find it super sexy, it seems the majority of men do not like it when a woman does not shave her armpits and find it a turn off, or for some, even a deal breaker. Of course, their feelings may be conditioned by the same beauty standard that women have been subjected to, but you can’t fault them too much as seeing shaved armpits on women is most likely what they grew up seeing and have mainly experienced in their adult lives.
When it comes down to it, it’s up to you whether or not you want to shave your armpits. If you’re comfortable with your body hair, then there is no reason to change anything. If anything, it may even be a way to weed out bad potential partners. While most men may not particularly enjoy armpit hair on women, if they’re the type to not pursue a relationship over such a trivial matter, are they really what you’re looking for?
Celebrity Women With Hairy Armpits
These women celebrities have proudly shown off their unshaven armpit hair at red carpet events, photo shoots, and on social media, using their platform to challenge the mainstream perception of what’s attractive and acceptable.
Julia Roberts
In 1999, she famously attended the premiere of “Notting Hill” with visible armpit hair. She later commented in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that it was a statement about “liberation.”
Madonna
Madonna has always been one to push society’s norms and standards. In 2014, she shared a photo on Instagram revealing her unshaven armpits, captioned with “Long hair…Don’t Care!!!!!!”
Miley Cyrus
In 2015, Miley posted several photos on Instagram proudly showing off her unshaven armpits, with captions expressing her freedom to do as she pleases with her body hair.
Lourdes Leon
The daughter of Madonna, Lourdes, appeared in a 2018 ad campaign for Stella McCartney’s Pop fragrance with unshaven armpits, promoting body positivity. Since then, she has shown off her hair pits during many music performances and modeling jobs.
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla attended the 2018 European premiere of “The Hate U Give” with visible armpit hair, stating it was a political statement against beauty standards.
Bella Thorne
Bella has often been seen sporting hairy armpits, especially while at the beach, dressed in a scantily–clad bikini. She shared a photo on Instagram in 2018 with her armpit hair dyed blue, stating she was “cool and accepting” of her body hair.
Scout Willis
In 2019, Scout, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, posted a photo on Instagram showing off her unshaven armpits, advocating for self-love and body acceptance.
Paris Jackson
Paris attended the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards with visible armpit hair, indicating it was a statement about beauty standards. She has also posted selfies on Instagram where she proudly shows off her unshaven pits.
Willow Smith
Willow appeared on the red carpet at the 2017 Chanel Metiers d’Art show with unshaved armpits, showcasing her natural beauty. She has often been seen in different concerts and outings sporting lightly, hair pits.
Gaby Hoffmann
Gaby attended the 2015 Golden Globe Awards with unshaven armpits, stating it was a feminist statement.
Jemima Kirke
The actress and artist appeared in a 2015 photo shoot for the clothing brand Equipment with visible armpit hair, challenging beauty standards.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi appeared in a 2017 LOVE magazine video with visible armpit hair, advocating for body diversity and acceptance.
Kelly Rowland
Kelly attended the InStyle Best Beauty Buys Awards and 2013 BET Awards with unshaven armpits, expressing her confidence and natural beauty.
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa shared a photo on Instagram in 2020 showing her unshaven armpits, stating it was her choice and encouraging others to embrace their bodies.
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily did a Harper’s Bazaar photo shoot with hairy armpits and has posted her unshaved armpits on Instgram, advocating for self-expression and body positivity.
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