Feeling a little bit rebellious and wondering whether the time is ripe to let loose? Look no further than your armpits! More and more ladies are joining the hairy armpit revolution, and it turns out they’ve got some pretty good reasons for ditching the shave… so will you join them?
If you’re like me, you’ve struggled all your life to break free of social expectations. The kinds of expectations that see you constantly on the lookout for stray hair on otherwise smooth legs, or that require you to slather on the makeup every time you head out the door. But there comes a time when the discomfort of being “ladylike” becomes just too much — and that time came after yet another obligatory armpit shave.
As usual, the next day was more than a little uncomfortable. No matter how thick the “soothing gel” was on my shaver, I’d always end up with irritated skin under my pits and the inevitable ingrown hair or two. By the time the irritation went away, it’d be time for another shave.
But this time was different. I’d heard one of the ladies in the office quietly and sheepishly say that she hadn’t shaved her armpits in weeks, and she was absolutely loving it! In hushed tones, she boldly stated that not having to shave her pits was so good, she was planning on making it a permanent thing… at least until summer came around.
I figured it was worth a try. There were already enough other discomforts in my life, why not just knock this one off the list? When I got home that evening, I headed straight for the bathroom cabinet and threw my shaver in the trash — the armpit shaving hiatus had begun.
A month in, and I was hooked. No itching, scratching, irritation or ingrown hairs; just smooth, healthy skin and a light fuzz that wasn’t harming anyone. And as long as I didn’t go pointing my pits in his direction, my boyfriend was none the wiser. Keen to keep the anti-shave ball rolling, I did a little research to remind myself of the many reasons why no longer shaving my armpits was definitely a good thing.
1. More time!
This might seem a little inconsequential, but any extra time in today’s action-packed world cannot be underestimated. And ladies know that armpit shaving takes time. If you rush it, you’re bound to cut yourself. With my armpit hair off the agenda, I had more time to simply relax in the shower and have a bit of downtime. Kind of like a mini shower vacation.
2. No shaver burn
This one seems obvious, but if you’re struggling to find the motivation to stop shaving your pits, then repeating “no shaver burn, no shaver burn” over and over like a mantra should do the trick. Think back to your most recent pit shave: did it feel good afterward? And how about the next day? You bet it didn’t. Your hair follicles were irritated, you had to constantly slather on moisturizer and you’d have the worst day ever if you didn’t strategize and wear the softest, silkiest blouse you own.
3. You won’t actually smell more
Believe it or not, having hair in your armpits doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll smell more. Our armpits smell due to an overabundance of bacteria, which release the odor we know as B.O. If you keep your pits clean, washing them once a day with a gentle soap (make sure it’s SLS and paraben free) and use a natural deodorant, they might even begin to smell even better than they did in their hairless days. A healthy pit is an odorless pit, and that very much applies to hairy pits!
4. You’ll attract other like-minded free spirits
Now I’m not saying you should immediately go and hang out on a hippie commune, but deciding not to shave your armpits is a surprisingly big mindset shift. And with this shift, you’ll begin to attract and gravitate towards like-minded people. People who respect the decisions you make, who appreciate living with enjoyment first and foremost, and who won’t judge you for ditching the shaver every now and then. Those sound like great friends to me!
5. You could become more irresistible
Now we’re really getting into interesting waters. Research shows that armpit hair, which grows directly on top of sweat glands, acts as a pheromone diffuser and helps spread our natural, perhaps even irresistible, scent to potential mates. Granted, that’s a best-case scenario, but it’s fair to say that a little armpit hair may go a long way towards improving your chances of landing the partner of your dreams… provided they don’t mind a little fuzz in unexpected places.
— Liivi Hess
