– A few years ago, I gave myself the freedom to try growing out body hair to see how I liked it, says Sofia Grahn.
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The Swedish influencer is part of the so-called skin positivity movement that has gone viral on social media.
– I had sort of always shaved, ever since I hit puberty and got body hair. The thought of never letting it grow out at some point felt strange.
So then Sofia left the razor.
INFLUENCES: Sofia Grahn is part of the skin positivity movement. PHOTO: Instagram @isofiagrahn. view more
And she is not alone in that. Because more and more people stop shaving, for various reasons.
And the new year is kicked off with “Januhairy” – the movement that encourages you to leave the razor behind – if you want, then.
Januhairy
An initiative that encourages you to put away your razor in the month of January.
Started as a hashtag on Instagram started by 21-year-old British student Laura Jackson.
Body hair is stigmatized today, says body positivist Carina Carlsen. She has PCOS and hirsutism, which causes increased hair growth.
– People I’ve dated have been clear that I find it disgusting because I have body hair, while others lash out on social media about how ugly they think it is.
BODY POSITIVIST: Carina Carlsen has a strained relationship with her own body hair. PHOTO: Private. view more
She describes her relationship with her own body hair as extremely strained.
– I was bullied a lot in my childhood and adolescence and constantly got comments that I had a moustache, looked like a monkey, a man and so on.
NOT WORTH IT: Carina Carlsen has stopped removing body hair. PHOTO: Instagram @fetmenfattet. view more
Carlsen says that she has spent both a lot of time and money on removing body hair.
– In the end, I found out that it was simply not worth it. But I’m not tough enough not to remove facial hair, she continues.
– As the feminist that I am, I believe that it is patriarchal structures that underlie it, and the “male gaze” that is a driver of negative feelings about body hair. Without that meaning that all men or all women are necessarily like that.
Sofia Grahn is of the same opinion.
– The simple answer is the patriarchy, and that for decades it has been communicated that body hair on women is not desirable because it is possible to make money from it, she says.
– I think it is very unusual for men to face resistance because they have hair in the same places as women or are considered less hygienic because they don’t shave. That opinion is reserved for women, continues Grahn.
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The question is whether it is more than a trend.
– I find that it is still considered a feminist move to keep the hair. It is sad that it has become a statement to preserve something natural, says Carlsen about the trend.
Sofia lets her body hair grow, eventually finding that she is most comfortable keeping her hair under her arms, but prefers to continue shaving her legs.
LET IT GROW: The Swedish influencer thrives on hair under his arms. PHOTO: Instagram @isofiagrahn. Show more
– I think more and more people are open to a flexible approach to shaving, but there are still many people who are disgusted by it. I find that it arouses strong emotions, and see it as an indicator that someone who does not shave is unhygienic – which is not true. It’s just a personal choice.
No, your body lotion does not attract horny spiders
But is it really? A choice, that is.
– It may sound sad, but how many people grow up believing that this is something they must do, says Carina Carlsen.
– Because, like many other “body requirements”, we are socialized into thinking that we have to, she continues.
– That is why movements like Januhairy are important.
– It may feel unnecessary for those who don’t care, but it shows that it is actually a choice. In addition, you get to discuss it and get to know your own attitudes.
2024-01-12 21:56:17
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