Is it time to ditch your razor and let your body hair grow? Student Yasmin Gasimova has done just that, writing a viral blog piece about why she's stopped shaving - and feels all the more confident for it
In today’s news to make you want to punch the air in self-empowered, feminist glee, a 19-year-old student at Liverpool University is fighting back against outdated beauty norms, and encouraging women to ditch their razors – if they want to, that is.
"Being hairy isn't scary. In a society where women are expected to shave, I'm not ashamed to admit I don't,” wrote Yasmin Gasimova in a blog for student website, The Tab.
"I might trim my pubes if I'm going on holiday, but catch me on a normal day when my armpits are bushy and my legs furry, and you might be surprised."
"I stopped caring when I was 11, as having naturally thick, fast-growing hair meant I'd need to waste an hour just to get prickly dots on my legs, which would grow back in a week,” she adds in the now-viral piece. "It's a huge inconvenience for me, as it never made me feel comfortable, gave me loads of ingrown hairs, and my hairless legs wouldn't match the rest of my hairy body."
And while Yasmin reveals that she will attempt to shave if she’s heading to the swimming pool, or if she fancies a one night stand with a guy who she thinks would judge her for her body hair, she says that even in those circumstances, she knows she shouldn’t have to.
“I dream of the day I can walk around in the summer in shorts, without being conscious of people judging me. It will, however, take many of my sisters joining me and ridding the public of the shock.”
Now liked on Facebook more than 15,000 times and dubbed an “inspiration” by hundreds more, the Philosophy student’s piece has attracted so much support, she’s even been bombarded with friend requests from guys who are impressed with her confidence. And it's no wonder - after all, she's echoing the thoughts of many, many women, (including Cameron Diaz).
“If you think the au naturel look is gross, it isn’t – you only believe that because you’ve been conditioned to see it that way your entire life," Yasmin explains. "If you genuinely find it more comfortable then fine, but when was the last time you tried being really bushy for a long period of time? You’re under no obligation to be sexy, and you can still be sexy and hairy at the same time.”
“Nothing about a woman’s natural body should make her feel like less of a woman. There is also nothing dirty or unclean about body hair: washing once a day will pretty much solve any hygiene issues you have with sweat build up. Besides, we shouldn’t hold women to a higher standard of cleanliness than men. This is the reality of a woman’s body, and it shouldn’t be hidden away.”
We’ll second that!