A discussion on the origins, trends, compulsions, and expectations around women and body hair.

Wearing a one-piece despite having a full growth of body hair didn’t feel unnatural to me but there was a sensation of fear in my body. Were people staring at me?

If smooth skin is what we all prefer then how come men do not possess the need to get one for themselves. The answer is because these beauty standards are like build for women by men.

Advertisers find women’s body hair to be so disgusting, they won’t even feature them in ads for products meant to remove them.

The stigma that a hairy body somehow less us less feminine, and thus less attractive, is so deeply ingrained that we not only police ourselves, but other women around us too.

Grateful that I am growing smarter by the day and understand that my body hair doesn’t make me ugly, it’s there for a reason and if I want to grow it or remove it, it’s only MY choice.

Laser hair removal is seen as a popular choice for those of us who feel more comfortable without body hair. But is laser hair removal safe really?

Dr. Nivedita says that some people tweeze out the hair and they are happy with it, some prefer waxing or shaving it and all of the procedures are absolutely fine.

All of you might agree with me that this pandemic has taught us so many lessons, which we all struggled to learn for so many years. Embracing body hair is one such lesson that I learnt.

The privilege is part genetic and part my reluctance in entering a salon or parlours as we used to call them while growing up.