My Relationship With My Body Hair
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This is quite a tough post for me to write as it’s something that I’ve struggled with for a really long time.
Since the age of 8 I started growing hair all over my body. But I don’t really remember not having it and not hating it. I was an ‘early bloomer’ and started my period at 9 (before any of my friends too). Being an ‘early bloomer’ is common in my family, so I had already had ‘the talk’ and knew that it was coming – but that doesn’t mean that child Cerys was ready for what it would all bring. I put ‘early bloomer’ in those marks because everyone is completely different and develops in a different way. But for the majority of people around me I was classed as being early.
When I was 11, I was diagnosed with a condition called hirsutism. I had never heard of this before and it’s still something that I’m learning about.
What Is Hirsutism?
Hirsutism is “the excessive growth of facial or body hair on women. Hirsutism can be seen as coarse, dark hair that may appear on the face, chest, abdomen, back, upper arms, or upper legs” (source).
How Does Hirsutism Impact You?
Personally, my hirsutism doesn’t particularly impact me that much – besides having loads of hair and it being really annoying. It’s the cause of hirsutism that’ll likely impact you more. However, currently I don’t know what the cause of my hirsutism is; but it is something that I need to find out. There are loads of reasons that you may have hirsutism, so please speak to your doctor if you’re struggling.
What Can Be Done About Hirsutism?
There are quite a few different ways in which hirsutism can be treated. I’ve only tried 2 different treatments – but would definitely be up for trying more as I definitely want to reduce it, especially in certain areas.
The first thing I was prescribed was this cream (I don’t even remember what it was). The aim of the cream was to help reduce the speed in which the hair grows and I used this mainly on my neck. This cream did work really well and I used it for quite a while. However, it used to leave a weird residue behind and left a white cast. Therefore, I ended up only using it in the night, which meant that it couldn’t work as well as it should (as it needed to be applied twice a day).
My current treatment is the contraceptive pill. There is definitely some negativity around the pill and how it impacts your hormones etc. Although I started the pill in order to help with my hair (which it has slightly) I’ve also got the benefit of having a better period (which is something that I’ve struggled with for a very long time).
I also pluck and shave quite a lot. I don’t shave everywhere constantly and some areas I don’t really shave at all. My main focus shaving-wise is my neck, armpits and bikini line. The hair on my neck is probably the thing that bothers me the most. It’s thick, super dark, covers my neck and grows really quick! I have waxed my neck a few times, but it’s just something that I struggle to do myself.
When it comes to shaving, my razor of choice is Estrid*. I’ve been using a simple man’s disposable razor for years as I found them to give me the best shave and never felt the need to spend much money on a razor. However, I did want to become more sustainable with my hair removal choices. I’d seen loads of people rave about Estrid* and had been researching whether I should get one. I was so happy when they reached out and asked if I would like to receive one as PR!!
Now, even though I fully believed those that were promoting this razor, I still had the thought of ‘but it’s still only a razor’. Well, I have completely fallen in love with my Estrid* razor!! Naturally I got it in lilac to matching my branding. But it’s honestly the smoothest shave I’ve ever had. It’s vegan and uses natural ingredients in it soothing strips like aloe vera, shea butter and cocoa butter (because who knew that a lot of regular razors use aren’t vegan?) If you’ve read my blog post about my current shower routine, then you’ll know that I use FemFresh to shave my bikini area and a foaming shower gel to shave the rest of my body. I still use these but am tempted by the products that Estrid have on offer. If you’ve tried any of the Estrid products let me know your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
Estrid also donate to some amazing charities. So, don’t forget to use the code SMOOTH at checkout to donate £1 (at no extra cost to you) to the Fawcett Society which campaigns for gender equality🧡
I have been told that the only way to completely get rid of it is laser hair removal. This is definitely something that I would love to have! But the price tag is a bit too high – however, it is something that I am saving for.
Media Representation & General Thoughts
Growing up I noticed that the general opinion from media and society was that any female that had hair was dirty and gross. As someone who tried her hardest to shave every inch of her body, to have it grow back the next day, this caused a lot of self-loathing. It wasn’t until I went to uni that my body acceptance journey started. I definitely had some ups and downs. These were often linked to comments made by men and their views on how women should look. I hadn’t had a boyfriend before this, so I just presumed that all men were the same and I’d never find love because I was gross. However, this isn’t true. Sure, there are some guys that have preferences, same as we do. But there is no reason to change who you are and what makes you happy because one guy doesn’t like it!
According to Allure, in 2017 model Arvida Byström “appears with unshaven legs in an Adidas Superstar campaign” – she then received awful threats via social media (source). She received threats of sexual assault all because she had hairy legs… Glamour magazine mentioned that it wasn’t until 2018 that razor adverts even started showing actual body hair in their adverts (source). So, the 2017 campaign probably did surprise a few people as a sportswear brand showed body hair before a razor brand did…But still, there is never any need to threaten anyone. It’s just hair!!
A 2013 study revealed that “most women were disgusted by the idea of body hair, both of their own and the idea of other women allowing their hair to grow out” (source). Obviously, what you do with your own body hair is completely a personal choice. But to be disgusted by another woman growing out their own body hair is completely unneeded – it has nothing to do with you!
To summarise, I have a very up and down relationship with my body hair. Sometimes I wish that I was one of those people that was naturally hairless in all of the places that I want to be. Other times I couldn’t care less about my hair! And let me tell you, it definitely helps keep you warm in winter😂
Although I have been told that I have hirsutism; I still don’t know what has caused it. Writing this blog post has made me really think about how it impacts me day-to-day and overall. Once the lockdown settles and things start going back to “normal” (🤞🏻) I think I may have to take a trip back to the doctors to try and learn more about my hirsutism and what could be causing it.
So, whether you let your hair grow long, have a bit here and there or you’re as smooth as a dolphin – do what makes you happy. Do what makes you feel confident. And don’t let anyone tell you that your body is anything other than fucking fabulous!
Cerys x