Instagrammers Challenge Body and Facial Hair Stigma

Last year, French teen 16-year-old Adèle Labo decided to fight back against body hair stigma by creating her very own hashtag #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils (translating to #PrincessesHaveHair) generating over 25,000 mentions of support.

Later, Buzzfeed created a clever gallery entitled 19 Reasons Women Should Shave Their Body Hair to debunk the myths that ladies need to be “hair-free” to be considered feminine, hygienic, and beautiful. The gallery features women of all ages and ethnicities showing of their leg, underarm, and facial hair — some even dyed a rainbow of hues.

However, while celebrating hair everywhere is often encouraged for men [Editor’s Note: #BeardGang has 5 million posts on Instagram] the social standards for women still have a long way to go. Author of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal, Rebecca Herzig previously told The Atlantic that hair removal at its core, is a form of gendered social control. “It’s not a coincidence that the pressure for women to modify their body hair has risen in tandem with their liberties,” she argues.

But beyond body hair, women are finally feeling more confident to discuss the former taboo of facial hair. “For years I was shamed for being a woman with facial hair,” explains 26-year-old body positive activist Harnaam Kaur, tells us. “A beard is ‘normally’ for men, but here I am sitting confidently as a beautiful bearded woman.”

According to WomenHealth.gov, about 1 in 10 of women of childbearing age are affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A condition that triggers a hormonal imbalance that results excessive hair growth especially on the face. Harnaam, among others, like writer Jennifer Chowdry continue to openly share their story to normalize the experience for other young women.

We spoke to three real girls who opted not to conform to rigid, beauty standards and 100% do their own thing. After reading their own inspiring tales, you might even reconsider your own hair removal methods moving forward.

Name: Kiara Mae Beatrice Sloan, @xx.pizza.princessAge: 17 Location: Elizabeth, NJ Occupation: Freelance Artist and Poetess; Aspiring Author

Teen Vogue: When did you start to notice your body hair?

Kiara Mae Beatrice Sloan: At around age 9, I hit puberty and started to develop body hair. I was a bit precocious and visually perceived the differences between me and my peers—especially when it came to physical maturity and development. I recall being in 5th grade curiously analyzing all the girls in my class, looking to see if they too had upper lip hair, armpit hair, leg hair, and excessive arm hair. To my dismay and disturbance, none of them did.

TV: What’s the biggest misconception that you want to break about women who embrace body hair?

KMBS: I'd definitively want to break the misconception that females with body hair are "unclean", "unkept,” or "impure." I want people to realize that personal hygiene is just that... personal! It all depends on the individual. Someone with little to no body hair could easily have worst hygiene than someone who decides to keep their body hair. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder—and true beauty to me is being able to find beauty in almost anything.

TV: What finally gave you the confidence to embrace your facial and/or body hair instead of remove it?

KMBS: Last year was when I  decided that I would make being true to myself my primary mission in my own daily life. Due to the fact that I struggle with social anxiety, I was constantly worried about what people might be saying or thinking of me when I went out in public. I would often subconsciously make assumptions of what people may be thinking. Most of the time it'd be negative things clouding my mind. This constantly made me feel uneasy and put me on edge. It got so severe I’d constantly look down when I was walking anywhere or just not leave the house at all anymore.

I would go online hoping to make friends and see so many beautiful women spreading love and positivity; reclaiming their bodies and encouraging others to do the same. I eventually became so inspired that I decided, too, to try my best to be confident and finally live for myself. I stopped shaving my legs, face, armpits, and arms and I felt more beautiful than ever. I truly felt free and at peace with my natural anatomy. I was no longer ashamed of my body. It was so thrilling to not be conforming to what society wanted me to look like.

TV: Culturally, especially in America, there's a push for women to be soft, silky, and smooth to embrace their “femininity,” what's your opinion on that?

KMBS: It's simply absurd. Society determines what is feminine and what is masculine? You do not have to be delicate and "ladylike" to be a woman or be beautiful in general. I decide for myself what is feminine. Femininity to me is strength, determination, drive, and balance. I embrace this by raising awareness about female rights and fighting oppression. I embrace my fellow women and uplift them as often as I can. I absolutely adore being a woman.

Name: Shelby Riner, @veryhairyfaeryAge: 22 Location: Arkansas, USA Occupation: Cookie Decorator

Teen Vogue: How did you deal with having facial or body hair at an early age?

Shelby Riner: When I was in third grade I had already grown a mustache. I was already the darkest girl in class and a little socially awkward. I didn't have many friends and one of the more popular girls noticed my mustache—so they all did. I told my mom who promptly shaved it off. I was upset and I felt ugly. My grandfather had me help him shave his back that summer before we went to a water park and that night I shaved everything, my arms, legs, and my eyebrows and mustache.

All through high school I was very confused about how much hair was actually okay. I am excessively hairy, so it was more struggle to remove it so I only wore jeans. I have the type of body hair that grows back within an hour after shaving. Back then, my high school boyfriend would also refuse to perform sexual acts if I refused to shave, so that really hurt my confidence. Finally, I met a girl who didn't care at all [about it] and told me it was all natural (and there for a reason) so I let it grow!

TV: In the ‘60s and ‘70s, body hair was typically tied to the feminist movement. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

SR: I consider myself a feminist but feminism doesn't mean I'm a man hater. That is the only thing I hate about labeling myself as a feminist. I think that gender or race really should have nothing to do with how you are treated in daily life or the workforce. Women should embrace whatever hair they choose to grow. Not shaving does not mean you are letting yourself go. And if your man or partner isn't cool with it, it is just hair—there is so much more to you! If they can't deal with hair [then] they don't deserve the rest!

TV: What do you hope to teach women about embracing their natural beauty?

SR: I want people to know that women are just as beautiful hairy! I want people to focus more about inward beauty than conventional beauty norms. I express and am in touch with my femininity through the softness and curves of my body. I like to dance. The funny thing is, I feel more confident and feminine now fully hairy and with a shaved head than I ever have before. At a certain point, my body hair even became soft and silky.

Name: Harnaam Kaur @harnaamkaurAge: 26 Location: London Occupation: Anti Bullying Activist, Body Confidence Activist, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker

Teen Vogue: When did you start to notice your facial hair?

Harnaam Kaur: My body started changing at a very young age. I hit puberty at the tender age of 10 years young, and due to this I started my period early too. The change in hormones and body through puberty is what led me to start sprouting bodily hair, facial hair too. I actually didn’t notice that I had facial hair, it was only after getting bullied for having a shadow on my upper lip that I went home one day, looked into the mirror and realised that I had a mini moustache; this realization made me look around my face and to my shock horror I realised that I had hair growing on different parts of my face.

I thought the bullying, physical and verbal abuse would stop if I was to remove the facial hair. I used various method to get rid of it, bleach, wax, thread, hair removal cream and I event used to shave; all this before I even hit my teenage years. I would be bullied for having facial hair, and then I was bullied for removing it too, “Look Harnaam is a man, she is shaving!” people would shout at me. I hid away from society, became an introvert, I removed my facial hair, I even walked around in baggy clothes to hide the fact that I was a woman, this still wasn’t enough to stop me from getting bullied. I obviously had told teachers about what I was going through, that didn’t help at all.

TV: What finally gave you the confidence to embrace your facial and/or body hair instead of remove it?

HK: I was bullied by people in every year group in school, it didn’t matter where I was, what I was doing, or who I was with, people made sure that they made their opinions heard when it came to my body and I. My bullies had the power to control my mood and my day; they had the power to control my emotions and how well I did in school that day.

Due to immense bullying I started to hate my body. My body was the reason to why I was getting bullied so I started to harm her. I was self harming for many years, torturing and punishing my body for looking the way that it did. I was then very suicidal. No matter what methods I tried to get rid of my facial hair, it would come back thicker, darker and longer, and because of this I was still being abused at school.

I hit my lowest when I decided to take my own life at home in my bedroom; I did try ending my life in school too but I became scared. My bedroom was my safe haven and that is where I felt the most at peace; it was the perfect location. I had hit rock bottom, god knows that I have a beautiful relationship with rock bottom. I had the tablets in my hand and I was ready to end it all. “Why are you not living happily? Your bullies are laughing at your expense; they’re happy living their life. It is you who is suffering and you haven’t done anything wrong.” It was this thought that ran through my head which flipped a switch inside me. I decided to rise up, gather my strength and I grew my beard out.

I have had my “Lady Beard” who I have named “Sundri” which means Beauty or Beautiful, for 10 years now—and I love, adore and celebrate her every day.

TV: What would you want to say now to your former bullies?

HK: I want to thank my bullies. Thank you for physically and mentally beating me to the ground, because it was only until they pushed me to my breaking point that I was able to gather up my strength which I didn’t know I had, and put myself back together again how I want to me. Thank you for breaking me, Thank you for emotionally killing me off, now I know what death tastes like I am not scared of anything anymore.

You made me fearless. Thank you for allowing me to figure out my own worth and the gems that I have inside me. You pushed me to the point of breaking and shattering internally that building me was a hard task, but it was you who showed me my own strength. You allowed me to figure out my own worth, unleash power inside of me that I didn’t know I had, and you allowed me to rebuild myself into a much better and stronger person.

TV: What word do you want to share with Teen Vogue readers?

HK: Your heart is a treasure chest; unlock it to discover the jewels within. Find the keys as you walk along the path of self love.

Related: This Hashtag About Body Hair Is Going Viral for the Best Reason