Many weddings have a dress code. Usually, it’s black tie or formal attire, and many people agree that violating that etiquette would be bad. In fact, 79% of Americans say that showing up in casual attire would almost always be inappropriate. When it’s a destination wedding, the dress code might be even more important.
For this couple, it was certainly so, as they reprimanded one of their friends about her body hair. Since the event would take place at the beach, the woman was asked to shave her armpit hair, as it would distract other guests. When she stood her ground, the couple got mad, calling her out for doing this as some feminist protest, even though she said she kept her armpit hair for other reasons.
A woman’s armpit hair became a point of debate over her attending her friends’ wedding
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
The couple asked her to remove it, since it would distract other guests, but she just didn’t feel comfortable
Image credits: Liza Summer/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Adventurous-Pea-337
Removing body hair is still deemed the norm for women to appear feminine
Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Women’s body hair is quite a contentious topic. Some people believe that it’s unfeminine and unwomanly to walk around with their pit hair out. Others, however, believe that women, just like men, have body hair and should be allowed to choose whether to keep it or remove it.
The public opinion on this matter tends to steer away from favoring women. A 2016 YouGov poll showed that 70% of Americans believe that a “hairy woman” is a bad thing. A “hairy man,” on the other hand, is actually perceived as a good thing; only 24% of the poll respondents said it’s bad for men to be hairy, 29% said it was a good thing, and 47% weren’t sure.
Interestingly, people’s attitudes also greatly differ depending on how old they are. Young people are more inclined to think that both men and women should remove their body hair. However, there is a discrepancy when it comes to actually following through.
Although 46% of American men aged 18 to 29 believe they should remove their body hair, only 37% actually do it. For women, it’s the opposite: 72% of young American women do remove their body hair, but only 56% believe that they should.
Hairy armpits can trigger body odor more easily
Image credits: Karola G/Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author explained her reasoning for keeping her armpit hair by saying that it helps her avoid sweating off deodorant and antiperspirant. It’s all personal preference, of course, but most experts say that antiperspirant works better when applied to clean-shaven skin, especially before going to bed.
For people who struggle with body odor, experts advise using antiperspirants. Unlike deodorants, antiperspirants reduce sweating by pulling it back into our sweat glands. When our bodies receive a signal that our sweat glands are full, they decrease sweat production.
When there’s hair, armpit sweat is more likely to give off a bad smell. Generally, sweat smells when it comes into contact with the bacteria on our skin or hair and is basically odorless by itself. One study even found that removing armpit hair is the most effective way of reducing body odor. That’s why experts also advise using antibacterial soap and wearing clothes that are loose and made from natural fibers.
However, contrary to popular belief, not shaving your armpit hair is not unhygienic. If a person showers regularly and applies deodorant, they’re just as clean as a person with no armpit hair. As Shani Francis, MD, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, explains, “cutting the hair only removes, let’s say, the ‘house’ for the bacteria. If you have no armpit hair but don’t wash your armpits, you’re still going to have odor.”
Some antiperspirants that include deodorants can mask the smell, but only antiperspirants can reduce the amount of sweat that our bodies produce. When armpit hair is trimmed, shaved, waxed, or otherwise removed, antiperspirant reaches our sweat glands more easily. So, when applied to hairless armpits, antiperspirant is more likely to be effective.
Sometimes, it might have no effect on how much or why we sweat. Some people might have hyperhidrosis, a.k.a. excessive sweating. That’s a condition for people to figure out with their doctors. Still, ultimately, removing body hair is a personal preference, and no one should feel pressured to do it.
Commenters offered the woman mixed reactions: some praised her for standing her ground
Others, however, told her she was being unreasonable and thought that visible armpit hair would be a sign of poor grooming
