Hair apparent

Tillotama Shome. Pic/Instagram

To shave or not to shave - never has this debate picked up as much fervour as recently, with the advent of body-positive influencers and public figures urging women to ditch the razor and just embrace their natural bodies, hair and all. The latest voice in this brigade is actor Tillotama Shome, who recently posted on social media an unapologetic photograph of her unshaved armpits. While the reaction to her post has been mostly positive with followers hailing her for being relatable, this hasn't always been the case.

Satshya Tharien

Embrace it as normal

Content creator Satshya Tharien, 27, says she had to stop waxing when salons closed during the first lockdown. "I had posted a few stories on my social media account where my hands were visible, and certain people immediately wrote back about the hair on my knuckles. That took me by surprise because I've never paid too much attention to my body hair - I wasn't terribly bothered by it and it just seemed more convenient to let it grow out," she explains. Calling out the double standards between men and women, she adds that the societal push for women to be completely hairless is unfair and sexist. "I created a video about body hair to share my honest opinion and was startled by some of the replies as well - many men began to fetishise my body. I believe that having body-positive role models normalises all bodies, regardless of whether they are covered in hair. That is the normal we should strive for," she adds.

Dr Vaishali Joshi and Mihika Bhanot

Preference, not hygiene

"Nature has created our body in such a way that our natural orifices are protected. For example, the function of pubic hair is to protect the vaginal opening from entry of organisms - they function as a sieve and catch any bugs going in the perineal region. The removal of pubic hair is purely the individual's personal choice and grooming preference. It doesn't necessarily indicate better hygiene. In fact, it isn't necessary to remove one's pubic hair before a visit to the gynaecologist," explains Dr Vaishali Joshi, a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital.

Role models are important

During her formative years, image consultant Mihika Bhanot recalls being very conscious about a gap in her teeth. "I was urged by friends and family members to get it fixed. I was mocked and ridiculed, to the extent that my self-confidence suffered a massive blow. I was reluctant to smile and would often bind my teeth together with rubber bands at night, to fix the gap myself. Of course, it didn't work," she says. When work brought her into the public eye, dentists wrote to her offering a free makeover. "It was only when supermodels and influencers began to flaunt the gap in their teeth as a fashion statement that I accepted my own teeth the way they were. Role models such as Shome are important to change the narrative about what matters when it comes to our bodies, especially for younger generations - health and comfort should take precedence over what society deems as aesthetically pleasing," she asserts.

Hair-raising inspiration

To normalise body hair, change-makers have been leading the charge in interesting ways:

. Januhairy encourages women to grow their hair out for a month and offers them a safe community and non-judgemental space to challenge norms and embrace their natural selves
Log on to @januhairy on Instagram

. Free Your Pits is an online community of women who celebrate their armpit hair by colouring it in vivid hues.
Log on to @freeyourpits on Instagram