Everybody has body hair — and it’s about time we stop hiding it! That’s why quite a few celebs have begun to fight back against beauty standards and are showing off their hair, no matter where it grows! From Instagram feeds to red carpets, we’re seeing these stars embrace their body hair from head to toe. And thanks to their decision to normalize their bodies exactly as they are, we’re all one step closer to getting rid of old school standards of beauty!
Here’s what these celebs had to say about body hair…
1. Lourdes Leon
Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon has long been an advocate for personal choice about body hair and has snapped plenty of selfies showing off her underarms. She’s even stepped out on the red carpet at the Met Gala and on the runway with her armpit fuzz on display. Most recently, she starred in a campaign for Calvin Klein — and it didn’t stop her from embracing her body exactly as it is!
2. Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne has long been an advocate of women rocking their body hair however they want. Even after getting backlash for sharing photos of her unshaven legs and armpits, Bella maintained her stance. She also felt inspired to pen an essay about the topic, questioning why people are so uncomfortable with seeing women who have body hair.
“Because I have a vagina, I have to be feminine all the time? Excuse me, but no. Whether I’m a tomboy or a rebel, I’m comfortable with it, so why shouldn’t you be?…As much as I see myself and other girls get hate for having body hair. God forbid I’m not all waxed and oiled up AT ALL TIMES,” Bella wrote for InStyle.
Paris Jackson is all about challenging beauty standards — and that includes body hair. The model has often showed off her leg hair and even once joked about competing with her brother over who can grow it longer. When asked about feeling comfortable in her skin, Paris explained that beauty shouldn’t be measured by how a person looks but by their “soul, integrity, intentions, and mindset.”
“Unfortunately, in the world we live in it’s almost impossible to feel comfortable in your skin 24/7. Especially with what the media is constantly feeding us. I still have countless insecurities and fears, like everyone else I know. But we’re getting there, slowly but surely. Which is a big reason I want to change this fashion / beauty stigma, so it’s not as difficult for people around the world to feel beautiful just the way they are,” Paris told i-D.
In 2020, musician Julia Michaels made the decision to never shave her armpits “ever again.” She explained that previously, social norms had influenced her to keep up with personal grooming but she realized she was so much happier when she didn’t have to.
“People are always going to have something to say about you or your body. They will always try to attack you when you’re feeling the most happy or the most yourself you’ve ever been. To that I say go eat a bag of worms. 😊 Thanks for listening and have a good day,” Julia later wrote on Instagram.
Amandla Stenberg has been rocking underarm hair for years but when they stepped out for the premiere of “The Hate U Give” in 2018 with her armpits on display, it made headlines. Instead of addressing the haters, Amandla simply shared a photo from the event with the caption, “#drama #armpit.”
6. Madonna
Much like her daughter Lourdes, Madonna is also a fan of keeping things natural. Back in 2014, she shared a selfie on Instagram with her arms raised and proudly showed off her underarm hair.
“Long hair…… Don’t Care!!!!!! #artforfreedom #rebelheart #revolutionoflove,” Madonna captioned the image.
On occasion, model Emily Ratajkowski is known to show off her underarm hair. While she usually opts to shave, she says the hair on women’s bodies should be completely up to them — and it makes them no more or less of a feminist.
“If I decide to shave my armpits or grow them out, that’s up to me. For me, body hair is another opportunity for women to exercise their ability to choose — a choice based on how they want to feel and their associations with having or not having body hair. On any given day, I tend to like to shave, but sometimes letting my body hair grow out is what makes me feel sexy. And there is no right answer, no choice that makes me more or less of a feminist,” Emily penned in an article for Harper’s Bazaar.
Marsai Martin took a stand against beauty standards when she posted a photo on Instagram showing off her legs which she had chosen not to shave. In the comment section she got plenty of support from her followers who applauded her decision.
“Normalize girls having hairy legs. 😭👍🏾,” Marsai captioned the photo.
9. Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham didn’t hold back when it came to talking about body hair in an interview. In fact, she opened up about landscaping her hair down there, saying that she prefers to keep it natural.
“Honey, I have a full bush. Period. It’s about your preference and your partner’s preference,” she told Glamour in 2017.
10. Willow Smith
Willow Smith says she’s straight up more comfortable not shaving so she simply decides not to do it. On an episode of “Red Table Talk,” Willow discussed the topic with her mom and grandmother, saying she’s not ashamed of her body hair and doesn’t care what others think.
“I mean I didn’t really make the decision not to shave, I just kind of didn’t shave. It takes too much time. I just want to get in the shower and get out of the shower. I’m going to be like my ancestors and just do what I need to do,” Willow shared.
11. Halsey
Halsey has been known to rock her underarm hair — from social media selfies to the cover of Rolling Stone. When one troll tried to shame them for their body hair by asking “what the hell is this ?!!!” Halsey had the perfect response.
“It’s an armpit you’ve put a sticker over. Not sure what else there is here to explain?” she replied.
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