back

Embracing body hair in "Januhairy"

"It's absurd that we're feeling so pressured to do something to shave away our disgrace." Women are sharing why "Januhairy" is so liberating.

Why should a woman shave?

Laura Jackson wants to encourage women to embrace their body hair during Januhairy. The 23-year-old British student initially let her own body hair grow for a theatre performance. She says found the experience liberating. In the early 1900s, shaving was uncommon for Western women. King C. Gillette and the beauty industry contributed to acquaint being hairless to the norm.

Bushes, legs, and armpits

“Januhairy is also a movement for women to embrace their body hair, something we have shamed ourselves for having and being shamed for having. So, it's rebelling against societal pressures that can in turn drive destructive behaviors. It's absurd that we're feeling so pressured to do something to shave away our disgrace. The first few weeks I found really tough, really difficult. It was new territory for me, which a lot of women have experience of first time going out their body hair. And I hid it from people. And then after a few weeks of getting used to it, I actually found it so freeing and so liberating about, you know, loving and accepting something about my body that I've been shaming myself for having ever since I knew it existed.”

The pressures that go behind being hairless

“And so, after the show, I decided to carry on growing it out. I had some moments where I shaved some moments, but I didn't shave. But, you know, I just sort of understood that shave whenever. The end goal for Januhairy and what it is. It would be that it doesn't exist anymore because it's so normalized that we don't need to have a movement to, you know, try it out and to show people this is normal and to have this conversation because it won't be spoken about anymore. So, I think my own goal is that it is just sort of fizzles out because body hair becomes very normalized”, Laura Jackson tells Brut.

Protecting and restoring personal environments

With Januhairy, Jackson aims to challenge society’s expectations and disrupt the male gaze. Like Movember, where in November men grow mustaches to raise awareness around men's health issues, Januhairy raises funds for charity.

Brut.

01/23/2020 12:57 PM
  • 188.3k
  • 304

Breaking Stereotypes

  1. 3:01

    Autistic Nurse For Vaccinations

  2. 1:49

    Busting the Myth of the Man-Eating Shark

  3. 3:19

    Former Neo-Nazi Aiming to Dismantle Hate and Racism

  4. 3:42

    Changing how Native Americans are represented in video games

  5. 4:51

    How stop and frisk impacted those stopped

  6. 3:00

    Artist turns Asian stereotypes into jewelry

243 comments

  • Emma L.
    02/03/2020 02:16

    I don’t mind having hairy armpits or legs myself, but I know that it matters a lot to man in a relationship so I wouldn’t mind shaving for them, however... if you expect me to be well groomed and clean you better make sure your grooming and hygiene is up to scratch also, smelling nice, well kept beard, ironed shirt. For a woman, shaving everything all over takes a good hour every couple of days it’s maintenance. Men forget that women grow hair anywhere else than on their heads.

  • Ajungko J.
    02/02/2020 02:58

    I don't shave my hands and legs at all and it looks normal. I don't shave my armpit for months and months and it feels normal too and my man likes it that way. We are hygiene freak and we know how to keep ourselves clean and hygienic with those hairs.

  • Ajungko J.
    02/02/2020 02:54

    But it looks like she is threading her eyebrows amf facial hair!!

  • Jean A.
    02/01/2020 10:30

    No thanks I will always remove unwanted hair...to each there own

  • H.r. C.
    02/01/2020 02:02

    no thank you

  • Shalei M.
    02/01/2020 01:31

    Ok that’s cool. But why are you plucking your eyebrows? If your going to prove a point you should go all the way.

  • Rhonda F.
    01/31/2020 22:47

    No. Just no.

  • Vel S.
    01/31/2020 20:39

    No way!

  • RK F.
    01/31/2020 20:17

    Yet she waxes her eyebrows?

  • Marybeth K.
    01/31/2020 19:16

    I have very little and very pale hair. I don’t shave at all, but if I was hairy I would. I don’t like the look of it on women nor do I care for extremely hairy men not even facial hair. But if it floats your boat go for it.

  • Christi D.
    01/31/2020 18:43

    am I the only one that doesn't shave for anybody else except for myself? I don't get it.. I shave because I can't stand the way the hair feels. It's itchy, it pulls, I don't like it. Which is why I shave it off.... Why would I want to be that uncomfortable for a whole month?

  • Giah C.
    01/31/2020 17:59

    Do you feel pressured to wear lipstick?

  • Natalie T.
    01/31/2020 15:18

    Yikes ! If it makes you happy, all better for you ! Do what makes you happy ! I enjoy my femininity....😊

  • Nb V.
    01/31/2020 11:15

    Nasty

  • Larry P.
    01/31/2020 04:50

    And she wonders,why she never had a date for the prom?

  • Sophie J.
    01/31/2020 00:34

    More power to you! I love the way my legs and private feels when I'm shaved. Not to mention the armpit and private consumes less odor! I do it for me not because society has told me too!

  • Danielle S.
    01/31/2020 00:27

    Any movement that celebrates the bodies of women exactly as they naturally are and encourages women to be confident in them is aces in my book. No one is saying you have to stop shaving if you don't want to. It's saying that if you don't want to, you shouldn't be shamed for that choice and to let women know they do indeed have a choice. Here here!

  • Katia C.
    01/30/2020 18:51

    The only reason I shave is if I have too 😅 such as in the summer of course I’ll be wearing shorts,dresses,showing off my blouses and exposing my armpits so yes I’ll be shaving. But during winter I go months without shaving 🤷🏻‍♀️ lol

  • Irin R.
    01/30/2020 17:40

    her armpit hair annoys me. but thats just me. if u have time to put on make up and go to a hair salon, nail salon and all bs, then why do all of that?!?

  • Rose M.
    01/29/2020 23:19

    I’m a Mexican hairless! Thank god if I miss you can’t tell! Close to zero hair under arms and legs and down under by nature