Whose acceptance are we chasing anyway?

What is your story?

I’m a mum of 3 sons. I’m 53 (although I mostly feel much younger) and I’m at a stage in my life where I feel happier and a bit more relaxed about celebrating myself.

When and why have you decided to embrace your natural body hair?

I can’t remember exactly when I decided to let my body hair grow. I think it was around the time of becoming a mother for the first time. I had friends who embraced their body hair, so that normalised it for me... and then with a baby, shaving really wasn’t a priority anymore! Two more children followed and, as a busy mum, I didn’t bother shaving very often.

Do you still remove your body hair sometimes?

The last time I shaved my legs, bikini line or under my armpits was probably about a year and a half ago.

I generally shaved my legs and armpits once or twice during Summer, if I felt like it. (Like an annual shearing!) Then I just let it all grow back again. Last Summer I didn’t shave at all.

Have you experienced positive or negative comments from friends, family or total strangers? Would you mind sharing them?

I’ve received acknowledgement at times from friends who also don’t shave; a simple nod to our mutual position with “Oh, I don’t shave either.”

My main critics would be my teenage and pre-teen sons: “Mum, why don’t you shave?” In the past, they have looked at my armpit hair with a kind of disgust on their faces.

I get it. They are growing up in a culture where they see women portrayed (mostly on screens) in a particular way- generally airbrushed and body hair-free.

I’m proud to be giving them a different perspective!

My partner is fully supportive of my body hair choices and always has been. He seems to love me regardless!

Why are you taking part in this project?

I was excited to be part of this project to challenge what we think of as the ‘ideal’. I want my sons to think beyond the norms of the culture in which they’ve been raised. There is a whole world out there, filled with unique individuals; amazing individuals who come in all shapes, colours and sizes. I want to contribute to expanding their and others’ awareness, as I also learn to more fully embrace my own uniqueness.

I also liked the idea of capturing, in images, this phase of my life. I am embracing my body hair. I’m embracing a fuller body shape than I’ve had previously and I’m letting the silver hair on my head grow too!

What tips could you share with somebody who is wanting to embrace their natural body hair?

If someone was curious about re-growing their body hair but was feeling a little apprehensive, I’d suggest starting growing it back in winter. With long sleeves and long pants, it’s easy to let the hair grow and get used to it again.

After that, it’s just about feeling comfortable in your own skin and remembering that most people are much more preoccupied with themselves than with whether you’ve got body hair or not. Truly.

Embracing body hair can be an expression of feeling at ease with your natural self, without the need to hide or remove certain parts to be ‘acceptable’. Whose acceptance are we chasing anyway? That is an interesting question to ask, I think.

- Jeni Drew