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Is This New Shaving Trend The Absolute Pits?

14 June, 2017 - 10:36pm by - Head Pixie | 25 Comments

By BR Kellie

Do me a favour, lift your arm up in the air, pull aside any clothing and take a quick look at your pits. What are you seeing there? Is it smooth and hairless. Is there a couple of days growth going on. Or are you rocking a bush?

What's with the armpit inspection? Well according to a recent article by the world's leading market intelligence agency, Mintel, which showed some highlights from their annual British Lifestyle report, sales of shavers and hair removal fell by 5% during 2016. Now while we could speculate that this is because more women have taken up IPL and after successful results no longer need to shave, this speculation is turned on its head by Mintel's further research which saw 83% of women aged 16 - 24 felt there was too much pressure on we ladies to remove or groom body hair.

THEN further data revealed that once upon a time, back in 2014, 84% of women removed underam hair. 2016 saw this number drop to 77%. Now, I'm no math expert and anaylis and I are not exactly firm friends, but I think we can see where that 5% drop in sales is potentially coming from, right? 

It wasn't just the armpits that were being allowed to grow into their natural hairy state, legs are too, with 91% of women aged 16 - 24 who once shaved their legs dropping to 85%. 

So it got me thinking... if women in Britain are downing tools... are women in New Zealand following suit? Is this embracing of one's hair a global thing? Are we allowing our pit hair to multiply? Are our legs becoming soft strokeable forests? And will this trend extend to our downstairs operation? Will our rainforests stop being eradicated?

I'm kind of hoping this is the case. I've had many periods of letting my hair grow. I've enjoyed the freedom of not having to be chained to a shaver, or not caring if my hairiness disgusts others. I mean, it's just hair. It's normal. It's natural. I don't spew up in my mouth whenever I see a man's hairy pits hanging out - so why shouldn't we women be able to have the right to rock it au naturel too? 

So do tell me fellow Beauty Babes. What are your thoughts on hairy armpits and hairy legs? Are you a fan of letting things go and grow? Have you recently given up shaving or waxing or depilatory creaming? Is it something you'd like to do but do the expectations of others get in your way? Conversely, perhaps you prefer the way your armpits and legs look and feel when they're hair-free? Or are you somewhere in between? Chat away... 

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Comments

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28th June, 2017

In winter time I am more relaxed with my shaving much to my children's discuss hahaha

25th June, 2017

As it's winter I tend tend to be a bit relaxed when it comes to shaving my legs,I only shave my legs every couple of weeks or so as most of the time I am in my jeans or other long pants so no one sees my legs except my hubby and he doesn't notice lol.The beauty of not shaving is the hair grows back softer and no nasty rashes.When it comes to my underarm and lady bits,well that is a different story all together.

23rd June, 2017

Im a shave everytime I shower kind of girl....I personally dislike the feel of my prickly legs and I dont love seeing my airpit hair OH and I can't even deal with the big toe hair, even though my hubby mocks me in jest I just can't even deal hahaha

19th June, 2017

I'm a fan of being smooth all over, although I must be honest and say I've been pretty lazy the last couple of months!

19th June, 2017

I like to be smooth, but I'm also in the pool twice a week so I just feel more comfortable bringing shaved

18th June, 2017

I think I'm culturally conditioned to hate hair on armpits and legs. So I shave my pits and shave my legs if wearing a skirt but it's soooo annoying with shaving rash etc

16th June, 2017

I always shave underarms and legs. I cannot stand the feeling of the hair growing back.

16th June, 2017

In terms of my own hair needs I'm on the fence, I find I get smelly faster if I don't shave my underarms and my legs feel prickly and uncomfortable in pants if I don't shave my legs. I only shave my legs from the knee down though. In terms of others with their hair decisions I say do what you want!! It's great that stereotypes and gender-specific social obligations are being broken down.

16th June, 2017

I hate having hairy anything to be honest lol - I shave my armpits etc. really because I'm lazy - can't be bothered with waxing and don't have the funds to pay to get anything else done. I do in winter however, let the old legs go for a weeeeeee bit longer than I should haha

16th June, 2017

I used to be really self-conscious if I had hairy pits and as a teen I would epilate my calves and thighs. As an adult I have realised my leg hair is so blonde it's invisible and I'm the only one who notices when my legs are hairy. As a result, I've got more and more slack about de-hairing.

Recently this has extended to my arm pits too. This has definitely been influenced by finding out my hipster little sister has stopped removing her body hair - and the Tinder dates keep rolling in! if Wellingtonians are doing it, it's good enough for me! I haven't stopped shaving my pits, but now I use natural deodorant it really stings to use deo after shaving, so I just don't shave as often.

15th June, 2017

No hairy pits for me. Can't stand my arm hair so that's regular removal also. I get lazy in winter and don't bother too much with my leg hair. Also back into downstairs maintenance but that's personal preference.

15th June, 2017

I do shave my legs, more often in summer than winter. I do own an IPL machine so I am slowly making progress towards a life of hairlessness. It is a bit of a slow process but seeing the naked spots is really rewarding.

15th June, 2017

I tend to get a bit lazy in winter with the colder months till your bout to put on something that's not covering them, sometimes wax my legs over winter.

15th June, 2017

I like hairless skin. In winter I use hair remover cream instead of shaving my armpits and legs because if I shave I feel itchy when hair grows. But in summer I don't like little bit hai on my skin.

15th June, 2017

I haven't been lucky in many departments but when it comes to leg hair I actually don't have as many just some dark long ones. As for armpits and other areas they get plucked and shaved.

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