How to embrace your body hair this summer

With the warm weather we have been blessed with recently, it's clear that summer is on it's way. This time of year has called for sleeveless tops, bikinis and summer dresses. This might be good news to summer lovers like myself, but if you are conscious about your armpit and leg hair, the hot temperature will expose these parts.

The truth is, having body hair is totally normal. It is not something disgusting that we should be ashamed of. For the longest time, our society stigmatised that the perfect woman should be hairless. From glossy magazine covers to Instagram feeds, almost all models or influencers have clean, smooth skin, which you can't spot with a single hair unless it’s on the head or eyebrow. Body hair is just like any other parts of our body, we are born with them for a good reason. So, why not learn more about the benefits of our body hair, in order to accept it?

Body hair is known as terminal hair scientifically, which refers to our armpit hair, moustache and pubes. These hair were once fine, then as soon as we hit puberty, they grow thicker and coarser. Our body hair is like a suit of armour, which keeps us away from sunburns during sunny days and chafing in the dry, cold season. Its hair follicles also contain stem cells, which are useful for healing wounds, bruises and cuts on our skin. A pair of bushy pits might not look appealing, but armpit hair helps to trap our pheromone-releasing odour, it makes us naturally attractive and seducing. Moreover, armpit hair can reduce friction to prevent any itchiness or redness whenever we move our arms.

If you still want to get rid of your body hair after reading all the advantages, that’s totally okay. Here are some of the tips to go by:

First, always remember to exfoliate before removing your hair. This is a very small yet crucial step to getting that smooth skin. Exfoliating will not only remove all the dirt from your skin, but also lift your hair up to ease the pain when shaving or waxing.

Both shaving and waxing are cheap yet easy ways to remove body hair. Don’t forget to use shaving cream beforehand. Conditioner is never a good replacement, as it will only thicken your hair and make it harder to shave off. Wield your razor in the direction of hair growth, then shave with fewer, longer strokes to prevent razor bumps. Instead of purchasing one-off blunt razors for women, opt for men razors with multiple blades. This will prevent unwanted razor burns and cuts.

If you prefer to wax your hair, either with strips, microwave wax or sugar wax, always remove it in the opposite direction. Avoid using tweezers to pluck your body hair at all costs, since it increases the chance of getting infections and ingrown hair.

You shouldn’t stop being your best self because of growing body hair. It doesn’t mean you’re gross, it just means you’re a human. So, if you are sick of removing your hair every other day, learn to accept and love your hair day by day. Don’t be afraid if you want to show off your non-shaved body this summer.

Edited by Amy Mullen-Brown