The unexpected reaction of men to the trend of body hair in women
The unexpected reaction of men to the trend of women’s body hair. In 2025, the fashion for natural female body hair ceased to be a marginal phenomenon and transformed into a powerful social phenomenon that captured the West, China, and even Russia. Hollywood stars, Chinese bloggers, and ordinary women around the world are abandoning razors, sugaring, and lasers, declaring: But what is behind this movement? And why does it not only arouse admiration in men but also suspicion? Let’s explore how the trend of body hair became a mirror of social changes and what it says about ourselves. It all started in 2014 when Madonna posted a photo on social media showing her unshaven armpits, captioning: This gesture became the spark for a global movement.
Social media communities such as:
#dyedpits: - refers to the practice of women dyeing their underarm hair in various colors, often bright or unusual shades. This trend gained popularity through social media, with women sharing photos of their brightly colored armpit hair using hashtags like #dyedpits and #freeyourpits. The trend is associated with a broader movement of women embracing body hair and challenging traditional beauty standards, with some referring to it as a form of body positivity and self-expression
And #bodyhairpositivity - Body hair positivity is a movement that encourages individuals to embrace their natural body hair, particularly on women, and challenge societal norms that often pressure women to remove it. It's about rejecting the idea that body hair is inherently unhygienic or unattractive and recognizing it as a natural part of the human experience.
Began to gain millions of views, and lingerie brands like Savage x Fenty picked up the trend by showcasing models with natural hair growth. In China, activist Xiao Meili launched the Armpit Hair Competition, gaining 1.7 million likes, where Chinese women shared photos of their 'fluffy' armpits, protesting against imposed standards. In Russia, the trend is currently tentative but gaining momentum. The reasons? Body positivity, eco-friendliness (razors and waxes harm nature), and protest against societal pressure. Sociologists see this as a profound change: women are rethinking their identity, moving away from the role of 'object of admiration' to a position of 'I decide how I want to look.' Feminists like Xiao Meili emphasize that hair removal is not just a matter of time and money, but also a standard imposed by the West, which has only become normal in Asia in the last 20 years. Men's reactions to the trend are a separate story, full of contradictions. According to an anonymous survey conducted by Men's Health in 2025, 48% of men aged 30-40 find hairiness on a woman's body 'unesthetic,' but 62% of them add, 'If it's my partner, I don't care.' Interestingly, the older generation (50+) and representatives of southern cultures, where voluminous body hair is more common...
Where hairiness is traditionally associated with femininity, naturalness is more often supported. However, there is an unexpected twist: total hair removal, especially in the intimate area, raises suspicions among many men. Paradoxically, smooth skin, which has been considered the standard for decades, is now perceived as a signal of potential infidelity. And men who prefer their partner's intimate areas to be shaved are sometimes condemned as being inclined... to pedophilia. In general, if advertising has convinced you that shaving is good, now you know that there are nuances. From a biological perspective, body hair is not just an aesthetic element. It protects the skin from friction, participates in thermoregulation, and may transmit pheromones through apocrine glands in the armpits and groin. In 2024, scientists from the University of Bristol published a study confirming that the smell associated with natural vegetation can unconsciously influence sexual attraction. However, the role of the vomeronasal organ in humans remains...Remains controversial — its functionality is in question.
Epilation, despite its popularity, has disadvantages: skin irritation, ingrown hairs, and even the risk of infections. According to dermatologists, 68% of women who regularly undergo sugaring experience irritation. Moreover, it is known that frequent shaving leads to more hair growth and makes it coarser. This means that if a woman has a few light hairs on her legs that are not particularly noticeable, once she starts shaving them, the hairs will become darker and thicker. She will have to shave constantly. Unfortunately, this is not often talked about. Scientists have revealed the benefits of excess weight in older individuals regarding hairiness — it's not just about beauty or feminism, but also a rebellion against consumer society. Epilation is a $10 billion industry annually (Statista, 2025).
Giving up the razor means rejecting enforced purchases: razors, creams, and procedures. In the West, this also represents savings. Furthermore, this trend resonates with the environmental movement. Disposable razors and waxing...Wax strips create tons of plastic waste. According to Greenpeace, in 2024, 1.2 million tons of plastic from personal care products were discarded in Russia. It is not surprising that young Russian women, inspired by Zero Waste, are choosing natural methods to reduce their environmental footprint.
