Januhairy: Women are letting their body hair grow and it’s sparking social media showdowns
A movement to get women to ditch tending to their body hair for the month of January is proving to be, yet another, social media flashpoint.
The campaign was kicked off by 21-year-old university student Laura Jackson who, in the spirit of Movember, is using it to raise money for a body-positive education program.
“When I first started growing my body hair my mum asked me ‘Is it you just being lazy or are you trying to prove a point?’” Jackson wrote on Instagram. “Why should we be called lazy if we don’t want to shave?”
Januhairy’s Facebook page adds a bit more detail on the philosophical underpinnings of the charity drive: “Society seems to be behaving as if the natural hair we grow on our bodies is unattractive and distasteful. We are so used to removing our body hair that we are becoming unfamiliar with our authentic selves,” it says.
Participants had one last shave on New Year’s Eve and they plan to forego wax and razors until February. Women from around the world have also gotten on board with the initiative and have been sharing snaps of their hairy legs and armpits.
Unsurprisingly the movement has sparked a heated debate online with many people applauding the participants for their efforts.
Baffled by some women discussing #Januhairy & how they don’t want to resemble Chewbacca.1- Chewbacca is awesome so why not2- hair doesn’t grow that fast in one month I shave/wax when I can be arsed. Sometime I have hair sometimes & I don’t. Each to their own! 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
— Kirsten 🥀 (@KirstenPrice1) January 5, 2019
How about men who are grossed out by #Januhairy try a month where they have their entire body every three days?
— just a boi (@wumbernang98) January 5, 2019
Apparently #januhairy is now a thing! I stopped shaving my armpits a few years ago and the world didn’t stop turning, my husband didn’t stop fancying me, I don’t smell and it made no difference to my life apart from the fact that I like having hairy armpits! pic.twitter.com/SI0goeCxaE
— Sam Cleasby (@so_bad_ass) January 5, 2019
While others registered strong opposition to the campaign.
Lasses doing that Januhairy proper scruffy mammoths man buy some Venus n fuck off
— Mia Jewitt (@miajewitt) January 5, 2019
I feel repulsedby the whole #januhairy thing. Obviously women can do as they please in todays world and rightly so. But hairy women is VERY unattractive and im sure 99% of men will agree.
— Jonny Price (@jonnyUK88) January 4, 2019
Seen a few birds doing this ‘Januhairy’, call me old-fashioned but I’m not a fan.
— Lewis Fenney (@fendogg_) January 5, 2019
Januhairy: the campaign encouraging women to grow their body hairWhat a turn off! https://t.co/V3hfPSRSa2
— Bob For Full Brexit (@boblister_poole) January 5, 2019
As the “discussion” took place on social media it wasn’t long before arguments started. Each negative commenter was bombarded with responders telling why they’re wrong.
What a lovely message to send to your children. And thanks for giving women permission to do what we please - what a guy!
— Anouk72 (@Anouk724) January 5, 2019
Women don’t always make appearance related decisions based on whether men will find them attractive or not. Did you genuinely think we did that? pic.twitter.com/Ivt60PE8L1
— Laura Nadia Hunt (@LauraNadiaHunt) January 5, 2019
“I FIND HAIRY WOMEN VERY UNATTRACTIVE. ITS MY OPINION AND IM ENTITLED TO IT. IF YOU DONT LIKE IT ITS TOUGH SHIT” pic.twitter.com/4krYc9vrqD
— mnrrnt2 and 206 others (@mnrrntt) January 5, 2019
And to think January is only five days old.
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