A different kind of body positivity
A number of changes have happened between the beginning of the ECQ and the presentābut when it comes to shifts on a personal level, exactly two (2) things come to mind.Ā
The first: an unforeseen, work-from-home-fueled spike in productivity. As someone who was on the brink of losing her mind to the crippling guilt of consecutive slow days prior to the quarantine, itās all sorts of refreshing to sit all afternoon at home and actually get work done. Itās amazing what a change in scenery can do. Suddenly Iām catching up with deadlines and reading more and getting crafty with my coffeeāall without having to stand in office corners or take long walks outside in the futile hope to get my brain back in order.Ā
The second is, well, a little less desirable: a wildly pared back (read: lazy) approach to my everything else. Iāve lost count of how many times Iāve caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrorāhair unruly in my extremely exciting rotation of pajamas and exercise wearāand swore that I would get dressed and paint a face on just to remind myself that despite serving approximately zero looks in the past month, I still am that bitch. Clearly those promises have remained unfulfilled and, if weāre being honest, theyāll probably remain that way until the outside is proclaimed safe again. Iāve been unmotivated to stick to my routinesāand I donāt just mean skincare. Iām talking nails and body and hair care. And yes, body hair, too. Now that I think about it, especially that.
And while I am fostering baby forests under my arms and between my legs, whatās it to anybody? Weāre locked inside for the next few weeks anyway and, if I decide to give āem an extended lease post-quarantine, then itāll be an unapologetic middle finger at society and the ārulesā itās carved out for women and our bodies and our grooming habits.Ā
Because yes, body hair is a choice. And yes, itās completely up to us what we want to do with it. Give it a trim! Bald eagle it! Nurture and grow it like itās part of your indoor plant collection! May our body hair be as unapologetic as our personalities. And lest we need a little extra talking around, may these women be our guides.
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Kirsten Salazar
Multimedia arts student and visual artist Kirsten Salazar is one such example. Earlier this month, she took to Twitter to proclaim her love for her own body hair along with four photos of fuzz on her arms, thighs and pits. The only thing we love more than Kirsten's tweet? All the positive replies below it.
We are beautiful with or without all these hair. : ) pic.twitter.com/ILH0vttbgA
ā Kirsten B. Salazar (@KIRSZAR) April 4, 2020
Rice Lucido
One of those replies was from local musician Rice Lucido, by the way.
high five!!
ā Rice Lucido ? (@ricelucido) April 4, 2020
Janelle Mayo
USA-based Filipina Janelle Mayoāwho was also featured in one of Billie's body hair-postive campaignsāknows a thing or two about accepting her natural strands, whether they reside on her limbs or between her brows. “I was ashamed of my body hair only because no one else around me seemed to have it,” she admits in a previous interview with Wonder, a struggle borne of being a Southeast Asian raised in the west and the image-skewing effect of mainstream media. “But I think thatās why I started to grow it out: because I want people who look like me to feel powerful and represented.”
Halsey
With a colorful hair history and a brave approach to makeup, challenging beauty norms is something of a day-to-day activity for Halsey. Our favorite look of all time might have to be this one, though: pared back, hair tousled and underarms proudly exposing a little stubble.
Ashley Graham
In an interview with Glamour in 2016, Ashley Graham made no secret of her preference for a full bush. Fast forward to this year, the model is still flaunting her body hair proudly as seen in this mirror pic.
Bella Thorne
In case the subtle peeks at her unshaven underarms on Instagram and glances at her calves on red carpets weren't enough, Bella Thorne has made some loud statements about keeping her body hair au naturel. Case in point: this Instagram post.
Amandla Stenberg
From schooling us on cultural appreciation to embracing body hair without shameāyes, even at red carpet events. Amandla Stenberg is winning; we don't make the rules.
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Whether we're behind closed doors or back in the public eye, we deserve to sport our unibrows, armpit bushes and pubes whichever way we want. But in case you were curious about how fellow Filipino women approach the fork in the road when it comes to body hair (down there, especially), click through for some recommended reading.
Art Alexandra Lara