Shaving, waxing, sugaring, laser, epilator, plucking, threading, depilatory cream, do I need to continue? These are some of the most popular methods to rid your body of everything from leg hair to peach fuzz. If you are a female above thirteen, you have probably heard of most of them and at least tried a few.

As a society, we have become obsessed with the idea of having hairless dolphin-like skin. I mean just look at the advertisement promoting hair removal products. The actress trying them is hairless to begin with and then smiling through the process. In what world is that believable?

Contrary to what you may assume, hair removal is not a new discovery by modern women. During the Stone Age, shaving was a way to prevent the opponent from grabbing one’s hair and thus, a measure to ensure safety during battles.

However, thousands of years later, removing body hair became a symbol of class. Body and facial hair was associated with servants and slaves. So, the upper class used sugaring to remove hair, as having body hair was deemed uncivilized and unhygienic.

Eventually, the tradition of removing body hair for men and women went in contrasting directions. For women, keeping private areas hairless represented purity and class. On the other hand, body hair on men symbolised masculinity. And unfortunately, that’s the ideology which has stuck.

Body hair is natural. In fact, hair actually protects your private parts from bacterial and fungal infections. Many people choose to remove pubic hair specifically to appease their sexual partner. But did you know that pubic hair protects sensitive areas around the genitals from friction? Turns out, body hair is quite the opposite of unhygienic.

Don’t get us wrong, if you want to remove some or all of your body hair, go ahead. After all, it is your body. From improved athletic performance to religious beliefs, there are plenty of reasons to remove body hair. And some people don’t like how it looks or feels, which is just as valid. But do it because you want to, not because society expects you to.

We encourage you to take a page out of Miley Cyrus or Rihanna’s book and try embracing your body hair. Understandably, you can’t suddenly stop shaving your legs when you have done it religiously for years. But with conscious effort and support from some badass women out there, you will ultimately experience the liberation that comes with going au naturale.