I haven’t shaved in two years – I used to hate my body hair but now I’m proof that you can be feminine AND hairy
- Rosie Hewett, 27, says her body hair made her feel ‘really ugly’ as a teenager
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A woman who hasn’t shaved for over two years has opened up about how she once hated her body hair.
Rosie Hewett, 27, from Reading, Berkshire, used to win competitions against boys in primary school for having the hairiest arms.
At the age of 10, Rosie – who works in communications – started waxing after growing increasingly self-conscious.
Cruel bullies would make fun of the hair on Rosie’s upper lip and she recalls how her body hair made her feel ‘really ugly’.
During lockdowns in 2020, Rosie started shaving less and less – prompting her to give it up entirely in 2021.
Rosie Hewett, 27, from the UK, hasn’t shaved her body hair in over two years. Pictured with her leg hair proudly on show
Over the past two years, Rosie has saved an estimated 208 hours by giving up her hair removal routine.
Describing the effect it has had on her confidence, she said: ‘Now I feel like I’m comfortable in my skin, I’ve come home to myself.’
However, Rosie is well aware that many other women have had similar experiences of being shamed for their body hair.
She added: ‘I just felt really ugly compared to other girls and I read all these teenage magazine articles which sold laser hair removal products – as if being hairy was the worst and most horrifying thing you could be.’
At the age of 10, Rosie’s mother allowed her to start waxing the hair above her upper lip and shaving her legs to try and put a stop to the cruel comments in school.
She explained: ‘My mum was trying to help as she didn’t want me to suffer like she did.
‘When I had my legs waxed for the first time, I didn’t understand what was going on because being waxed hurts.’
Having previously been happy about winning ‘hairy arm competitions’ against her male peers, Rosie added: ‘When you hit puberty, [body hair] becomes an undesirable thing.’
The 27-year-old started waxing when she was just 10 in a bid to control her body hair – but now embraces her hairy armpits
Left: Rosie Hewett poses for a bathroom selfie with her armpit hair on show. Right: The 27-year-old poses in her home with her leg hair proudly on display
It was only as Rosie got older that she started asking herself why she felt the need to remove her hair.
She continued: ‘I’ve been a feminist for a long time and when you have feminist goggles you see everything wrong with society.
‘Even if they’re the tiniest things, they stack up and keep the patriarchy up.
‘I’ve spent so much time money and been in pain for the sake of being hairless when there is nothing wrong with being hairy.’
In December 2020, Rosie was given a laser hair remover by a loved one for Christmas – which, ironically, played an important part in why she decided to grow out her body hair.
At primary school, Rosie (pictured in 2021) says she would win competitions against boys for having the hairiest arms
Left: In an Instagram post, Rosie says shaving made her feel ‘inadequate’ as she could never fully remove her body hair – making her feel ‘disgusting’ . Right: Rosie pictured on a recent trip around the UK
She continued: ‘It didn’t upset me, but it niggled away at me – that they assumed that I wanted this thing to permanently get rid of something that is perfectly natural.
‘It reinforced the idea that body hair is something to be afraid of. I used it on my legs and now I look like a zebra as I have patches from where it worked.’
After toying with the idea for a while, Rosie says she gained the confidence to stop shaving after seeing other members of her local tag rugby team embracing their hairy legs.
‘It gave me the strength to commit to it,’ Rosie said. ‘I started following hairy models who looked amazing with their armpits out and their bikini lines.’
At first, Rosie started by growing out her armpit hair and gradually shaving the rest of her body less and less.
Rosie Hewett pictured on a trip around the UK before she stopped shaving her legs two years ago
‘There was no plan to become a feral woman – I just thought I’m going to stop shaving and see how it goes,’ she said. ‘It was exposure therapy – I did the thing that scared me.’
Although Rosie felt empowered by her decision, she was expecting people to make cruel comments about her body hair being on display.
She continued: ‘Because of my experiences in school I expected people to see it and say, “you are disgusting, go back inside and shave.” Of course, I didn’t get that.
‘I’ve had some comments and looks, I know people find it weird, but I haven’t had many negative experiences.
‘If someone confronts me about it, most of the time I say I don’t want to talk about it as I don’t need to explain my body to anyone.’
By sharing her story, Rosie says she wants other women to know that they can still be feminine even if they choose not to remove their hair.
Rosie added: ‘I like how it’s a contradiction because I’m quite feminine.
‘People are shocked when they see my hairy legs, but it’s showing you can be feminine and enjoy yourself how you want to.
‘I’m not perfect I still gave insecurities and sometimes I struggle with my leg hair, but we all have bad days.
‘I feel closer to myself, and women should be able to do what they want, if someone wants to shave that is also completely fine.’
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