Like many women during the pandemic, Síomha Ní Ruairc started growing out her body hair, as staying indoors, uniforms of leggings and big jumpers and self care became the norm for many of us.
However, as the summer rages on more people are weighing up whether to stay au natural, pluck like a Love Islander or settle somewhere in between.
Broadcaster and youth coordinator Síomha joined Jennifer Zamparelli on 2FM to talk about women's body hair and the stigma around it.
For Síomha, her body hair journey began before the pandemic, when she "stepped away from the razor two and a half years ago". "It wasn't a very conscious decision at the time, it kind of happened by accident. I was in a relationship, I was really comfortable, really confident in myself and I wasn't really sticking to my usual grooming routines.
"I realised after a while that my hair was probably the longest it had ever been on my body, my arms, my legs. I didn't like the look of it, and that didn't sit well with me, that I didn't like something on my own body. I wanted to challenge the mindset that I had, especially about the armpit hair. There was something about it, if I saw it in the mirror I'd be like, 'oh my god, what is that?' I didn't like that I was repulsed by my own body."
This triggered some introspection, she says. "I asked myself, why was I removing the body hair? Did I actually want to or was it just because everyone did it and I never questioned it. Now, I feel like my armpit hair suits me, it just goes with me now!"
Síomha says it took her six months to get used to her new look herself, and then another six months until she "stopped caring what other people thought of it". At first, she says she was "self conscious" of people stealing looks but now she doesn't notice it.
"I'm quite lucky, I don't have very very dark hair", she says. "To me, it's not the most noticeable. If I'm going somewhere wearing a dress, I would shave my legs because I think it can look sleeker with the look. That's purely for aesthetic and style purposes, but today they are not shaved. If I'm going for a sea swim they do not get shaved."
As for her friends and family, she says they were "quite supportive", and they even send her photos of their own hairy legs or arms when they've skipped a shave for a few weeks. "It was very empowering. I honestly felt like I had achieved something. I used to chat about it a lot and then I realised I didn't actually reinvent the wheel."
Jen mentioned a 2017 survey that said 25% of millennial women don't shave their armpits, does Síomha think that's accurate? She says she doesn't know but "would love to think that". "There's a rise in the representation of it on social media and I hope that would encourage young girls, that it is quite normal."
Having come of age in a pop culture and social media-driven world, Síomha still finds that representation refreshing. "What we're used to is these immaculate bodies with no flaws, no hairs, no pores in their skin", she says.
"I would like to think that the few ads that do have a bit of body hair in them have encouraged young girls to see that it's normal. I just know when I was younger, that was the time when it was the most important time to shave because you had to be like everyone else. It was disgusting if you didn't do it.
"I recognised a fault that I had that came from society. When you're told from such a young age that something on you is disgusting it's so freeing now. I find myself caring a lot less about how I look in general. How other people think you should look, isn't how you should look."
Listen back to the full interview above or by clicking here.
