Fitness blogger shares the joy of being “unapologetically herself” after a year without shaving her body hair

Life


Fitness blogger shares the joy of being “unapologetically herself” after a year without shaving her body hair

By Stylist Team

8 years ago

It may be 2017, but the presence of women’s body hair still manages to become headline news. Celebrities like Lourdes Leon are subjected to thinly-veiled body-shaming commentary for revealing what is completely natural.

So for women rejecting expected norms of femininity related to body hair, or anyone who believes in body autonomy, this fitness blogger is an inspiration.

Morgan Mikenas, who hasn’t shaved off her body hair for a year, took to Instagram to explain how its changed her mentality for the better.

Writing about why she stopped shaving, and how it’s helped her confidence, she posted a photo of her sitting in a swimsuit with bare legs and a wide smile.

To sum up her feelings she shared the following quote from Steve Marabol: "There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty."

She then wrote: “Not just woman, but everyone! Imagine if everyone just decided that today was the day they loved themselves and embraced every part of them selves.

“Accepting and loving your body and your "flaws" because you know they are what makes you who you are. If you are focused on being true to yourself in every moment, you are less concerned what others think, which will lead to peace of mind.

“When you have nothing to hide and you can freely be yourself, there is a profound peace/confidence you will emanate to the world that will inspire others.”



The blogger has previously shared a video about her decision not to shave her body hair, revealing how liberated she felt since letting go of expected norms of femininity. She also recalled the experience of being bullied by peers as a pre-teen which prompted her to start the practice.

In a further post she writes: "Growing up, I just wanted to be like everyone else. I didn't value or understand the beauty in being different at the time.

"Being different is freedom. You are one of a kind, and that is your power."

Female body hair became a wide-spread topic of contention last summer, when French feminists united in defense of the decision not to shave with the hashtag  #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils (“Princesses have hair”). It gained momentum with over 25,000 mentions. The hashtag was started by a 16-year-old Adele Labo, who like Mikenas was mocked at school for not shaving.

The decision to shave or not to is completely up to the individual, so its great to see a popular blogger keeping the discussion going and normalising body hair.

Images: Courtesy Morgan Mikenas

undefined

By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy

Thank you!

You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.