As the daughter of a North European mom and an Asian dad, I truly hit the genetic jackpot—and by jackpot, I mean I got the best and the worst of both worlds. On the plus side, I love my skin tone and my hair. But on the flip side, I got the amount of hair that a North European would need to survive the coldest winters… combined with the darker hair of my Asian roots. So, yeah, I’ve got plenty of hair. And it’s highly visible. Not exactly ideal, especially when you’re a teenager, let me tell you.

The moment I became self-aware of the amount of hair I carry on my arms and legs, I quickly became best friends with my razor, hair removal cream, and waxing strips. I’ll never forget the look on my mom’s face when I proudly showed her my smooth, hairless arms. But damn, did I feel confident in a t-shirt again!

But let’s be real, this newfound confidence came at a price. It was a lot of work. The stubbles grew back faster than I could say “smooth legs,” and honestly, they didn’t feel as soft as they did before. So, in order to keep up, it almost became a daily ritual. Add in my monthly beauty appointments (aka waxing appointment) for my upper lip, and I can guarantee you that a lot of time, money, effort, and—let’s not forget—pain (the upper lip wax? Ouch!) went into my physical appearance. And for what? So very few people even noticed, or cared.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying you should change anything about yourself for anyone else. If anything, please don’t. But here’s the thing: I was so self-conscious about stuff that no one else seemed to care about. And then it hit me: why do I care so much? If I don’t judge someone else for their body hair, why the heck am I being so hard on myself?

Let’s be honest: even if someone cares, why would that matter? Frida Kahlo didn’t care about her unibrow or mustache—and she became an icon for it. The media may have us believe that smooth, hairless, airbrushed models are the standard (with no armpit hair allowed), but guess what? That standard is almost always applied to women. Why is it that men can rock all the body hair they want and never question it, while women start spiraling if they spot a single chin hair?

I have a friend who hasn’t shaved in years. And honestly, it’s the coolest statement. She’s rejecting society’s unrealistic beauty standards and embracing her natural self, bringing back what should’ve always been “normal.” After all, we’re descended from apes, so technically, we were meant to have hair in the first place.

So here’s the deal: it’s okay to embrace what makes you unique, even if that means having a little extra hair or going against the grain. Forget the social norms that try to box us in, and instead, focus on what feels good for you. Whether you choose to embrace it, remove it, or completely ignore it, just know this: you are perfect as you are. And anyone who can’t see that? Well, they’re missing out on the most beautiful part—your authentic self.

So take a deep breath, stand tall, and know that your natural self is more than enough. Let’s keep celebrating us, in all our wild, beautiful, perfectly imperfect glory. 💖✨

How do you view your body hair and are you happy with the way you do?