What happens if you stop shaving

I started drawing thick femmes, hairy femmes. And in so doing, I found myself falling in love with my body, as every drawing became a poem to this new self. Choosing to no longer shave felt like coming home, like turning back time and taking all of my childhood back.

As a survivor of border trauma and various forms of abuse, this is tied to my healing process. Growing up as an immigrant, I was taught to assimilate and blend in as much as I could. To be able to do this was tied to my survival. In a world in which the legality of my body is questioned by politicians and lawmakers on a daily basis, choosing to love my body is its own testament to freedom.

I feel my body, and touch the soft parts, the bulgy parts, the fat and hairy parts, and it all feels so good. I make late breakfast and eat as much as I want. I bicycle to work, singing about falling in love, and when I come home, I feel safe. I feel confident. I feel happy. These changes have come gradually, and through many different choices, one of them being to no longer shave. But the most important one has been simply to love myself as I am.

I am still unlearning to see myself through the lenses of those around me. But by being intentional about manifesting love in everyday actions that are important for my health, I am practicing self-love. And this makes my body happy, and healthy, in every way. They are wearing a black and white shirt with large flowers. One elbow is leaning on a pillow. Do you have any other benefits to add to the list? It can stop painful chafing.

It can protect you against many pathogens. It will help you get rid of ingrown hairs. Your body temperature will be better regulated. It can save you a lot of time and money.

Preview photo credit shutterstock. She says one of the best ways to prevent bumps is to avoid close shaves. She also says that those who are prone to irritations like redness, ingrown hairs, or infections after shaving will benefit from abstaining and may experience a smoother and less sensitive fit to tight clothing. Shaving your underarms or letting that hair growth has no impact on whether you smell or not. Aigen explains that sweat is released from sweat glands regardless of if there is hair there or not, and is odorless until it comes into contact with bacteria.

That naturally occurring bacteria found on the skin breaks down protein in the sweat and causes body odor. In fact, Nazarian says that keeping hair in your underarms can have benefits, including a decrease in irritation from skin chafing. She also notes that your regular body soap doesn't have to change if you choose to not shave that area anymore — just remember to always keep your underarms clean. As for using deodorants and antiperspirants, she says having hair in the underarm area doesn't make your skin any less or more respondent to them.

The hair just acts as a physical blocker, and those who have a lot of hair may find it difficult to apply any product to their skin, which is needed in the first place to work. For that reason, she suggests considering a gel or roll-on formulas over aerosol versions because sprays might have difficulty targeting the skin under the hair.

For antiperspirants, she says it's best to apply at night to dry skin because we are less likely to perspire at night, giving the aluminum chloride to form a plug-in those sweat glands. In the end, the most important thing to remember is to continue cleansing and moisturizing. All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors.

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