My mom, who I love dearly, once called me “Chewbacca” in reference to my hairy legs, which was simultaneously hilarious and hurtful. It hurt not because of the description of my legs, which was accurate, but because it was her attempt to convince me to shave. She, of all people, was supposed to love me unconditionally for who I naturally am. But in that moment, she became the voice of societal expectations about how my body should appear.

  I am a 23-year-old woman and I have shaved my legs once in my life. I believe that any person of any gender should be able to shave or not shave whatever body parts they like. However, I often find myself questioning whether the women around me choose to shave their legs because of an intrinsic desire to do so, or because they have internalized powerful societal expectations about how women should appear. So before you reach for a razor, I encourage you to pause and decide whether it’s truly your choice or just one you’ve been taught to make.

  Throughout history, body hair removal has been part of many cultures. However, according to the Smithsonian Hair Removal Exhibit, it was not common practice for women to shave their legs in the Western world until the 1920s, when the hemlines of women’s clothing rose. To expand their market, razor manufacturers began a marketing campaign to promote the idea that women’s body hair is masculine and unhygienic. Since then, women shaving their legs has become the norm and the women’s hair removal industry is worth billions of dollars.

  While the normalization of female leg shaving is due to a number of factors beyond razor advertising, this history reveals that companies manufacture ways to make you feel inadequate so you will buy their products. Given this history, I encourage you to consider whether shaving your legs is fulfilling a desire you have, or fulfilling an expectation that was created with the goal of taking your money.

  When thinking about this question, it is helpful to consider the reasons for shaving that are commonly reported by women. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, common reasons are cleanliness and comfort. However, in reality, there is no hygienic advantage to leg shaving and it can even cause minor injuries, like cuts and ingrown hairs. When considering whether shaving is truly related to cleanliness, you can ask yourself the questions: If having hair is unclean and uncomfortable, then why don’t you want to shave your head? If a man doesn’t shave his legs, is he considered unclean? Clearly, cleanliness and leg hair are not related.

    Other top reasons women shave are to appear feminine and attractive. This is a reasonable goal, as it is often advantageous to conform to dominant beauty standards. Not only is beauty socially valuable, but it is even economically valuable, as attractive people make more money on average. However, standards of femininity and attractiveness are ultimately determined by external society. So, I encourage readers to consider whether they shave because they truly desire to, or because they feel obligated to conform to a societal expectation about how women should appear.

    Now that we’ve considered the common reasons that women shave their legs, let’s talk about the implementation of not shaving. If we want to live in a world where all people are free to shave or not shave however they want, we need to create an environment where women do not feel pressured to shave their legs. In order to normalize the act of women not shaving, we need women to actually start not shaving. 

  So, if you are considering quitting leg-shaving, here is some encouragement: While the standard of women shaving their legs appears to be strong in Western society, I believe its strength is diminishing. Fewer people than you expect will notice or care if you don’t shave your legs. Numerous times, my friends have expressed surprise that they hadn’t noticed I don’t shave. Additionally, my lack of shaving has never affected the important relationships in my life. If someone’s relationship with you is dependent on your leg hairs, they are not worth your time. 

  All this said, it is okay if you choose to conform to gendered beauty standards by shaving your legs. But I would encourage you to consider whether your reasons for doing so are truly for your own happiness.

  The bottom line is that if men don’t have to shave their legs, why should you?

  While my mom once called me “Chewbacca” to make fun of my hairy legs, I must also credit her for allowing my current philosophy of not shaving. When I was young, I asked my mom about shaving. She explained that “some people shave and some people don’t,” and said nothing else on the matter. Through this wonderful description, she gave me a window of freedom that every person deserves: to choose for themselves what they would like to do.