The Body Hair Project is a community based project I began in December of 2020 shortly after I created my boudoir page. In the last few years I’ve been seeing more women in Saskatoon keeping their body hair and it has made me more accepting of my own which has been very empowering for me. Although I know there are plenty of women and non-binary folks around with body hair, I wasn’t seeing that represented on social media and especially not in boudoir photography. I wanted to do this project in order to contribute to the representation and normalization of body hair on women and non-binary folks, and to take that a step further by showing that not only is body hair normal but it can be really beautiful and sexy too.

I put out a call for models with body hair who wanted to do a free boudoir session centring their body hair, and the response was overwhelming. It was such an incredible experience to shoot with so many different folks, many of whom I had never met before, and to be welcomed into their homes and trusted with sharing such an intimate and vulnerable space with them. I added an interview portion to the project in order to learn about participants’ relationships with body hair and what made them want to participate in the project. Below are their photo galleries and full interviews.

Through this project I was able to make so many beautiful connections with new people and I am so grateful to each person who chose to be a part of the project. Thank you for contributing to my growth and development as an artist and for helping to build my community. I would not be where I am with my photography today without each one of you.

“I realized that I wasn’t shaving for me—I was doing it for other people, to conform to beauty standards and fit in… Looking at my body hair now, at this beautiful ginger blonde hair on my legs and underarms, I can’t imagine why I would ever want to get rid of that.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I think it’s important to challenge the unrealistic “hairless female body” beauty standard and show the world how beautiful body hair can be! Body hair is really underrepresented, especially in boudoir photography and fashion. It’s just not the norm. I have been letting the hair on my legs and underarms grow for about 7 years, and I felt excited to show people how comfortable I am with being different from what society expects from me as a woman. So that’s why I want to be a part of it. I want to show off my body hair!

Q: How do you feel about your own body hair?

A: I don’t really think about it much. It just feels normal, and natural. At first, there was a lot of getting used to it and I was a little insecure, maybe afraid of people’s judgment. After a bit of hiding it, and seeing it on other women occasionally, I became more and more comfortable letting it hang out. And now it makes me feel natural. My body hair makes me feel natural, beautiful, and empowered.

Q: How do you feel when you see body hair on other women and non-binary folks?

A: When I see body hair on other women, and on non-binary folks, I feel excited! Like, “heck yeah, I want to be your friend!”, and it makes me want to show them that I have it too! It makes me feel proud and excited.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: Interestingly, only from my mother! I think mainly because she feared that I would be judged or treated differently for having it, not because she herself had an issue with it. I think she worried about my success and wellbeing, and didn’t want me to miss out on love or other opportunities in life for being different and having body hair. I’m really glad to say that her worries were unfounded! After some years, she can see it hasn't had any negative consequences for me, so she doesn’t seem to think much of it anymore.

I feel lucky that I’ve never had to deal with being bullied or judged because of it. I've actually had a few pals tell me that seeing my body hair inspired them to let theirs grow, too, which is a really good feeling. There have been a few glances of disapproval or scoffs here and there over the years, but only from cis men, especially conservative older men—it never really bothered me though, because who cares what random old men think when I have a community of friends and family who love me and think it's great.

I had expected to meet partners that wouldn’t like it, but that hasn’t happened yet, which is a bit surprising to me. Men, women, and non-binary partners have all really liked my body hair and have told me it’s sexy, which both surprised and delighted me almost every time, and boosted my confidence around keeping it.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: At first I chose to keep my body hair because I didn’t like shaving. I have really sensitive skin and every time I had razor burn in my armpits, I was just like “why am I doing this?”. I started to really question why I was putting myself through that. I remember meeting a really beautiful woman while I was travelling, who had lots of hair on her legs and underarms—it inspired me! I found her body hair to be way more attractive than my red, rashed and bumpy hairless armpits. That’s when I realized that I wasn’t shaving for me—I was doing it for other people, to conform to beauty standards and fit in. So, my decision to keep my body hair was partly from the pain and discomfort caused by shaving my sensitive skin, and partly the anarchist in me wanting to challenge beauty standards—and in doing so, giving permission for other people like me to do the same. Looking at my body hair now, at this beautiful ginger blonde hair on my legs and underarms, I can’t imagine why I would ever want to get rid of that! It’s totally not worth the pain, and it’s not worth “fitting in”.

“I’ve always found female body hair very attractive. It’s been just something I’ve always found - I don’t know what it is but it feels powerful in some way.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I’ve always found female body hair very attractive. It’s been just something I’ve always found - I don’t know what it is but it feels powerful in some way. So I think that’s the main reason. And just being able to be a part of the representation of that and the variations on how that can look.

Q: How does your own body hair make you feel?

A: I’ve always actually been pretty self conscious of my own body hair. I am pretty hairy. And weirdly, my chest and back hair is pretty dark but my legs and armpits are more blonde and I’ve always been self conscious of my armpit hair because I’ve always wanted it to be darker.

Q: How does seeing body hair on other women make you feel?

A: Awesome. Yeah it’s great. Just a few days ago I saw a post of a model in Montreal who I believe is a cis woman but who also has chest hair and it’s not something I’ve seen alot of so it was really nice to see that representation as well, it’s just like oh that is a thing that’s possible, so it’s nice to see that too.

Q: Have you ever received pushback because of your body hair?

A: No. Largely because I grew up being raised as a male. So there was almost no talk of it. Some joking in college but nothing that was hurtful or anything like that. Now it’s been more of an internalized thing. I kind of waver back and forth on how I feel about my body hair. Specific parts of it of course. I’ve never shaved my legs and I don’t really plan to and that’s something I feel ok with and am comfortable with.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: Some of it is a maintenance thing. It’s just easier not to. I’ve shaved my chest and back and tried waxing and now I’m kind of just keeping my fingers crossed that the hormones will do the trick. 

“I’ve been actively getting rid of my body hair in many ways for a long time and I’m in my mid thirties and non binary and kind of am just like fuck it. My gender is whatever it is on any given day of the week and I have body hair and should just accept it. I am tired of constantly being feminized and being told to shave and wax and all of that crap cause it sucks.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: As someone who has had lots of body hair my entire life and classicly felt shame about it, I’ve never really had the opportunity to participate in something that visibly shows my body hair. I’ve been actively getting rid of my body hair in many ways for a long time and I’m in my mid thirties and non binary and kind of am just like fuck it. My gender is whatever it is on any given day of the week and I have body hair and should just accept it. Really it’s so laborious to shave all the time and what’s the point? I am of Eastern European Jewish descent and many of us have a lot of body hair and there's a lot of shame wrapped up in that if you're femme presenting. I am tired of constantly being feminized and being told to shave and wax and all of that crap cause it sucks.

Q:How does your own body hair make you feel?

A: I think more at home in my body. I think before I started identifying as non binary I was constantly getting rid of my body hair, especially when I was much more of a high fem. I felt even then that I really had to get rid of all my body hair because all the fem representation I would see on social media and in the media in the mid 2000’s was just beautiful conventionally attractive fems who were like thin, pinup style, with no visual body hair. Maybe some armpit hair, but I am someone with a lot more than just armpit hair and I would never see that represented. So I am just leaning in to feeling more comfortable with having chest hair and a treasure trail and all that stuff and there’s nothing wrong with it and if anyone has a problem with it it’s my body, not theirs.

Q:How do you feel when you see body hair on other women/non binary folks?

A: I think it’s super hot, especially when I see other fat non binary fem folks who have body hair. I’m just like amazing I just want to see more of this and have it normalized all the time.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: I’ve definitely had comments from people growing up like if I didn’t shave my legs, being like “oh don’t you shave your legs? Don’t you want to get ready for bikini season?” And there was a lot of fat shaming tied up in that too as someone who doesn’t have a conventionally thin body and a hairy body at that. It wasn’t like “Lauren has so much body hair, look at them,” it was more just offhand comments being like why don’t you shave your legs. Or even past partners who have noticed my chest hair if I didn’t shave for a day or two being like “what’s up with that?”

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: I choose to keep it now, partially because its a pandemic, but also I started doing burlesque a few years ago and didn’t see a lot of hairy people doing burlesque and I would constantly shave my chest hair and stomach hair when I was doing that cause I was so self conscious, and plucking my nipples hairs and all that crap because I was like, I can’t be hairy on stage but now I’m just like, who’s telling me I can’t be hairy? No one handed me this rule book being like you can’t be hairy on stage so I don’t even know where that comes from. So sometimes I shave it but I usually just let it grow. I’m too lazy to maintain my body hair and at this point I’m just letting it grow because why not? It feels good and I’m really trying to have more self love and that includes my body hair.

“I'm personally on a healing journey and I’m learning to love and embrace the most authentic version of myself. Who I am in my most natural state, which includes my body hair, is worthy of being seen and loved.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I have an interesting relationship with body hair. I’m not ashamed of my own body hair but it’s still a little weird in public because it’s more socially acceptable to be bare but I know that body hair is natural, and the standard for women having no body hair is a tad pedophilic to me, so that’s pretty weird. I'm personally on a healing journey and I’m learning to love and embrace the most authentic version of myself. Who I am in my most natural state, which includes my body hair, is worthy of being seen and loved.

Q: How do you feel about your own body hair?

A: I feel ok about it. It doesn’t really bother me or affect me that much. And if anybody does care then they obviously don’t really have my best interests in mind.

Q: How do you feel when you see body hair on other women?

A: Awesome. Fierce. I love it. I think it’s so confident and I’m hoping to get to that place too. And that’s what we’re doing today! So I’m excited.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: I don’t think so. My leg hair has always been super fine so it’s not really visible. And my armpit hair… not really. I don’t think anybody has ever really said anything about it, it’s more of a personal insecurity I guess just because of the standard being pushed that women shouldn’t have body hair.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: Cause I get ingrown hairs and it’s just too much work. I don’t really have the patience to deal with that every three days. 

“I want my daughter to grow up knowing that having body hair and having pubic hair is ok, and there’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s actually super sexy if you choose it to be.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this project?

A: I really wanted to participate because I run body positive events and being in my bathing suit is something that I’m really comfortable with. Being a competitive swimmer I’ve always been very comfortable in my own skin, especially as of recently. But sometimes when I have my pubic hair or my armpit hair showing I kind of hesitate to love myself. When its poking through my suit a little bit and when I have 5 o’clock shadow. So I felt like for me this would be something that would push me out of my comfort zone. Just a tiny bit, cause you know I’m totally comfortable sticking my butt in the air and being in a bathing suit but having my pubic hair show makes me feel a little bit nervous. You can hear it in my voice that I’m a bit nervous, so that’s kind of why, and cause I trust you too.

Q: How does your body hair make you feel?

A: My pubic hair, like my full bush makes me feel super sexy. But it’s only a gift for me and my husband right? I can’t go around and show it off, so this gave me an opportunity to try that.

Q: How does seeing body hair on other women make you feel?

A: Oh I love it. I love it. And there’s almost a curiosity about it too because you don’t see it enough. So those pictures I click on because I want to know what’s underneath. And not in a sexual way just more like I want to see it because I have it too. So I love it and I just want other women to feel comfortable doing it too.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: As a competitive swimmer yeah. Growing up, even being a young girl at 11 or 12 we would shave our hair in the shower before a swim meet, that was just a thing. We would shave our arms, we would shave our leg hair and heaven forbid you have your pubic hair on your bikini line showing. And I think that’s still a thing. A lot of the girls on my team, they don’t show their pubic hair at all. I think it’s changing now where more women are learning to not panic and not shave it right before practice if that’s what they do. But yeah I think there are still those people who think you have to have that perfect bare skin that lines the bathing suit. So yeah growing up I felt the pushback a little bit more and then of course as a young woman exploring your sexuality you’re like, “well what do you do?” You ask your friends and you try it but you know I’m a ginger and I’ve got sensitive skin. If I shave or wax or pluck I break out in a rash and that shits not ideal. So now I think I’ve become more comfortable with it and like my husband doesn’t give a fuck. He just loves me for who I am. He loved me for who I was before I did.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: I think I keep it because, my pubic hair, I genuinely really love it. I like the colour of it. It’s a little wild and I’m a little fucking wild so we go together. And men, you know like they don’t even have to think about it but as a woman, it’s just this huge deal and it shouldn’t be. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that having body hair and having pubic hair is ok, and there’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s actually super sexy if you choose it to be.

 “I wanted to be involved because I’ve been experiencing a lot of changes in my body and I’ve been really excited about them. Changes from being on testosterone and from my surgery as well so I wanted to be able to have images that I could look back on to remember this time and the changes that I’m going through…”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I wanted to be involved because I’ve been experiencing a lot of changes in my body and I’ve been really excited about them. Changes from being on testosterone and from my surgery as well so I wanted to be able to have images that I could look back on to remember this time and the changes that I’m going through and also to share with people that I care about and who I want to see it as well.

Q:How do you feel about your own body hair?

A: I love it. I’ve definitely had periods in my life where I’ve removed it or I’ve felt embarrassed of it or ashamed of it but now it’s something that I just really love. I love finding new hairs and changing up my grooming patterns based on whatever I’m feeling like. It makes me enjoy other people’s body hair more as well. I think body hair is a lot of fun. 

Q:How do you feel when you see body hair on women or non binary folks?

A: I love to see body hair on people. Body hair of any amount. I love seeing women with body hair who are embracing it and are embracing how they want to show their bodies.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: I don’t know if I have actually, which is really lucky.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: I keep it because I don’t really want to pay all the money that it costs to buy all the grooming products and I just enjoy my own body hair so I like to keep it for that reason, I just enjoy it.

Click below to hear Victoria and Hannah’s CBC radio interview

“I keep my body hair because I love it. Body hair has been a huge thing for me ever since I hit puberty. It’s a feeling of control really, where I am in control of my body and it boosts my confidence as well.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this project?

A: I am one of few people that I know that have just been choosing to grow out my body hair so I want to help normalize it I guess. It’s also kind of my biggest insecurity so I’m like, why not post it all over the internet? 

Q: How does your body hair make you feel?

A: At first, quite uncomfortable and now I absolutely love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. Just armpit hair for now but probably eventually everything. The armpit hair is kind of a nice tie between feminine and masculine. I use mens’ deodorant too so I’m just like that part of my body is the masculine part and then the rest is very feminine.

Q: How does seeing body hair on other women make you feel?

A: Just the best, I think it looks great. I honestly think that was a big part of it, seeing other women and then being like you look so badass I want to do that too.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: Not overly. I think the most I’ve ever received was actually going to a cabella’s and just getting these intense stares about it. And I guess being a server too, wearing tank tops there’s sometimes the odd look but other than that I think that people care a lot less than I thought they would.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: I keep my body hair because I love it. Body hair has been a huge thing for me ever since I hit puberty. It’s a feeling of control really, where I am in control of my body and it boosts my confidence as well.

“Body Hair makes me feel like a woman, which is maybe contradictory to what society tells us but it does. It makes me feel natural and just in my true form.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this project?

A: I wanted to participate because of the sense of community and empowerment around not having to shave. I started doing it a while ago and I’m still growing comfortable with it but it makes me feel confident to embrace it.

Q: How does your body hair make you feel?

A: Body hair makes me feel like a woman. Which maybe is contradictory to what society tells us but it does, it makes me feel natural and just in my true form.

Q: How does it make you feel when you see body hair on other women?

A: Empowered. It makes me feel less alone in it and that there’s movement in that positive direction.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: Honestly I started because I was lazy. It’s just so much work and sometimes I would just go too quick and always I’d knick myself anyways and so it just wasn’t really worth it. And so I started with that and then wanted to not do it because society tells me to do it.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: A little bit. One time on a dating ap a guy was like yeah not into it. But for the most part it’s been pretty positive.

“Hair removal is a lot of maintenance and it’s always been performative, it’s always been to fit in. Embracing who I am as a queer person, I identify more on the non binary scale so when shaving is such a huge part of looking pristine, clean and feminine - I’ve rejected that and I’m embracing more who I am and as I let my body hair grow I feel more myself.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I’ve just spent a long time trying to fit in the balance between what’s more heteronormative and what I feel about my own body and body hair and all that together. I feel like I’ve started embracing my imperfections a lot more and just really wanting to love myself more in my entirety instead of just to pick and choose and body hair is a part of that. It’s natural.

Q:How do you feel about your own body hair?

A: It’s pretty empowering at times. Sometimes there’s still the odd moment where I don’t know how I feel about it but for the most part it makes me feel like a strong woman.

Q:How do you feel when you see body hair on other women/non binary folks?

A: I think it’s awesome. I think every person should be able to embrace their body hair and as a whole we should all be more accepting of what makes us who we are. Some have more body hair some have less and I think that it’s all beautiful, it’s all wonderful.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: Not really. I’ve had people say it’s gross before or people say that women should all be shaving but I think it’s awesome to embrace it. From a young age, as early as 11, I started shaving because my friend did it. She saw her mom doing it so then she was shaving and I thought I should too. But then it just got to a point where I was like why am I doing this? I grew to a certain point of myself and I was like I don’t need to do this anymore, it’s too much work.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: Hair removal is a lot of maintenance and it’s always been performative, it’s always been to fit in. Embracing who I am as a queer person, I identify more on the non binary scale so when shaving is such a huge part of looking pristine, clean and feminine - I’ve rejected that and I’m embracing more who I am and as I let my body hair grow I feel more myself. So that’s why I keep it. If I ever wanted to I would shave it if that’s how I felt again but at this point I don’t see that happening. 

“I want to be a part of both normalizing and celebrating body hair. I’m pansexual so I’ve had all different kinds of lovers and theres usually a lot of pressure from cis men to groom and present in a certain way, that is based in the mainstream porn industry. I fucking hate that program.”

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I guess because I love body hair. I find body hair on humans fucking attractive. I have two little kids so when I see fully removed body hair I really just think of childhood so it’s not a turn on for me to see it fully removed. I want to be a part of both normalizing and celebrating body hair. I’m pansexual so I’ve had all different kinds of lovers and theres usually a lot of pressure from cis men to groom and present in a certain way, that is based in the mainstream porn industry. I fucking hate that program.

Q:How do you feel about your own body hair?

A: Fucking love it. I wish I had more. Actually I’m super jealous of people who have really huge armpit hair. I would probably be the person that got armpit hair implants. And with my leg hair I just love touching my legs they are so soft.

Q:How do you feel when you see body hair on women/non binary folks?

A: It’s attractive AF, for me it feels kind of primal , the beauty of a mature body and it’s more of a turn on to me. I’m not turned on by manufactured presentations. I prefer a natural body over a covered up smell so natural is just what’s beautiful to me. When I see an AFAB (assigned female at birth) person with all their body hair I think they're a badass bitch because it’s so counter culture.

 Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: Oh for sure. From cis men in lovemaking and wanting me to clean up my pussy hair for it to look a certain way. Which is just stigma like, “is it going to smell gross or something?” You know all that stuff associated with pussies and their beauty and power. But I’ve also received it from Cis women like, “you can’t go to the beach like that”, and “oh you have to shave your legs for my wedding ”. It’s just another perimeter around how social constructs and how we are supposed to exist.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: Cause it’s mine. I love it and I can’t even imagine removing it. Like what would that even cost? I don’t even know anymore. I haven’t shaved since I was 16 years old.

“It’s definitely something you have ingrained in you growing up, all these commercials and ads telling you to shave everything to be desirable. I think it’s fine to shave if that’s what you want to do, but I don’t think that you’re going to be loved less or that you should be loved less or bashed or spoken to in a negative way if you choose to grow your body hair out.”  

Q: What made you want to participate in this project?

A: I think just seeing other people stepping up and owning their bodies and body hair and not letting other people bring them down made me want to participate in the project. In the last few years I was just kind of over buying things to shave my legs and shave everything. I decided I just wanted to be my natural self and love who I am. At times I might just feel like yeah I want to shave it off but other times I want to grow it out and embrace my natural self. In some ways I think I feel more connected to myself when I’m not shaving. 

Q: How does your body hair make you feel?

A: Empowered and strong and beautiful.

Q: How does it make you feel to see body hair on other women or non-binary folks?

A: Just that I want to support them too and lift them up. It makes me want to reach out and connect.

Q: Have you ever received any negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: I’ve noticed people looking and maybe making faces. My body hair is pretty fine and not super noticeable but some family members will comment like, “oh you don’t shave your legs?” Or like buying me razors as gifts, and I’m like hmm ok I guess I’ll just gift this to someone else! But nothing really super negative. Just more people noticing and questioning it. 

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: It makes me feel like myself. It makes me feel natural and one with nature and I think I love myself more. I like not shaving and just letting it all grow because that’s how I was born. It’s definitely something you get ingrained in you growing up in all these commercials and ads, telling you to shave everything to be desirable. I think it’s fine to shave if that’s what you want to do, but I don’t think that you’re going to be loved less or that you should be loved less or bashed or spoken to in a negative way if you choose to grow your body hair out.  

“When I see body hair on women it makes me feel empowered and it makes me feel a sense of solidarity. Like yes, more of that please! That’s how it should be.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this project?

A: Because growing up my body hair is actually something that is fairly new to me. It has only really been in the last couple of years I’ve just let them be them and my legs too when they’re not recently tattooed. Also I guess the post that you posted for the model call with all the casual wear and stuff, it wasn’t sexualized in the way that sometimes body hair positive posts can be so I liked what you were going for. 

Q: How does your body hair make you feel?

A: Real cute! I don’t know if that’s a weird answer but I mean look at these curly little guys! (referring to their armpit hair)

Q: How does it make you feel when you see body hair on women?

A: When I see body hair on women it makes me feel empowered and it makes me feel a sense of solidarity. Like yes more of that please! That’s how it should be.

Q: Have you ever experienced negative pushback because of your body hair?

A: Oh yeah, I’ve had you know like the tinder comments. It doesn’t make any sense it’s always the same guys being like oh it’s gross or whatever when they themselves have hairy pits. And it’s just so annoying cause when they comment in the first place it’s like oh, was I growing this for you the whole time? I didn’t realize.

Q: Why do you choose to keep your body hair?

A: I guess I don’t really have a good reason other than shaving fucking sucks. It’s irritating, it makes my skin angry and as soon as I let it grow out it stopped doing that so I probably won’t go back.