The Unshaven Look: Why Some Female Celebrities Go Natural

Mo'Nique, Julia Roberts, Alicia Silverstone, Celine Dion, and Amanda Palmer all share one thing in common: these lovely ladies have all been seen in public at one time or another with body hair exposed to the public. No, not arm hair, which is usually light on fair haired women, but leg hair and even armpit hair. Okay, so it seems a bit tasteless for an otherwise well groomed woman to lift her arms to hold up an entertainment trophy and give her thanks to her adoring admirers while allowing the male fans a peek at some of that hair. Since these women can easily afford a trip to the salon for a quick waxing, one wonders why they do not do just that. Mo'Nique admits to not ever shaving her legs, and that the one time she attempted to do so, wound up with bloody legs. It is entirely possible she was not using a new razor for the job, or failed to use a lady's shaving cream for just this purpose. Her legs were evident at the Golden Globes this past January when she walked up on stage and lifted her dress, showing her hairy legs which were not even covered with stockings. Stockings seem to be a thing of the past for women, along with girdles, although the Hollywood thin certainly has no need of such garments.

Amanda Palmer is best known for being a member of the Dresden Dolls, a singing duo. Not surprisingly, Amanda was also at the Golden Globes, not only with her hairy legs, but also with hairy armpits. That must have been quite a sight when she raised her arm to expose a tangle of hair. Being a woman, I can only guess what a male reaction might be to such a sight. The women who are not removing body hair in such obvious places are not the "natural, wild women of the 1960's" but rather the children of that generation, which permitted a lot more than just body hair on women, long hair on the head, beaded necklaces, and Nehru jackets.

The problem with depilating is that it requires regular upkeep, whether it is done by shaving, waxing, sugaring, or Nair. It doesn't take that long to wax off body hair, and since waxing produces longer lasting results than shaving, is better suited to the lifestyle of the rich and famous, especially when they are seen out in public frequently. While not all American women may follow in their footsteps, these stars certainly have no qualms about making a personal statement when one like this is unexpected.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/fashion/15skin.html