Don’t Shave, Don’t Care: Female Celebrities Who Flaunt Their Hairy Armpits
For decades, women have been expected to tirelessly groom their bodies for the appeasement of others. Why? Daring to let nature take its course is somehow deemed lazy, ugly, or plain unfeminine. Luckily for us, times are quickly changing and body hair is being recognized for what it is – a beautiful part of our natural selves. What’s more, these celebs are squashing the expectations of Hollywood and leading the way. The female revolution has arrived.
Join us as we take a look at some female celebrities who don’t shave their armpits and don’t care who sees.
Bella Thorne
Controversial former Disney starlet Bella Thorne has made waves since she left her good-girl persona in the dust – in other words, since she grew up. Just like Miley, Bella champions her own style, often dying her hair bright colors and wearing wild, revealing outfits. While she sometimes comes under fire for her choice of clothes or for that dalliance with Kourtney Kardashian’s baby daddy Scott Disick, Bella always keeps it pretty real and doesn’t let the haters grind her down. In a series of Snapchats last year, the 20-year-old explained that she doesn’t always shave – and likes it that way.
Miley Cyrus
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It’s no secret that Miley Cyrus is not Hannah Montana anymore. She left her Disney starlet persona behind years ago, breaking out to become one of the fiercest advocates for feminism the world has seen in recent times. Miley showed us that body hair is beautiful – and as a matter of fact, we can have fun with it too. She has shared several snaps on Instagram of her multicolored pit hair, making us put the razor down immediately. All too often women are ashamed of their body hair, but Miley showed us that it can be beautiful, sexy and positive.
Lady Gaga
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There are fewer musicians more outgoing than Lady Gaga. Last year, the “Million Reasons” songstress let us have an intimate glance at her personal life and struggle with fibromyalgia in the documentary Five Foot Six. Her honest depiction garnered praise from fans and her peers – but Gaga has always been dancing to the beat of her own drum. While she may not always rock the natural look, Gaga has been spotted on stage numerous times with beautiful pit hair, on one occasion dyed turquoise to match her hair-do. That’s accessorizing at its finest and we are here for it. Let your true colors shine, Gaga!
Gaby Hoffman
Actress Gaby Hoffman is well known for playing wild and free-spirited characters on screen. Best recognized for her role on Transparent and on Lena Dunham’s hit series Girls, the 36-year-old star isn’t afraid to rock her body hair – even on the red carpet. Hoffman’s stint as Adam’s wild sister on Girls saw her nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. While she may have missed out on scooping the prize, we can officially crown her queen of our hearts. Gaby, we’re obsessed with you.
Scout Willis
Scout is the daughter of superstar actors Demi Moore and Bruce Willis – and a girl after our own hearts. 27-year-old Scout has made a name for herself as a fearless Free the Nipple enthusiast, even getting banned from Instagram in 2014 for posting a design of a sweatshirt she had created with two topless females on it. She later staged a protest against female nudity restrictions by walking around NYC topless – yep, hardcore. As well as her advocacy of women’s rights, Scout lets her armpit hair grow as free as her spirit, often showing it off in pictures.
Jemima Kirke
Jemima Kirke is an actress, artist, and all round fearless warrior. The mother of two also starred in Girls, playing the eccentric character of Jessa. While Jemima always insisted she wasn’t really an actress but more of an artist, her stint on the show suddenly saw her catapulted to fame and walking the red carpet – and those photographers love to scrutinize. At the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards, she was called out for her fuzzy pits, rather than complimented on her stunning gown. Never one to bow down in the face of controversy, the gorgeous star raised her armpits to give everyone a better look. What a queen.
Madonna
Over the years, Madonna has changed her aesthetic more than we’ve changed our underwear, but one thing has remained the same – her unwavering IDGAF attitude. Madge has always been a champion of dressing how you want, saying what you want and being who you want, so it came as no surprise when she shared a pit-lovin’ selfie a couple of years ago, captioned simply “Long hair…Don’t Care!!!!!”. Of course the fifty-something pop sensation got some hate, but do you think she stayed up weeping about it? Of course not. Madonna does what she wants, when she wants.
Sophia Loren
Classic Italian good looks. Talent beyond measure. Screen icon and living legend. She’s the one and only Sophia Loren. Sophia came from a town in Italy where people simply didn’t make the big time, but like the boss babe she is, she broke the mold – and continues to do so. While you may think that rocking body hair is a fairly recent wave for women, Loren was the OG, proudly displaying her unkempt self decades ago for photographers. This beauty shows us that you can be classically stunning and still have hair. In fact, the two go hand in hand.
Drew Barrymore
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Drew Barrymore had our hearts from the moment she appeared on screen as the cherubic younger sister of Elliot in E.T. Since then, she’s undoubtedly become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, gifting us with a plethora of movies, as well as the Netflix series The Santa Clarita Diet. We didn’t think it was possible to love her any more than we already did, but the fact that Drew keeps her hair as long as her list of acting credits makes us swoon. Although she’s been asked about it on a number of occasions, the star has never commented on it – and as it’s her body and no-one else’s, we don’t blame her.
Paris Jackson
There was a time when Paris Jackson was relatively unknown. The daughter of the late pop-sensation avoided the limelight for most of her youth. Now, it’s a different story. The 19-year-old beauty is now a model, budding actress and our favorite of all – defender of all things natural. Paris gave us a close up look at her armpits on Instagram last year after she received abusive messages about her choice to grow. “I didn’t realize that people were going to get so upset,” she told followers as she laughed. “It’s natural. Get over it.”
Lola Kirke
It looks like the Kirkes were raised right. Sister of Jemima, Lola is a well-known actress in her own right, best recognized for her supporting role in Gone Girl. The 27-year-old was spotted with impressive pit growth at the 2017 Golden Globes – and has done several photo shoots since, proudly displaying her natural state. Her father is Simon Kirke, former drummer for Bad Company and Free, while her mother Lorraine owns Geminola, the vintage boutique which supplied outfits for Sex and the City. These girls were born with style running through their veins.
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an actress and musician, fronting the rock band Juliette and the Licks since 2003. Initially, she came to prominence in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake of the thriller Cape Fear, alongside Robert De Niro. Juliette has got all it takes – the charm, the attitude, and the nerve – to be a formidable female force. After all, being a woman in the industry isn’t always easy, but she has always been outspoken about her views, while still being pretty darn lovable. When it comes to the natural look, Juliette is a veteran, first flashing her underarms in the 90s.
Kelly Rowland
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Kelly Rowland catapulted to fame as part of Destiny’s Child, one of the most successful girl groups to have ever graced our fair planet. She also went on to have a worthy solo career, gifting us with the 2002 anthem we all know the words to, “Stole”. In short, we love her for a variety of reasons – but also because she joins the ranks of these amazing women to not give a single damn what you think about her choice to grow armpit hair. Rowland has been spotted several times with a little growth, even attending a Beauty Awards Ceremony in a sleeveless dress accessorized by natural underarms.
Julia Roberts
She is the queen of the rom-com, the apple to Richard Gere’s eye on more than one occasion. Julia Roberts almost needs no introduction. The brunette beauty is one of Hollywood’s finest, which meant her armpit display at the 1999 premiere of Notting Hill truly shocked the media. At this point, it still was fairly uncommon for women to bare their natural forms – everything was preened and waxed to perfection in young, hot Hollywood. Roberts unabashedly showed off her considerable pit hair, waving to photographers and looking incredibly stunning while doing it. Julia, you’re a pioneer. We love you.
Mayim Bialik
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How many actresses can say that they’ve had a successful career in film and TV, as well as being a certified neuroscientist? We’re not sure either, but Mayim Bialik can. The star of the much-loved series Blossom embodies accomplishment in every sense of the word. If that weren’t enough, she earns her spot on this list for never having shaved in her life – at all. “I remain the tomboy/feminist who has never in her life shaved her legs or armpits. Ever,” Mayim shared in a blog post in 2012. 42 years strong. That’s dedication.
Lisa Bonet
Queen of 90s style Lisa Bonet has kept it pretty natural throughout her life. Wife to Jason Momoa and mother to Zoë Kravitz, the 50-year-old star first came to prominence for her role on The Crosby Show. Lisa eloped with rocker Lenny Kravitz when she was 20 years old before later divorcing. More often than not in the 90s Bonet could be spotted with a thick patch of armpit hair – absolutely zero damns given. Her daughter Zoë inherited a lot of her mother’s attitude – as well as stunning good looks – and has also been known to let nature prevail.
Patti Smith
Influential icon Patti Smith is a poet, singer, songwriter, and artist – when it comes to creativity, she has all her bases covered. With a career spanning over 40 years, Patti has seen it all and is fearless in her ethics. With a career this long, she’s done some impressive things, garnering her numerous awards and honors – but we’re here to talk about her natural beauty. On the cover of her album, Easter, released in 1978, Patti chose to feature an image of herself on the sleeve dressed in a semi-sheer camisole top, with a direct view of her natural body hair. Iconic.
Amanda Palmer
Forty-one-year-old musician and activist Amanda Palmer is a straight up babe. Sometimes referred to as Amanda [Expletive] Palmer, this performer is a solo artist as well as the lead vocalist of The Dresden Dolls. When it comes to hair, Amanda has made her stance very well known, even releasing a song some years ago making fun of the trend of intimate waxing. At the 2010 Golden Globes, she attended with her husband and a set of perfectly grown armpits. Eight years on and she continues to talk about the subject, stating it’s all about “freeing yourself from what others think.”
Mo’Nique
Actress Mo’Nique has been very open about her body hair, attending the Golden Globes several years ago with unshaven legs. On an appearance on The View, she told host Barbara Walters that she wanted to show what a “real leg looks like.” While she vehemently stood by her decision to not shave, in 2015 on The Wendy Williams Show Mo’Nique revealed that she had started shaving again as her hair had begun to fall out in patches. Although she may groom now, the star showed the world that not conforming is beautiful and whatever you decide to do is your business.
Tyra Banks
Superstar model Tyra Banks is one of the best in her industry. Not only did she make a name for herself walking the runway for some of the most famous fashion houses out there, but she turned herself into a multi-million dollar brand. In a 2015 interview with Elle, Tyra revealed her body hair preferences. “I think that shaving, in general, being pushed upon us as women is not good,” the 44-year-old said. “I think it’s pushing us toward prepubescence.” Tyra also expressed her desire for natural armpits to become more popular and normalized.
