Kitty

Project WWHA: Why are you participating as a model with Project WWHA?

KITTY: I am personally participating in Project WWHA as a model because I know how it feels to be judged harshly simply for having hair on my arms. I’d like for other women to know that their struggles are more common in this area than they may know, and it’s not something to be ashamed of.

Project WWHA: What’s the first time you remember noticing your own arm or body hair?

KITTY: The first time I noticed hair on my arms was in elementary school. I didn’t actually notice myself, it was the other children. They would ask why I have so much arm hair for a girl and I would shrug and tell them that I just do, I don’t know why.

Project WWHA: What emotions did you work through when you first noticed your arm hair?

KITTY: I often felt angry when other children would point it out to me. I couldn’t understand why it bothered them if it didn’t bother me. Sometimes I felt sad, because I wanted to just play the games everyone else was playing without being called a boy or ugly if I won the game. They thought it would hurt my feelings, and they were right.

Project WWHA: How are some of the different ways it came up in conversation with others as you were first discovering it?

KITTY: When others would bring up [my arm hair], usually in a derogatory manner, I developed my own defense mechanism. I was a clever kid who read a lot of books and choose to shut people down by insulting them back until they left me be.

Project WWHA: Did the conversations around your arms change at some point? Were there supporters?

KITTY: Most people stopped noticing, or at least mentioning, my extra body hair by high school. I didn’t even think about it except for the rare occasions someone would bring up hair bleaching or shaving. At that point I just explained that I’d tried, wasn’t happy with the results and preferred my arm hair. After I got more involved on social media a few years ago, I learned that I not only have supporters for being the way I am, but there are a few people who would actually be upset if I got rid of it!

Project WWHA: Have any of those events landed and stuck with you as a trauma?

KITTY: I’m lucky to say that I never dwelled too hard on what people said to me about my body hair, because I always was fortunate to have people I cared about who always reassured me that it didn’t matter.

Project WWHA: Were you afraid to bare your hair in public? Did you specifically dress to hide it?

KITTY: I hated long sleeves so much, so regardless of whether anyone would say anything to me, I always wore what I wanted and didn’t try to cover my arms up. Maybe the fact that I never hid them made me more accepting of my own arm hair honestly.

Project WWHA: Can you remember a time when you spoke to yourself in a negative manner in the mirror because of what you saw your body look like?

KITTY: Of course I’ve talked down to myself in the mirror from time to time about my appearance! Who hasn’t? I’ve gotten upset with myself over nearly everything you can think of: body hair, acne, weight, you name it. I don’t think that anyone ever truly feels perfect, and that’s part of being human.

Project WWHA: Do you have any lasting impressions of participating in the project?

KITTY: My experience shooting with this project would have made me feel better about my image if I had still been struggling with how others view my arm hair. It reinforced the notion that any negative comments anyone had ever made about my arm hair was just their problem, not mine.