Lindsey Interview
PROJECT WWHA: How does your arm hair affect you?
LINDSEY: I am still learning to love my arm hair, but I can say I have accepted it as who I am. I am changing my mindset around what it means to be feminine and it makes me feel strong and brave to show it off. At first it was hard when kids would point it out and ask me why I had arm hair, or they would “pet it” like a furry animal, but I have learned to love when they do because it gives me the opportunity to teach them that everyone and every BODY is unique and should be celebrated!
PROJECT WWHA: What’s the first time you remember noticing your own arm hair?
LINDSEY: It was around the beginning of high school when I noticed my arm hair.
PROJECT WWHA: What did you feel when you first noticed your own arm hair?
LINDSEY: I felt different from other girls. My best friend started shaving her arms before we met, and once I learned about it, I started myself. At a young age, I was very impressionable and would do whatever everyone else was doing.
PROJECT WWHA: How long, if at all, did you remove your arm hair?
LINDSEY: I started shaving my arms at 15 so it was over 15 years that I have removed my arm hair.
PROJECT WWHA: What changed for you when you let your arm hair be?
LINDSEY: I learned to accept my body and all its uniqueness. My daughter was 5 years old when I stopped removing my body hair. It was around this time that I realized that I needed to show her how to love herself and be her role model for self-love and confidence.
PROJECT WWHA: What did seeing other women with arm hair on Project WWHA do for you?
LINDSEY: Seeing other women with arm hair made me feel not so alone. It encouraged me to love and accept myself and not just try to change to fit what society has taught to be beautiful.
PROJECT WWHA: What advice do you have for young women who are just noticing their arm hair and are feeling different?
LINDSEY: I want girls to remember that everything is a season, and especially when they are young and things feel hard and they want to “fit in”, that in the grand scheme of life it really doesn’t matter. The people who love you for you, are your people and no one else matters. Not to mention, going through the stress, money, and frustration of arm hair removal is just not worth it in the end! I wish I had this mindset a long time ago.
