A WOMAN who only shaves twice a year has revealed how people call her a “gorilla” and tell her she is “going to die alone”.
Nikki Serenity is a model and influencer with over 43,000 followers on Instagram.
The 27-year-old refuses to cater to the trolls and their unwanted opinions[/caption]
She now believes every woman should try growing their armpit hair out at some point in their lives[/caption]
She is known for her “controversial” hairy pits – which often rub people up the wrong way.
But the 27-year-old refuses to cater to the trolls and their unwanted opinions.
“I remember one woman saying that I was going to die alone because of it [the hair],” Nikki, from St Louis, Missouri, US, told What’s The Jam.
“Unfortunately, it has also attracted people with a body hair fetish but I just block overly inappropriate fans.
“I’m proud of my [look] and don’t feel insecure about it.
“But I hope people realise that there’s a lot more to me than just body hair.
“I [also] have fans and followers who get upset when I shave.
“I even had one guy tell me that I lose everything I stand for.
“While I do prefer to not shave, what I stand for is the right to either keep it or shave it.”
When she was younger, one friend told Nikki that she “looked like a gorilla”.
She now believes every woman should try growing their armpit hair out at some point in their lives.
Nikki said: “When I was younger, I covered a lot of my body out of insecurity.
“People seemed to always like to comment on my body.
“I hated waring shorts in gym class because my hair grows really fast.
Benefits of body hair
For decades, women have been shaving their body hair, but is there actually any benefits to the hair?
Well, sort of.
Between the ages of 10-12 for girls and 11-14 for boys, hormones called androgens are triggered by the pituitary gland. This triggers the apocrine sweat glands to begin functioning – this is the gland that’s associated with armpits and the public area.
Vellus hair follicles you have in childhood to help your body regulate it’s temperature become ‘terminal’ meaning they become thicker and darker in colour.
Leaving the hair in place means you’re pheromones – a chemical that plays a role in sexual attraction – can fester there. According to Healthline: “By leaving the armpit hair intact, you’re helping trap odor, since moisture (sweat) attaches to hair. This makes the pheromones even stronger.”
Other benefits include no friction during physical activity such as running or walking, and it can prevent some health conditions such as
- ingrown hairs
- razor burn
- armpit pimples
- skin tags
- skin irritation
“I used to be so nervous when I got a little bit of stubble because I was afraid someone would see it and say something.”
The turning point for the influencer was when she met her boyfriend, a professional photographer who worked with models including some who had armpit hair.
Intrigued, Nikki wanted to try doing this for a photo shoot herself and ended up loving what she looked like with bushy pits.
It’s just hair follicles – which we all have!
Nikki Serenity
She said: “I asked if he cared if I grew it out and of course he didn’t.
“I thought I would just be doing it for one photoshoot but I ended up falling in love with it [having hairy armpits] like I never expected.”
Sharing her wisdom with others who are fed up of shaving, Nikki also shared her thoughts.
She added: “You just might find that you will gain more confidence and self-esteem just like I did.
“But if it’s not your thing, that’s fine.
“Be yourself and don’t be ashamed of silly things that don’t matter and hurt no one.
“It’s just hair follicles – which we all have!”
