A Hairy Situation

One of the most intriguing aspects of Nigerian women which I noticed when I reunited with my African sistas is their inability to complete their modern "western-world" influenced look with bare shaved legs. This is a general statement as I have spotted quite a few exceptions but it is a reality that exists nonetheless.

The hairy situation that exists below the knees...fascinating isn't it? Let's find out why.

When I first decided to embark on this article I wanted to explain to myself why Nigerian women, who are known to embrace every single iota of the Western world, have slowly neglected one important aspect of it by clutching onto their African ideals and maintaining a "hairy outlook" below the knees. I would glance corporate women in their offices with very tight (obscenely tight almost) micro mini skirts and Loubotin platform pumps with hairy ghastly looking legs. The juxtaposition of modern day dressing fresh from the runways of Milan and Paris set against hairy overgrown curly hairs just did not present an overall fashionable outlook. Modern day look set against African extremities. Everything else above the knee is modern except the legs, how can it be? This is a country where very few women have natural kinky, unrelaxed hair.

When I went to the villages in Nigeria, I would still see women with hairy legs but the look didn't seem quite as off as it did in the city because these were women with traditional garb from natural plaited hairstyles to noticeable absence of makeup to African styled 'ankara' clothing, shaving just just seemed so out of place for them and it was understandable. I didn't expect them to embrace that at all. It's like expecting your grandmother from the village to shave, she will not comprehend or appreciate the necessity. What is a shaving stick to her? However, for my modern day Lagos women, it was highly expected of them. How can we embrace everything about the Western World from our obsession with designer clothes, to brightly colored makeup and the waistline Asian originated "human hair" extensions, but carefully neglect to extend the welcoming committee to shaving sticks and the mane situation that exists below our knees. We would completely ignore shaving our legs to give it some glimmer, smoothness, suppleness, i.e., rub Vaseline on the thing to make it shine.

The response I received from friends and colleagues as to this question was astounding and illuminating. Asides from shaving battles that even I immediately encountered when I first started shaving, i.e., shaving bumps, ingrown hairs, and rough terrain that exists between shaves fondly known as "bottle", there were other reasons, that are somewhat rooted in our culture. Some called it a "fad" brought upon by the western influences in hopes of pushing on more sales of shaving sticks, sprays, etc.

Most women who lack the shaving etiquette always ascribe it to a lack of time and dedication to a single act that could make such a huge difference in the aesthetic makeup of their legs. Nigerian women immediately point to their men as being responsible for the look. They say everything from, "He doesn't mind it" to "He prefers it." What man truly prefers grown hairs on a woman's leg? Is he trying to be polite so as not to be put in the doghouse if he makes just one more request of the woman's appearance? Or is his preference rooted in something more traditional, that is, he is used to seeing the African woman with visible hairs from the side of her neck to her feet, with everything natural, unfettered, abhorring the Hollywood manufactured plastic look and maintaining some sense of ethnic authenticity. Are our men really that traditional? Or is this the one time they completely want to embrace the natural look, where they shun the big plastic boobs, fake hair and of course, shaved, smooth supple legs? Is this the one time African men actually want to take a stance on how they prefer their women to look?

Most importantly, how many women really care when a man makes this type of unreasonable demand? Actually, quite a few. Not me. Not now, not ever. But then again, I'm single so I may not be a good authority on the matter.

The way I see it is this simple. We as women own our bodies. We own how it should look. If we appreciate and love what we have so will the men in our lives. If we take care of it and present it to them as a masterpiece it will be treated as such. I've found that men treat their bodies this way and women, have little or no say in what they do to their bodies. I've dated chunky men that I've requested to loose weight for health reasons and they've shunned my request. I've dated hairy men that I've requested to shave their full bodied "homeless man" beards and they've ignored me too. Their responses: The women are not complaining. So women, why can't we respond as such when they ask us to grow out any part of our bodies? Or do we prefer that they not put us to task just because some of us are too lazy to put shaving on our agenda? It's your body, take care of it, because if you don't he's not going to complain but he may not respond to you as much as he used to when you used to pamper you. Every time I heard this complaint from women I just thought, how many men have ogled Beyonce's thick hairless thighs even though they would not admit it. If they have, why can't they make the same hairless request of their significant others?

Nigeria is so hot and balmy as it is that the fewer hairs we have shielding our skin the better, better ventilation, better aeration, and a little less odor when the sweat traps in between the hair follicles. That's one of the main reasons why we shave armpit hair. So why can't we extend that same courtesy to our legs?

When I first started shaving my legs it was a personal preference. Granted I am not the hairiest person in the world so it was easy for me to neglect it for a couple of days and not have the hair be visible. But even when it was I would rush to put it on the program before it starts to curl and seem to me, ghastly, and just not in general, a "good look." With time most people have preferred the look of my legs that way and have come to jump on the shaved leg bandwagon, to the extent they request a more frequent shave when I just happen to miss one. That's the way it should be. I feel sexier and more confident when I know my situation is hairless and smooth. I may be barking on the wrong horse here by not embracing the unity in diversity of the shaved/unshaved look but I am yet to see a picture of a hairy woman that I can appreciate. And I dare anyone reading this to send one to me.

So unless you're "Granola" and embracing your tree hugging roots and everything in your house is green or solar powered, you don't eat processed foods and only eat natural organic foods prepared without the use of a microwave, have natural kinky hair that you comb with a wooden comb, make and wear African inspired clothing and have never even heard of Christian Louboutin, grow out your eyebrows till they form a 'unibrow', thus fully embracing your sistahood wholeheartedly, unless you are all this and more, there is really no reason to keep hair anywhere -- the legs, armpits and of course, there.

Trust me, it really just looks better, feels better and is better without it.

Exhibit B

Exhibit C