SUMMER IS A STATE OF MIND: AALIYAH RAMSEY ON LIGHTENING YOUR LUGGAGE OF OPINIONS ON BODY HAIR

Some people may know me from my activism, but if you don't, my name is Aaliyah, and I am from the beautiful city of Manchester. I'm a model, activist, and body hair enthusiast! I have always loved connecting with people, whether that be in real life or online, but I never thought my body hair could spark such a conversation or have the impact that it has had. This is what really started my journey into activism and the body confidence you can find all over my socials.  

SETTING MY OWN STANDARDS

Growing up I never had any fears of my body hair, even though there was such a negative outlook placed on it. I remember the first time I decided not to shave, I was 16 and really diving into feminism – I was (and still am) very into art and dedicated all my work to the movement. When I was doing all this research, I found campaigns like 'Free the Nipple' and saw women being so free and expressive with their bodies, which really inspired me. I wanted to feel that free and, at the time, my body hair felt like the gateway to that freedom. Which is certainly not how it feels when you're growing up; it almost feels like you are meant to be ashamed of something so natural. Not only was my body hair a choice; I also realised it was a statement to the world that I wasn't going to conform to societal beauty standards – I made my own. From being 16 to now 24, my views and how I feel about body hair have never changed. Body hair is an absolute choice and whatever you do with it is up to you!  

Through the power I felt from not conforming to society's beauty standards I learnt to practice self-acceptance and build my confidence. It sounds odd, but as soon as you create your own standard you feel as if you don't need to fit in that box. You can apply this to anything, and you will honestly feel so free!  

Throughout my journey I have always had a huge amount of both positive and negative feedback. Trust me, I have had plenty of people tell me to shave it, told me it would make me "prettier". But I've also been told that showing my body hair and trying to normalise it has made people feel powerful! It's made people feel like they also don’t need to be ashamed of it, which completely outweighs any bad reactions I've had. Honestly, I just love making people feel good and if that's the impact my body hair can have, that's all I'm focused on.  

RESISTING THE EXPECTATIONS OF SUMMER

One of the hardest times for a lot of women can be summer, again because of the beauty standards that are pushed on us. But honestly, summer is one of my favourite times because I love showing my body hair; I love challenging the norms. But I can understand why women feel pressure, especially as – when it comes to shaving body hair – we’re just expected to be clean shaven. The laughable thing is that this idea just comes from the way razors were advertised in the 1950s. Razor companies directed their advertisement schemes at women, which really created this whole idea that women should remove their body hair in the first place. This ultimately led women to feel pressured to conform, resulting in the beauty standard we've come to accept as the norm. When you look at it like this, you start to realise that beauty standards constantly change but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us. Which is why I think everyone should just create their own standard for themselves.  

To me, the idea of a 'summer body' makes me sad because everyone deserves to appreciate their body all year round, regardless of external opinions. I’m not saying you have to love every single thing about yourself, but it helps to appreciate the body you have. We aren’t obliged to change anything just because it's summer – or because somebody else makes us feel we should. So, if you are reading this, let this be your sign to challenge these norms with me! Enjoy your body; shave or don't, wear what you want, don't worry about anyone else. Summer is the perfect time to explore your body and what makes you feel good.  

BE YOUR UNAPOLOGETIC SELF 

I have found one way in particular that makes me feel good, and I never thought it would have the impact it did. One little video I posted on TikTok where I was showing my body hair made so many people feel more comfortable in their own skin, which is what inspired me to continue sharing my story on social media. Even when it came to the negative reactions I would get, it just made me want to share my story even more. I wanted more women to know that it is okay to have body hair, it's okay to be different and more importantly it is okay to not fit into what society has told us is beautiful... you already are.  

If I could give any advice to anyone struggling with self-acceptance or confidence, I would tell them to just be their unapologetic self. Don't worry about the beauty standard or what anyone thinks because at the end of the day what you think is all that matters. Explore what makes you feel beautiful, and the rest will follow.