19 Celebrities Normalizing Armpit, Leg, and Other Body Hair

In September 2023, Alyson Stoner — the actor, singer, and dancer most widely known for her appearances in Missy Elliott’s “Work It” and “Gossip Folks” music videos (as well as the tribute two decades later at the 2019 MTV VMAs) — opened up about how body hair is directly tied to body image. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “I present to you my reclamation of beautiful, natural body hair! The only narrative I heard growing up on set and in society was that hair on female bodies was unsightly, disgusting, and embarrassing. I shaved, lasered, waxed, tweezed.. instead of it being an empowered choice and personal preference, every hair had to be eliminated or else my ‘womanhood’ and desirability were at stake!”

She adds that these days, she lets her body hair grow for “a few weeks, a few years, shaving occasionally, shaving never, manicuring some places, waxing everywhere (ok prob not)” without looking at it from a place of internalized judgement. She continued, “I finally understand that body hair is sexy on everyone, if that’s what feels true and good to you!”