15 Famous Women Who Refuse To Shave Their Armpits
If you haven't heard of the term from anywhere else, you definitely have heard it on television or seen it hash tagged on Instagram. No shave November is a month long movement where people skip the shaving and waxing in order to raise cancer awareness. By letting our hair grow wildly and freely without the usage of any grooming tools, we are embracing our hair - the same hair that most cancer patients lose. So we are putting down the razors and picking up the conversations that might save a life, teaching each other about cancer prevention and educating our youth on the battle most patients deal with. So if you see someone rocking a full armpit fro during November, then it might be part of the campaign.
But if you see shaggy legs on the red carpet all throughout Spring Fashion week, then it's probably not in honor of No Shave November. It's more likely no shave at all. And that movement isn't necessarily about cancer. It's about learning to be and feel sexy at our most natural states, hairy arms and all. It's about cutting out the idea that body hair can't be beautiful. Millions of people have stopped grooming and trimming and embraced a full head of hair, and not just on top but also everywhere else. Some celebs have even jumped on the wagon. And not only behind closed doors with sleeves rolled down but publicly. And we've got pictures to prove it. Here's a list of 15 celebrities who don't shave their armpits.
15 Madonna
Let us begin with pop's long time reigning champ: Madonna. The "Like a Virgin" singer is most known for surprising the world with either her disputable garbs or shocking critics with her scandalous statements or activities. So when the original envelope pusher posted a pic on her Twitter of her donning a lace bra and revealed a hairy armpit, fans weren't any more surprised or shocked then they've been before. The pop star might not only enjoy growing her hair but shaving symbols into them. Early this year, Madonna shared a picture of the Nike logo formed out of (what many assumed was) her shaved pubic hair, only to announce shortly afterwards that she will be taking part in this year's women's march in Washington DC. Her fans seem to think the model in the photograph is the queen herself but critics are skeptical. I mean it definitely sounds like "SMWD" or 'something Madonna would do'.
14 Miley Cyrus
If you could think of any celebrity who was letting anything go wild and free, it would probably be Miley Cyrus. The wholesome Disney princess (turned one of the biggest controversies of pop music) got some major attention some years ago when she posted a pic that included a little peach fuzz under her armpit. The Internet was divided between patrons who agreed and critics who couldn't stand it. Little did Miley's Twitter followers know that she wasn't the first and definitely won't be the last to bare a hairy pit for the world to see. Luckily, loyal fans came running to Miley's defense knocking down the creepers once and for all, not that she needed the help. But I'm sure as soon as Miley posts an armpit picture again those trolls will be right there to hate on it.
13 Julia Roberts
One of America's sweethearts surprised all of us at a 1999 premiere of Notting Hill, where Julia Roberts showed us a sparkly red dress and a hairy armpit. Back then, Roberts was a well-known supporter of the Gucci Chime for Change Campaign, which aimed to raise funds and awareness of women's issues globally. So it was no surprise that she first wanted to raise her own women's issue, coming to the realization that hair growth in places other than our heads is perfectly normal. It's definitely not easy. But a naturally pretty woman can pull it off, and Julia played that role very well. Get it? Because she starred in movie called Pretty Woman? It was a pun on her previous movie. Anyway, there were a few newspapers who caught sight of the hair fiasco and tried to come for Roberts, but she's still on top.
12 Beyoncé
So I don't know if this was a mistake or not but the Queen Bee was spotted with pits that were just a little hairy. Beyoncé arrived to a 2009 premiere of Cadillac Records sprouting a baby bush under her left pit. Now let's say she doesn't ever shave her armpits, and women shave their armpits because they want men to find them sexy, right? (Not right.) This couldn't be true for two reasons: 1. I've seen Bee with cleanly shaven underarms before, and 2. Clearly she doesn't need a man's attention because she's already got a man and he put a ring on it. Guys, Beyoncé's a grown woman, she can do whatever she wants. I, for one, think she just forgot or just got tired because razors can be troublesome. But either way fans are supportive of her choice.
11 Drew Barrymore
Who doesn't love Drew Barrymore? She has certainly come a long way from her childhood role in E.T. From the romantic to the comedy to the dramatic, Drew has shown us all in blockbuster hit after hit. But these days, that's not all she's showing us. Drew went through a bit of a rebellious stage in her teenage days but has gracefully become the flower we all knew she could be. And in all free and wild flower fashion, Drew let her armpit weeds bloom. Drew let those bad boys flourish for most of the 2000s, constantly being seen and photographed with armpit hair in full view. She may still have a little rebellious streak in her after all or she might just be embracing a more natural self, either way Barrymore is doing what we all should be doing -- not paying attention to what anyone else thinks about her.
10 Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren began her film career in 1950 at age 15. She is an Italian film actress most notable for her appearances in The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and It Started in Naples. She went on to become the first artist to win an Oscar for a foreign language performance back in 1961. But that isn't the only first she is notable for. Sophia was one of the first to parade around a hairy armpit and not be ashamed for doing so. Fans knew Sophia then as a symbol of true sex appeal and class. She is now a beautiful 82 years old, and unfortunately though she keeps her hands down to her side more often these days, we hope that she's still rocking a hairy pit for all her true fans. And we would still love to see it one of these days.
9 Kelly Rowland
The Destiny's Child star, Kelly Rowland, has been spotted several times with hair under her arms. The singer/actress has been in the business for over 17 years with 60 million records sold with Destiny's Child and 27 million records sold as a solo artist. So during her time in the industry, I'm sure Kelly's seen plenty of armpits. And with all the years that she's given us and the countless hits, she can pretty much do whatever she wants. Regardless of if she does shave or not, we love her anyway. Kelly's armpits were sighted in a few places, but it was the appearance Kelly made at a beauty award ceremony that really got some attention. Leaving us to decide whether Kelly not shaving for the ceremony was a statement or just another hair-full night. Either way you have our support Kelly.
8 Britney Spears
Oops she did it again, and this time it had to be on purpose. Those pits look like they haven't been shaven in weeks. The pop princess Britney Spears was caught at the 31st Annual American Music Awards accessorizing with a fabulous dress and hairy armpits. Britney was spotted several times with hairy armpits, but sources say not to worry, this isn't a stunt the pop singer pulls on a regular. So in other words "sometime she runs, sometime she hides", and sometimes she's just plain old lazy. That song never gets old. I think we all really wish the "Hit me baby one more time" singer didn't shave, like, ever. It would kind of be badass, and no one can do it like Britney. After all, the woman helped carry the 90s on a silver platter. So she can shave or not shave whenever she wants to.
7 Scout Willis
When someone has a child, you either expect her (or him) to come out looking like the father or the mother. But Scout Willis, daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, came out looking like the perfect combination of the two. The 25-year-old activist, who uses her public platform to discuss body politics, has been seen sporting a hairy armpit. It's no surprise that the "Free the Nipple" enthusiast is embracing her body the way it is. I mean if the girl is willing to free her nipple for the public, then her body hair is nothing. Scout has been pictured several times around the way with the likes of a hairy armpit and isn't shy about being vocal when it comes to her body and the bodies of all women. At the end of the day, it's not just about hair for Scout.
6 Jemima Kirke
The HBO "Girls" star, Jemima Kirke, made splashes at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards with her stunning red two-piece gown by Rosie Assoulin. But that wasn't the only thing she was wearing that caught our attention. She was seen bearing an underarm full of hair that didn't exactly match the dress but sure did complement it. These days, you can find Jemima wrapping up taping of "Girls" for their last season and rocking a new short hair do after chopping off her hip length locks. It's seems like Jemima's under arm hair isn't the only hair on the body she's keeps trimmed. Of course, Twitter had something to say about Jemima's underarms. But the 30-year-old quickly clapped back putting up a picture of icon Sophia Loren and referring to her unkempt under arms as a "personal preference."
5 Mo'Nique
Actress and funny lady Mo'Nique doesn't believe in shaving her arms or legs. In 2006, Mo'Nique spoke out about her body hair with the View's Barbara Walters and showed all of America "what a real leg looks like." Monique has been spotted several places with unshaven legs, but it was her 2010 Golden Globes appearance that really stirred the pot. But In 2015, the comedian seemed to change her tune. She appeared on the "Wendy Williams Show" and said that though she still feels the same way about the body hair, she had to start shaving because she began losing hair that left behind patches. She also denied that she started shaving to conform to people's expectations. Well for however long that lasted, she was one of our heroes, telling the world 'I'm not going to look like what you think I should look like.' We miss those unshaven legs already.
4 Lisa Bonet
Whether you knew her from the "Cosby Show" or "A Different World", you loved her all the same. Lisa Bonet was the girl we all wanted to be in the 90s: Cool, calm, carefree and with a great sense of style. Unfortunately we don't see her much these days. Her last film appearance was in 2013 in Road to Paloma. Back then, when she was all over television, she was known for many things, including hairy armpits. Before the "Cosby Show", Lisa got her start competing in beauty pageants. So rocking an under arm bush isn't exactly what she's learned from all her pageantry, but I guess we all go through different stages. We haven't checked up on her, but if you're looking for Miss Bonet, you could probably find her tending to her three children and hopefully still sporting a hairy underarm.
3 Patti Smith
The godmother of punk Patti Smith, who was most popular in the 1970s', dedicated an entire album cover to her hairy underarms. In 1978, however, Patti released the cover of her album for "Easter", which was a picture of a Patti with her arms raised to her head and exposing some hairy armpits. Patti was known most for her influence on the punk rock movement, but she was also renowned for her rebellious streak. The album cover not only was empowering but triumphant. "Easter" turned out to be Patti's most successful record, outselling any other album or singles she's had in the past. We can't entirely base her fame on her hairy armpits, I'm sure her talent had something to do with it. However the hairy armpit had to have helped. Patti is currently 70 years old and was still performing up to 3 years prior. She seems pretty fearless with armpit hair and all.
2 Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis soared to fame for her role in Martin Scorsese's 1992 remake of the thriller Cape Fear, which she was nominated for both an Academy award and Golden Globe for best supporting actress. In addition to Juliette being an amazing actress, she also launched a career as a solo singer and musician, leading the American rock band Juliette and the Licks until 2009. She went solo after the band split up in 2009. Between being an actress and singer, what could you possibly have more time for? Well, apparently not using a razor. Juliette was captured several times with hair under her arms and no apologies were given. Having hairy armpits in no way stopped Juliette from doing what she wants and we kind of appreciate that. Juliette's last film in 2013 titled August: Osage County awarded her a nomination for outstanding performance by the Screen Actors Guild.
1 Mayim Bialik
The "Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik plays a brilliant neurobiologist in the show, but she's also pretty brilliant in real life. Bialik claims that she's been a feminist since she was 14, which was probably hard to explain to her cast mates, let alone herself, on the show "Blossom". Bialik said she used to be teased by co-star Joey Lawrence for it when they both started on the show. It's not simply that Bialik doesn't like to shave or doesn't do it often, she actually has never used a razor. Also, she says that she views shaving as a conformity that she finds repulsive. She says that kids were doing it young because they thought it was a "grown up" thing to do, but she had always seen it as a waste of time. Bialik isn't terribly hairy (having never shaved in her entire life) but if you look closely in some of her pictures, you can see some hair.