StrongerDust
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For men, growing their facial hair throughout the month of November has become a brilliant, if itchy, way to make money for charity.
Dubbed Movember, the winter month sees chaps of all ages, occupations and facial fur levels get sponsored to grow impressive moustaches in a bid to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.
Last year, an enterprising group of feminists were inspired by the movement to start their own hair-growing charity enterprise and Armpits4August was born.
The idea is simple, throughout the month of August women are encouraged to let their armpit hair grow, asking friends and family to sponsor them to raise money for Verity, the charity for people with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS affects up to 10% of women and a common symptom can be excessive hair growth, so by growing their hair the group say that they are 'working towards having pride in our body hair, not shame.'
As well as raising money and awareness for the PCOS charity the group hope that the action, if picked up by enough women, will be successful in changing attitudes about body hair and femininity.
Currently the idea of growing body hair, especially armpit hair, is alien to most western women.
But why does the subject cause such controversy, and can Armpits4August succeed in making body hair on women norm rather than niche?
One of the organisers of event Tasha Skerman-Gray, 25,appeared on This Morning today to discuss the charity event and encourage women to throw away the razor.
The feminist campaigner, who hasn't shaved any part of her body for four years, proudly showed off her full armpit hair as she debated the issue with hosts Jenni Falconer and Jeff Brazier.
She said: 'I stopped shaving because I was working as a nanny and thought that the children won't care, then I realised that I actually really liked it so decide to stop completely.'
'The reactions aren't as bad as you think. Sometimes people stare, especially on the tube, but I just stare back.
'Originally I was really embarrassed because I wasn't really comfortable with it and I had never seen my own body hair. I worried that people were staring at me and worried what they might think, but after a while I realised "it's totally fine, it's just a part of my body".
'I think my body hair looks really nice. I take pride in my appearance and I don't see why that should include shaving.'
As part of the Armpits4August campaigning group Tasha, who fondly calls her hairy armpits her 'pit kittens', is often demonstrating with other women who refuse to shave, and while most people are sympathetic to their cause, some women have been overtly hostile.
She said: 'When we were doing activity for Armpits4August and there were a lot of us with hairy armpits one women walked past and started retching, and one woman walked past and said she would rather have cancer then hairy armpits, which is obviously really insensitive.'
The subject proved a hot topic on Twitter following the TV debate with hundreds tweeting in support of letting female body hair do its own thing.
One feminist blogger said: '"My bf wouldnt go near me if i had #hairypits" says one Tweeter. Um, change your boyfriend then, not your pits. #saynotobodypolicing'
Another tweeted: 'I think of my body hair as a d!ckhead repellent.'
It's not to late for women to get involved and the group is organising a Pit Party in London at the end of August for people to show off their newly-grown pits with pride.
See armpits4august.org for more details
Dubbed Movember, the winter month sees chaps of all ages, occupations and facial fur levels get sponsored to grow impressive moustaches in a bid to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.
Last year, an enterprising group of feminists were inspired by the movement to start their own hair-growing charity enterprise and Armpits4August was born.
The idea is simple, throughout the month of August women are encouraged to let their armpit hair grow, asking friends and family to sponsor them to raise money for Verity, the charity for people with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS affects up to 10% of women and a common symptom can be excessive hair growth, so by growing their hair the group say that they are 'working towards having pride in our body hair, not shame.'
As well as raising money and awareness for the PCOS charity the group hope that the action, if picked up by enough women, will be successful in changing attitudes about body hair and femininity.
Currently the idea of growing body hair, especially armpit hair, is alien to most western women.
But why does the subject cause such controversy, and can Armpits4August succeed in making body hair on women norm rather than niche?
One of the organisers of event Tasha Skerman-Gray, 25,appeared on This Morning today to discuss the charity event and encourage women to throw away the razor.
The feminist campaigner, who hasn't shaved any part of her body for four years, proudly showed off her full armpit hair as she debated the issue with hosts Jenni Falconer and Jeff Brazier.
She said: 'I stopped shaving because I was working as a nanny and thought that the children won't care, then I realised that I actually really liked it so decide to stop completely.'
'The reactions aren't as bad as you think. Sometimes people stare, especially on the tube, but I just stare back.
'Originally I was really embarrassed because I wasn't really comfortable with it and I had never seen my own body hair. I worried that people were staring at me and worried what they might think, but after a while I realised "it's totally fine, it's just a part of my body".
'I think my body hair looks really nice. I take pride in my appearance and I don't see why that should include shaving.'
As part of the Armpits4August campaigning group Tasha, who fondly calls her hairy armpits her 'pit kittens', is often demonstrating with other women who refuse to shave, and while most people are sympathetic to their cause, some women have been overtly hostile.
She said: 'When we were doing activity for Armpits4August and there were a lot of us with hairy armpits one women walked past and started retching, and one woman walked past and said she would rather have cancer then hairy armpits, which is obviously really insensitive.'
The subject proved a hot topic on Twitter following the TV debate with hundreds tweeting in support of letting female body hair do its own thing.
One feminist blogger said: '"My bf wouldnt go near me if i had #hairypits" says one Tweeter. Um, change your boyfriend then, not your pits. #saynotobodypolicing'
Another tweeted: 'I think of my body hair as a d!ckhead repellent.'
It's not to late for women to get involved and the group is organising a Pit Party in London at the end of August for people to show off their newly-grown pits with pride.
See armpits4august.org for more details
