A Gen-Z woman has sparked a debate after revealing she hasn’t shaved in six years.
Georgia Peck, a holistic health coach from the UK, received over half a million likes on her video, in which she lists all the benefits of a razor-free lifestyle.
“I used to shave on a very regular basis for years, and it did feel like a chore, but it also felt necessary, too, as a woman to feel beautiful and hygienic and attractive,” she began.
Highlights
- Georgia Peck, a Gen Z health coach, shared four reasons for choosing not to shave in a viral video.
- She encouraged women to question whether shaving truly makes them feel better or if it’s influenced by societal pressure.
- Her video sparked a wide range of reactions online, with many women sharing their views on body hair removal and beauty standards.
“But over time, I did wonder to myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’”
Georgia Peck, a Gen-Z holistic health coach, sparked debate after explaining why she hasn’t shaved in six years
Image credits: Georgia Peck /YouTube
First, she mentioned that she stopped shaving because the process was a “hassle” that didn’t feel good on her body.
“The spikiness that would begin to grow just a day after shaving was quite uncomfortable. And not to mention the ingrown hairs that would sometimes occur.
“It became another thing I was trying to fix within myself that wasn’t inherently broken.”
Image credits: wildlygeorgia/Instagram
Her second reason for not shaving is the societal double standard between men and women regarding shaving.
“Why is it considered totally normal for men to have body hair but for women it’s considered unattractive and unhygienic?” the Gen-Zer asked.
In a 2024 survey by Galaxus conducted in five European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Italy), almost 80% of women said they shave their legs, compared to just 8% of men.
Meanwhile, 39% of men and 7% of women said they let their body hair grow unchecked.
Georgia said shaving felt “like a chore” and questioned why it seemed necessary to feel beautiful or hygienic as a woman
She went on to explain that many of the products people use to shave armpit and leg hair are “full of hormone-disrupting chemicals,” including fragrances, parabens, and chemically coated blades.
“We’re using them on warm and open pores over sensitive areas. You really have to wonder what this constant exposure is doing to our hormones, our skin barrier, our overall system?”
Image credits: Wildly Georgia
Lastly, Georgia mentioned her desire to feel “wild and natural” in her body, rather than associating beauty with products or procedures that involve “covering up” parts of her face or body.
“Allowing my hair to grow back again was one of the pieces of the puzzle that allowed me to trust my natural rhythm again with a softness and wild beauty that wasn’t shaped by trends or pressures.”
The content creator cited discomfort from shaving, including ingrown hairs, as a reason she stopped
Image credits: wildlygeorgia/Instagram
Georgia concluded the video by emphasizing that her intention wasn’t to convince women to ditch their razors, but to encourage them to shave only if it genuinely made them feel better.
“But if it feels like a chore, or more of a shame-based choice, or a ‘should,’ then maybe it’s time to ask, ‘Why?’ Because true beauty doesn’t come from erasing natural parts of ourselves.”
She also recommended that those who choose to shave use a stainless steel razor instead of a plastic one, and opt for natural oils and creams over synthetic lotions or shaving products.
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska/Unsplash+
In the comments, women shared their thoughts on Georgia's video and their attitudes toward removing body hair.
“Love it. I’m doing it too. So many people give me dirty looks (including in the family) that sometimes I question my choice just because of the shame they put me through,” wrote one TikTok user.
“I've never understood why women having body hair is disgusting; it's so beautiful to me, honestly,” said someone else.
“I could never feel pretty and confident when I don’t shave,” another woman shared.
She also mentioned the gender double standard, questioning why men’s body hair is accepted while women’s is not
“I shave because of my sensory issues, I hate the feeling of hair on my own body; however, if women wanna rock hair, I’m 100% supportive!” a separate user said.
Nina Jablonski, a professor of anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, estimates that the practice of body hair removal started about 500 years ago.
Image credits: wildlygeorgia/Instagram
“We have, through communication with one another, established a globalized practice of removing hair to make women especially look very smooth and have baby-like skin; and for men to retain their body hair,” Jablonski told Allure.
“We tend to think, ‘Oh, these signals are very ancient. These practices are very ancient.’ They're not. This is a pretty recent obsession.”
Georgia clarified she isn’t anti-shaving but wants to encourage women to shave only if it feels genuinely good for them
Image credits: wildlygeorgia/Instagram
Jablonski believes that underarm and pubic hair may have persisted through evolution because it served a key role for our ancestors: helping to disperse odor molecules.
“Today, most of us try to get rid of all of this odor that's produced in our armpits and in our pubic regions,” the professor explains.
“But those odor molecules, at least some of them, are really important for communication about our reproductive status and our attractiveness.”
Today, Georgia and other women— including those behind the #FreeYourPits movement—are challenging these norms by embracing their body hair as a statement of personal freedom and resistance to traditional beauty standards and notions of femininity.
Women shared their thoughts about body hair removal and societal beauty standards
