I'm a woman with a hairy chest and it makes me feel sexy
I’m a woman with a hairy chest and it makes me feel sexy – I’m so glad I quit shaving
- Esther Calixte-Bea, 26, from Montreal, would ‘obsessively shave’ during school
- READ MORE: Woman felt suicidal for years over excess body hair
A woman feels ‘sexier than ever’ after shedding the razor for good and proudly embracing her chest, leg and armpit hair.
After years of depression, Esther Calixte-Bea, 26, wants to normalize female body hair and raise awareness around ‘hormone sensitivities’ that can cause some women to be hairier than others.
The artist, from Montreal, feels more comfortable in her skin now than when she was constantly attempting to rid her body of hair.
Esther explained that her ‘irregular’ amount of hair actually derives from her family lineage and not from a medical condition.
Esther Calixte-Bea, 26, from Montreal, is ‘proud’ of her chest hair and has accepted her body for what it is
Esther spent years shaving, waxing and removing hair in order to ‘fit in’ in society
‘There is no medical explanation behind my hair – I am just a hairy person.
‘I have recently learnt that the women on my father’s side are quite hairy and it is perfectly normal.
‘I come from the Wè tribe in Ivory Coast, Africa, and the women in my great grandmother’s time were very hairy. It was seen as beautiful.’
Growing up, Esther felt heavily insecure and shy when it came to revealing parts of her body, and would either hide those areas or attempt to remove the hair in various ways.
She said: ‘I obsessively shaved in school to make sure nobody would see my hairy chest.
‘I would freak out if just two hairs appeared. Shaving and waxing caused me tremendous amounts of pain – it was more hassle than it was worth.’
Esther then hit a point in which she felt removing the hair became more of a burden than being hairy itself.
‘It was tiring carrying around a heavy burden and hiding my hair from people. I was so depressed and even suicidal during my teens.
‘However, I eventually decided enough was enough. I stopped shaving and decided to be me.’
Esther began complimenting herself, which boosted her confidence and built her sense of self-love. Then she ditched the razor for good in May 2020.
‘It is the best thing I have ever done as I feel sexier and comfortable in my own skin,’ she said.
Now, Esther wants to challenge society’s ‘beauty standards’ for women.
She added: ‘If women weren’t supposed to have hair, we wouldn’t grow it. It is the society that tells us to shave. I have redefined beauty for myself and I no longer allow society to dictate it for me.’
A continuous, painful routine of removing her thick hair left her ‘depressed’ and ‘suicidal’
Esther is now comfortable to flaunt all of the hairier areas of her body in public and is not phased by other people’s opinions
Ditching the razor in 2020 has improved Esther’s mental health and enabled her to finally love herself
Esther feels ‘feminine’ and encourages other women to embrace their true selves
It took some time before Esther became comfortable enough to flaunt her hair publicly, and found it ‘challenging’ going ‘against the norm.’
She explained: ‘I had to push myself at the start by walking out with short shorts with leg hair. After a few weeks, I began to feel comfortable.
‘People stare but I don’t have to worry anymore. Fear tried to paralyse me.’
According to Esther, the response from people in public and online has been mixed. Many people have turned their noses up and stared while others have ‘saluted’ her for standing out from the crowd.
‘When I am out, people stare a lot. Someone even filmed me once which was weird. But online, the reaction from others has been 90 per cent positive,’ she said.
‘I have received thousands of messages from women all over the globe who thought they were alone.
‘I have shown them that facial and body hair is nothing to be ashamed of.’
The artist regularly paints women with body hair in order to normalize the stigma.
She added: ‘I paint pictures of beautiful women who have hairy bodies. I don’t want hair to be an obstacle anymore. I refuse to victimize myself because of it.
‘But I don’t have to worry anymore, as I have accepted who I am. I have decided what is beautiful for me.’
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