Coloured pits are armpowering

22 June 2015 - 02:02 By Staff Reporter

A new summer trend has sprouted in the US and it looks set to hit South Africa soon. However, it has nothing to do with fashion or diets. Instead the focus in on women growing and dyeing their armpit hair. CNN reports that women are challenging the norm and embracing their natural underarm hair by posting photos on social media. Teenage blogger Destiny M started an online craze last year when she challenged other women to grow and dye their armpit hair.The reasons range from feminist ideology to just plain loving the natural look, feel and convenience. In China feminist Xiao Meili started an armpit-hair competition on the micro-blogging site Weibo, and dozens submitted their photos."Women should have the right to decide how to deal with their bodies, including small details like armpit hair," Xiao told CNN.The "free to be hairy" notion has caught the attention of Hollywood stars, too. Madonna showcased armpit hair on Instagram in March with the caption "Long hair ... Don't Care!!!!!! #artforfreedom #rebelheart #revolutionoflove."Miley Cyrus and Girls star Jemima Kirke have also sprouted the look. "It's just my own personal preference. That being said please can we stop talking about pits?" Kirke tweeted recently.But not everyone is buying into the trend. Susan Denely, the lifestyle editor at the LA Times, said there had been a 22% growth in the sale of women's shaving and hair removal devices in the past year in the US...

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