7 Celebs Who Proudly Don't Shave Their Armpits

Have you ever wondered why many feel the pressure to shave their underarms when there are so many health benefits to not shaving your armpits? If so, you're not alone. As it turns out, many celebrities have asked themselves the same question, with some like Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Paris Jackson, Ashley Graham, and Emily Ratajkowski proudly foregoing shaving their armpits altogether.

Aside from simply preferring a more full-bodied, au naturel look, many A-listers are probably keen on all of the other benefits of foregoing the razor, as well. But don't just take our word for it. "You won't have to shave or choose shaving cream," board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, MD, told Vogue in 2023 about some of the perks of not shaving your underarms. "[That] means that you won't have to deal with razor burn or cuts or nicks, and the risk of ingrown hairs will also decrease," she continued. "Also, having hair in the area reduces friction from skin-on-skin contact, so risk of irritation and chafing are also likely to decrease," she explained. 

But there's another layer as to why one might choose not to shave their armpits — and it's steeped in a desire to no longer conform to antiquated conventional beauty standards that were put into practice as early as 1915, when Gillette first started marketing razors to women.

Julia Roberts caused quite the commotion in 1999 when she arrived on the red carpet at the "Notting Hill" premiere in London, all decked out in a shimmering red sequin shift dress by Vivienne Tam. Still, it wasn't the dress that got everyone talking, but the way in which the cap sleeves accentuated her underarm hair. Sadly, Roberts' armpit hair went on to launch a global hygiene debate. 

Years later, Roberts said that her armpit hair wasn't her way of making a "statement" or starting a debate. "I think I just hadn't really calculated my sleeve length and the waving. And how those two things would go together and reveal personal things about me," she explained during a 2018 appearance on "Busy Tonight" (via E! News). 

While Sophia Loren is perhaps best known for her successful acting career, she is also beloved by many for her timeless beauty, her impeccable fashion sense, and for being well ahead of her time in her anti-shaving stance. Long after many women had started shaving their armpits, Loren quietly resisted the growing trend by proudly sporting her underarm hair while modeling a plethora of designer dresses and swimsuits. "Sophia Loren wore armpit hair even with sleeveless gowns. She didn't yell at people for not following her example but she got movie rolls and was photographed as an icon all the same," one X user tweeted about the silent but bold beauty statement Loren made with her underarms.

In April 2015, singer and songwriter Miley Cyrus posted a photo of herself on Instagram unabashedly sporting underarm hair (via Bustle). Alas, she really got the masses talking the following month when she fully embraced her armpit tresses by dyeing them a playful shade of pink. "#Selfie" Cyrus penned in the caption along with a photo of herself showing off her bubblegum pink pits (via E! News). Alas, in July 2015, Cyrus posted a photo of her armpits covered in wax with the somber caption, "R.I.P. P.I.T." (via E! News).

Madonna, aka "Madge," has never been one to go with the crowd. "I never wanted to do what everybody did. I thought it was cooler to not shave my legs or under my arms," she penned in a Harper's Bazaar essay in 2013, while also mulling over the age-old question: Why do we have armpit hair in the first place? Then, in 2014, Madonna proudly treated her Instagram followers to an up-close and personal peek at her underarm hair. "Long hair...... Don't Care!!!!!!" she wrote (via E! News) along with a photo of herself striking a pose in a black bodice while boldly showing off her underarm hair.

Paris Jackson also proudly skips shaving her armpits. However, she's less than thrilled when it comes to internet trolls chastising her for supposedly flaunting her choice. After posting a video acknowledging her late father Michael Jackson's birthday in August 2023, Jackson was met with a flurry of comments accusing her of purposely making her armpit hair visible as she took a moment to pull her hair back, per People. "i was pulling my hair up to show my glass cutting jawline," she clapped back in a tweet. As reported by Business Insider, Paris was also publicly spotted rocking armpit hair in September 2017 while attending the MTV Video Music Awards.

Supermodel Ashley Graham has built an entire career on defying conventional beauty standards as a staunch advocate for body positivity. While quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic, Graham showed off her armpit hair during a virtual appearance on the "TODAY" show, issuing a caveat that her mother was "fully disgusted with that by the way, but it's just — things don't matter anymore." And for the record, she prefers a full-bodied, au naturel look in other areas, too. "I have a full bush," she declared during a question-and-answer session with Glamour in 2017. 

Speaking of models, it appears Emily Ratajkowski isn't afraid of a little armpit hair now and then, either. "I tend to like to shave, but sometimes letting my body hair grow out is what makes me feel sexy," she wrote in an essay for Harper's Bazaar in 2019. To further illustrate that point, she uploaded a photo of herself on Instagram in a black lacy bra with swaths of armpit hair, to boot. "Do your thing ladies, whatever it might be," she penned in part in the caption.