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Why more Australian women are growing their armpit and leg hair in February

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Here's hoping the sales of Lady Remington take a dip this month thanks to Australian women who are growing their armpit and leg hair to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Get Hairy February launched this week with more than 280 women pledging to let their bodies do what nature intended while raising funds for The Full Stop Foundation, an organisation that works to prevent violence against women and provides support to those affected.

The inaugural peer-to-peer campaign has already received $10,000 in donations.

"This is not a negative action campaign, like stopping drinking for FebFast, it's about letting your body do what it's supposed to do. It's about a positive affirmation, rather than a negative one," director Alex Andrews told PS.

Andrews established the initiative about 18-months ago after she gave up shaving. She says it is about ensuring women have the choice to shave or not to shave. She also wants women who chose not to shave to do so without shame and stigma.

Last month Lola Kirke – younger sister of Girls star Jemima Kirke and star of the upcoming film American Made with Tom Cruise – attended the Golden Globes and made headlines for accessorising her floral Andrew Gn gown with hairy armpits.

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She received death threats after posting a video showing off her dance moves wearing nothing but beige underwear and showing off her impressive underarm growth.

 

Red carpet ready!

A video posted by Lola Kirke (@lolakirke) on

"Women's hair really ignites a response. Men grow moustaches and have leg hair, arm hair and facial hair but it never raises questions about their hygiene, their intelligence, their attractiveness or their professionalism like women's does," Andrews said. 

Andrews, a law graduate, has spent months researching the topic of hair.

"All because in 1915, a large company ran an advertising campaign telling us that hair on a woman's legs and underarms was 'ugly and embarrassing'," she said.

While Sydney's laser hair removal clinics are harder to get into than the Masonic Lodge at this time of year, Andrews is hopeful the campaign will take off.

For more information head to gethairyfebruary.org or search "#gethairyfebruary" on social media.