In late January of 2025, a trend emerged, stemming from an unlikely source: an Etsy review of a bikini. In the review, the buyer included a picture of them wearing it with their pubic hair on display, stating it “radicalized” them.
The review went viral after artist Sujindah posted a TikTok praising the author and crafting the viral phrase “full bush in a bikini,” which other TikTok users immediately adopted and made into a hashtag. Many people on social media used the trending hashtag to share their eye-opening moments of feminist radicalization, fostering conversations about women-related issues.
The trend on TikTok, even if short-lived, was refreshing to see since female body hair continues to be shunned from feminist discourse and media representation. It has become standard for women to not have body hair or not show it that society makes it a spectacle when they do. Why and how has something inherently natural become a taboo topic that provokes societal discomfort?
Both men and women have historically shaved; it is not a new concept. The earliest recording of shaving comes from ancient Egypt, where people shaved their entire bodies for aesthetic and hygiene reasons. However, the contemporary view that hair is unnatural and the physical standard that women should always be hairless is relatively new.
By looking at history, it is easy to see where this idea originated. When the first Playboy magazine hit the newsstands in 1953, it featured a nude photo of a clean-shaven Marilyn Monroe. At the time, Monroe was already considered a sex symbol, desired by men and looked up to by women, but the photo inspired a new norm: Women needed to be hairless to be sexy.
The second wave of feminism and the rise of hippie culture in the late 1960s and 70s rejected the norm of hairless bodies, encouraging body hair growth as a feminist statement instead. However, the expectation of hairlessness never truly disappeared. Instead, it remains the dominant beauty standard to this day.
In an increasingly progressive society, what is holding women back from engaging with their right to enact the saying “my body, my choice”? Many women have shared that they feel pressured by their boyfriends — who are conditioned by pornography to see hairless women — to shave. Another reason could be a general fear of judgment, ostracization or being othered by choosing not to shave because women grow up being told it is unattractive, unfeminine and unhygienic. There is a myriad of reasons why women may feel that they cannot use their bodily anatomy without facing negative consequences.
Whether or not a woman shaves is not an indicator of her identity as a feminist. As many of the TikToks that followed the Etsy review emphasized, the real issue is not whether a woman chooses to go au naturale or have skin resembling a sphynx cat, but rather the societal pressure that makes the choice an obligation rather than a preference.
This is why the “full bush in a bikini” discourse and broader conversations about female body hair — particularly on social media — are so important. As social media continues to grow in influence, the content people consume plays a role in shaping perceptions, especially for young audiences still forming their beliefs and values. Despite progress, women who embrace their natural body hair often face relentless criticism online, even for the slightest amount of fuzz.
Challenging these beauty standards in visible, public spaces helps normalize body hair and empowers women to make choices about their bodies without fear of shame or judgment. If nothing else, this short-lived TikTok trend reinforces a crucial feminist message: Women should not have to justify the choices they make about their bodies to anyone.