So many "amen!" moments in here, Shanshan! I especially enjoyed and applauded your encouragement of self-awareness about external vs internal validation and not letting self-loathing or shame drive your choices about body hair (and by extrapolation any of your choices about yourself).

I've read articles (here or elsewhere, I cannot recall) about how one theorized evolutionary purpose of armpit and pubic hair is actually to concentrate pheromones. This affects sexual cues and response, menstruation, and all sorts of healthy functions. And I can vouch personally that I adore nuzzling into those scent-rich parts of a female partner's body, whether with hair, clean-shaven, or somewhere in between.

Cheers!