Unshaven Mavens

Now that the dust has settled, the final tally posted, and the pits returned to clean shave status, I thought I would share with you all my personal six week shave-a-holic rehabilitation.

Why I started this madness
Like most women I know, I’ve known someone that has been affected by breast cancer. My mother found a lump in her breast in her early 20s (thankfully it was benign), and my aunt was diagnosed and overcame breast cancer after a double mastectomy a few years ago. We all know that early detection saves lives. And thanks to cutting edge research and early detection education, more and more women are beating breast cancer.

This is why we decided to focus our efforts on reaching women under 40, in particular the early 20 demographic. But we wanted to come at it from a different angle. Rather than fear-based campaigns, we wanted to infuse Breast Cancer Awareness Month with some humour, and with the support of our friends and family, Unshaven Mavens was born.

My hair-raising journey
Being the shave-a-holic that I was, I’ll admit it, I was freaked out at the prospect of not shaving for an entire month, let a lone even a single day. The first week was like going through detox. I had to get clean: “Hello my name is Amie, and I shave every day”. Despite a few near relapses, as week one came and went and through daily motivational chants (“I am Amie’s inner Maven. I will not be ignored!”) my demons were eventually exorcised, and the shaver became a sad-looking torture device sitting on the ledge of the bathtub. I started to feel free of the clutches of the beauty myth.

Although I had conquered my inner demons, I still had some anxiety about documenting the progress. However my inner Maven was strong enough to convince me to “suck it up princess, and walk the walk”. I was not only one of the founders, I was also a participant. If I wasn’t going to give it 100%, how could I expect the other Mavens to follow suit. With that, I embraced my stubble and raised my arm in solidarity with the others Mavens who so bravely accepted the “pit for tits” challenge.

By the time the Red CarPIT Bash arrived, my views about my underarm hair had completely changed. I was one with my hairy pits. I still wouldn’t sport a spaghetti strap top and hail a cab, even if you paid me (that’s step 12 in the rehab process). With increased awareness of my pits (as to be expected) and even though it looked like I was growing a shag carpet under my arm, I began to incorporate a new ritual into my daily routine: checking for lumps under my arm. With all that spare time in the shower no longer dedicated to shaving my pits, I might as well check for lumps, right?

After nearly six weeks of growth – thanks to a generous donor who tipped me over my goal amount, adding an extra week – I replaced one obsession with another. I no longer shave every day but I do check my underarm daily. Excessive? Not if you consider the following:

When breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate for women ages 20-39 is close to 90%.  Rethinkbreastcancer.com

I also will no longer wear antiperspirant - only organic, all natural products (like Green Beaver) for these pits, thank you!

So with that, I salute all the women (and men) who supported, donated, took part and sponsored this quirky initiative. I look forward to our second “pits for tits” campaign and hope you’ll consider becoming a Maven/Maverick next year.

Amie

p.s. For those of you wondering what 6 weeks growth looks like…