I am 13 and am very hairy. I have super hairy arms and legs. I have hair on my stomach and back too. Summer is coming and that means shorts, tank tops, crop tops, and bikinis. How do I hide that I am hairy? I do shave a lot, though. I feel like people constantly judge me for something that I can't control. Also, I am worried that people will think I am ugly because the beauty standards for girls is no hair on your body. I have lots of social anxiety, so it makes me really insecure, and litterally yesterday I had a panic attack in the middle of a live orchestra rehearsal. What can I do to feel beautiful this summer, and to not feel judged?
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I am sorry for you and I hope I can help at least a little bit. When I was your age, large bluish spots suddenly appeared on my right leg from my thigh down to my ankle. No doctor had an idea what they were, so there was nothing I could do (luckily those spots disappeared, but that was years later). I was shocked how ugly my leg looked and I couldn‘t bring myself to wear short trousers or a bathing suit anymore. Then I realised that I was missing out on a lot of fun, especially swimming. My friends knew about these spots because of school activities like lessons in sports and swimming. They were very supportive and they never gave me the feeling that anything was wrong with me. This was so important to me! So one day I was brave enough to visit a public pool with my friends and I wore a bathing suit. There were a few people who said „Oh, look, how disgusting“, but I felt strong enough to just ignore that, because I was not alone.
And the most important thing I learned by showing my legs again was that the vast majority of people didn‘t notice, didn‘t care or just didn‘t say anything and I‘d have never known that if I hadn‘t tried!
So here is my suggestion: Tell people you trust about your problem and make sure they are with you when you go out. I‘m sure you will feel less scared when you are not alone.
And of course there is nothing wrong with you!
Thank you so much for the advice! I am glad that you were able to overcome your fear of showing your legs.
