Interviews/Articles:

 

Huffington Post - Nov 9th, 2015 - ’14 Photos Show How Liberating It Can Be To Go All Natural’http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/14-photos-show-how-liberating-it-can-be-to-go-all-natural-nsfw_563cf236e4b0411d3070e08f

 

German Cosmopolitan Magazine - Oct 27th, 2015 -http://www.cosmopolitan.de/nikki-silver-unshaven-der-neueste-body-trend-lasst-wachsen-statt-waxen-67755.html

 

Cosmopolitan Magazine - Oct 22nd, 2015 - ’These Women Show That Being Hairy AF Can Be Sexy’http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/news/a48063/women-show-that-hairy-can-be-sexy-nsfw/

 

 

Interview:

 

Do you think most women shave because of OTHER people? Like, to please them etc?

 

 

I think women or femme people shave for a myriad of complex reasons which are a combination of personal preference and experience, as well as outside pressures from individuals and society.

 

Different beauty rituals make individual women feel comfortable and beautiful in their own skin. Sometimes the responses we get from others, especially those we are interested in romantically can guide what we do to feel beautiful.

 

I do think women have been trained to seek that feeling of ‘beautiful’ from almost solely an outside, and largely male, gaze. Such a heavy focus on an outside gaze is not healthy for any individual, regardless of who that gaze is from.

 

Figuring out how one wants to present and taking steps towards this is a really powerful and exciting thing. It’s just very different for different people. For some women that means dyed hair, hair extensions, long acrylic nails, tattoos, and lots of make up, all of which they work very hard to learn how to do in the style they want. Especially in terms of gender, it’s very important for people to feel empowered to present the way they’d like to.

 

For myself it means being more natural. It means growing my hair out (on my head and otherwise), it means staying physically active and eating healthy. It means rubbing my body down in coconut oil every few days. It means my growing collection of gem-centric jewelry that only I can decide whether it’s ‘me.’ It means surrounding myself in herbs and essential oils. 

 

I hope my book Unshaven encourages women, and everyone, not to simply not shave, but consider it as a viable option, when maybe they haven’t before. That they too could incorporate that choice into part of their personal aesthetic and make it their own. It's all about personal choice and not just respecting the personal choices of others, but strongly encouraging it. 

 

 

 

Some people think not to shave is unhygienic. What do you think about that?

 

 

I think this concern is very silly. Men don’t shave or trim all the time and I’ve never heard anyone be concerned about that being unhygienic. So it just seems like a purely sexist concern to me, a double standard.

 

Interestingly, one of my partners the other day said that my vagina was actually a lot 'fresher’ than most people he’s slept with. It was a funny comment to me because my pubic hair does hold in a lot of moisture and scent.

 

He attributed it to the fact that I’m very involved with my full body all the time, every day. I play with my pubic hair while I sit at the computer, put coconut oil inside myself and on my pubic hair, masturbate, have sex, run around naked, stretch etc., so my vagina sees fresh air all day.

 

I think that’s healthy and good! I think everyone should let their vagina’s breath and do nice things like giving them healing oils and fresh water (on the outside, not the inside!).

 

 

Did you ever have a partner who wanted you to be shaved?

 

 

Nope. The first impression most people get from me is that I'm going to do what I want regardless of what others think. I shot a model the other day and we talked about how that comes really naturally to both of us, to 'not give a fuck.' And that, that really doesn't come naturally to a lot of people, especially women. I hope my work helps make it a little easier for others to do that. Not because I'm more evolved than anyone else or a role model, but just to show women that they are the masters of their own destiny and can do whatever they like.

 

Male and social approval really becomes meaningless once you start being investing in yourself and your self care.