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Women are dyeing their armpit hair in this colorful new trend

Women are growing out their armpit hair and dyeing it funky colors like bright green and neon pink.
/ Source: TODAY

No, you're not seeing things. In a colorful new trend, women are growing out their armpit hair and dyeing it funky colors like bright green and neon pink.

For many women, who post photos of their colored pits on social media, the movement is all about sending a message of self-confidence and positive body image. One woman who tried the trend told TODAY.com she grows her armpit hair out because it's more comfortable that way — but dyeing it was just for fun.

Mary Hartshorn of The Feminist Society of Pensacola shows off her teal armpit hair.
Mary Hartshorn of The Feminist Society of Pensacola shows off her teal armpit hair.

"People assume that when you grow out your armpit hair, you're trying to be radical and showy of your feminism," Meg Zulch, 20, told TODAY.com. "But it's not about that."

"Dyeing is a trend, but being who you are, growing out your armpit hair, feminism, those aren't trends," added Zulch, who lives in New York City.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about the armpit hair movement

In May, pop star Miley Cyrus posted an Instagram photo showing off her pink pits, and The New York Times even more recently picked up on the trend.

"When I saw Miley Cyrus do it, I was like, I have to do this," Zulch said. "I have the armpit hair to do it, so I may as well."

The website Free Your Pits blogs about how armpit hair is empowering women, and features women’s stories about why they decided to grow it out, and in some cases, dye their armpit hair. In the past several months, many how-to guides have launched on YouTube, where experts explain, step by step, how to safely bleach and then color the hair while protecting delicate skin. Zulch even wrote an explainer for the women's website Bustle.

In another video from last fall, a Seattle teenager shows off her blue underarms, dyed with the Manic Panic shade Voodoo Blue.

"I find it really cute," Destiny Moreno explains in a separate video, comparing her colorful underarms to a "fashion accessory."

"We're all conditioned to shame body hair ... but it's important to question why you think these things," she added.

Inspired by the movement, some groups of feminists are even hosting "pit-ins," where they gather to dye their armpit hair as a group.

Kara Woodson, another member of The Feminist Society of Pensacola, took part in the 'pit-in.'
Kara Woodson, another member of The Feminist Society of Pensacola, took part in the 'pit-in.'

"We sipped mimosas, talked about feminist things and dyed our pits teal," Ashley Faulkner of The Feminist Society of Pensacola in Florida, which hosted a pit-in in April, told TODAY.com.

The group chose teal in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the following weekend, they showed off their colorful pits while running a 5K to support local victims of sexual assault, Faulkner said.

"Boy, did it get people talking. You definitely don't see women walking around au naturel down South," she added. "But most of the conversation was very positive. There was a little negativity, but we shook that off and kept on going our merry way."