Are you among the millions of men and women who constantly have to wax or bleach unattractive hair? Or who struggle to keep your hairy back and shoulders out of the public eye?
You are not alone!
Statistics show that the vast majority of men and women remove the hair from their legs, armpits, and face.
Culture of Body Hair Removal
Women and men choose body hair removal (including arms, face, and other regions) for a multitude of reasons including hygiene, aesthetics, fashion, class symbolism, and cultural symbolism.
Among women in particular, removal of body hair was not widely practiced throughout the middle ages, Renaissance, and Victorian era all the way until the late 1900s.
Beginning with the 20th century, as arms and legs became more exposed, the first razor for women was introduced into the market along with the message that body hair is “unsightly” and “objectionable” and thus needed to be removed.
Not incidentally, introducing hair removal solutions to Americans coincided with substantial changes in clothing, especially for the upper class. Hemlines shortened to reveal ankles, and sleeves on dresses retreated to show more bare arms.