Shiyan Zering, a beauty analyst, says young men in particular are opting to remove their body hair. She reveals that 49% of 16 to 24 year old men remove underarm hair and 62% pubic hair.
That's an extraordinary shift from my younger days when teenage boys never had any desire to get rid of their body hair. Why so many of them now see the need isn't clear. Is it to please their girlfriends (or boyfriends)? Is it because they find body hair unattractive?
A few years back I did get laser treatment on my facial stubble, which was profuse. I found it embarrassing because I'd have five o'clock shadow by lunchtime, as if I'd forgotten to shave. I didn't get rid of my stubble completely but it's now much lighter than it was.
I recall one of my blogmates from many years ago saying she liked her husband to be without body hair as she found hairless skin more attractive. She said "If I could make my husband wax or shave from the crotch on up, I would. But he doesn't want to."
I must say I'm so used to seeing images of immaculately-depilated women with super-smooth arms and legs that if women suddenly decided to stay hairy it would be quite a shock. I know many women are so used to purging their body hair that they simply can't bring themselves to leave it intact. But it must be a tedious and costly business removing it all.
I had no idea that young men were getting rid of underarm hair. I wonder if part of the reason is because antiperspirant has gone out of favor among the younger ages?
ReplyDeleteBijoux: I didn't know antiperspirant had gone out of favour. Yes, that might partly explain the trend for shaving underarms.
DeleteThis entire subject is foreign to me. I must ask a grandchild to fill me in.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: I'd be interested in what they have to say!
DeleteI seem to be naturally light on hair, apart from on my head, so I guess I'm lucky - though my eyebrows are very sparse.
ReplyDeleteIf that's what the young people want to do then it's up to them - they'll probably grow out of bothering at some point.
Sx
Ms Scarlet: I think you're right that at some stage they'll decide they can't be bothered any more.
DeleteRemoving body hair is not new. Look at the "Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo and you will not find a single hair. In many cultures body hair has always been removed for religious and other reasons . It's nice to touch a smooth skin , but it's a personal question and people should do what they want even if a clean underarm seems to me a better choice than a wild bush .
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: True, removing body hair has a long history going back to Roman times and earlier. I have a tiny bit of underarm hair which I don't bother to remove.
DeleteThis doesn't surprise me. Maybe that's why the waxing places are so popular.
ReplyDeleteMary: Indeed, I've noticed a lot of waxing places in my neighbourhood. They must do plenty of business as I don't see any of them closing down.
ReplyDeleteSome would have it that it is in the interest of men particularly that women look pre-pubescent, i.e. hairless. Everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThat might be the attraction of a "boy" look in same sex attraction. Who knows.
I have never known the purpose of body hair in our human evolution.
XO
WWW
www: Yes, I guess some men like women to look like little girls rather than mature women. A hint of paedophilia there.
Delete