Your Body Hair & You
Why are we on a search to be a hairless goddess?
In our day and age the lengths people will go to be completely hairless have grown tremendously. We have creams, razors, waxing, sugaring, threading, laser and the demand has only grown by the day and become the most sought after beauty treatment.
Where did this trend start? Through research we’ve found that our cavemen ancestors were the first to shave! Whittling down rocks and scraping it across the skin was the preferred method of the time. However, this was something done for survival. This prevented frostbite and helped in combat so their long hair could not be pulled.
Throughout time our idea of beauty has changed drastically. Believe it or not, there was a day where fashionable meant removing eyebrows and pushing back your hairline so your forehead would seem larger. This they did using oils or ammonia from feline excrement. In later times simply removing all hair from the face but leaving the body hair was the trend. In the late 1800’s the more modern advances began, a cream depilatory for the arms and legs. Though it wasn’t until 1915 that Gillette marketed a razor specifically for women. Many other brands began making products to remove “humiliating” hair from women’s bodies. From there the need has only grown.
Hair removal is not inherently evil. The issue is the misogynistic undertones throughout society that causes women to need to be hairless. Body hair is a natural and normal part of human existence. Why do women try so hard to change that? The pain and stress of painfully ripping it from the follicle or undergoing lasers to avoid growing it at all is huge for many. This is a recurring theme in feminism today, when society defines “rules” for women on how to act, dress, and an impossible beauty standard. We are often shamed when we fall short. For many years you were considered “unclean” if you hadn’t shaved your legs. We were forced into this idea that body hair will leave you undesirable, and for many years that would have been true.
So what is to blame really for this phenomenon?We can see hair removal for beauty sprinkled all throughout history. Modern advances in technology allows “perfect” women to be artificially crafted and plastered everywhere we look. With the rise of pornography we’ve been forced to think that being hairless applies to every inch of our bodies.
Who decides what is “beautiful” today? “Society”, we may chant. The problem is, we are all a member of society. We are all active participants in what is happening. We say the media but it’s only a dramatization of the trends of our world. Some shows that even joke that if you don’t want to sleep around, just don’t shave your legs. You’ll be too ashamed to let someone see.
There’s a clear problem, where does the solution lie? A decision on the part of each and every person to decide what’s right for you and not judge others for their choice. In recent media we have begun to see a rise in body hair positivity! It’s a slow climb but I’m so proud to see that it’s finally begun.
Models, fashion shows, razor ads, and TV shows have begun to show women with their body hair who are proud to show it off. Finally women are able to openly show they are beautiful as they are. Hair removal is not evil, if it makes you feel confident and beautiful to have hair free body parts then that’s what you should do regardless of gender. If you didn’t shave this morning you are not unclean, you are still worthy and you are still beautiful. If you do shave and remove the hair from any part of your body it doesn’t make you promiscuous. I would challenge anyone who’s considering changing your stance on body hair, let it grow for a month. See how it makes you feel. See how few people notice or say a single word. Make the choices you want for your body because it’s what you want, not because society, the media, or any other person chooses for you. Love your body and treasure the power of choice.
Ariel Allen is a freelance writer and Virtual Professional specializing in creative tech and content creation. Contact her at arielallenvp@outlook.com to find out how she can showcase your business.
