It’s the entire year 2019 but for the very first time ever, there’s actual body hair inside a razor commercial for women. What happened to everyone the hairless legs, smoothed armpits, and ‘perfectly’ photoshopped bikini lines?
Well, these ads remain (just as blue tampon ads still do), but realistic body image is proper around the corner, and we’re here for enough time when all bodies are appreciated.
“No you’ve body hair on television. You grow up thinking that’s normal and easily attainable.”
After we reveled inside newness of Billie’s razor ad, we also wondered: How has body hair shaped us and why does it bring such visceral reactions from the masses?
Maybe the result, like many cultural answers, is history — body hair removal can be traced back for hundreds of years.
The history of body techniques
According for the Women’s Museum of California, laser hair removal in Ancient Rome was often seen as an identifier of status. Wealthier women would find different ways to take out their body hair, including using pumice stones.
The first relatively safe shaving instrument was developed in 1769 by French barber Jean-Jacques Perret. This initial traditional hair removal tool was incrementally refined through the years in order to create a safer instrument that you will find utilised by the masses. William Henson added his contribution by creating the “hoe-shaped” razor, the look many people are aware of today.
Fahs’ results said nearly all women were disgusted through the concept of body hair, each of their unique as well as the thought of other women allowing their hair to cultivate out.
However, it wasn’t until a traveling salesman named King Camp Gillette combined the contour of Henson’s razor together with his desire to make shaving easier that the first disposable double-edged blade was invented in 1901.
This effectively eliminated the requirement to sharpen shaving blades after each shave and possibly reduced the likelihood of skin irritation.
A couple of years later, Gillette designed a razor for girls called Milady Décolleté This new women-friendly release and the chicas peludas difference in women’s fashion — the sleeveless tops, shorter skirts, and summer dresses — influenced a growing number of women to remove the head of hair growing on the legs and underarms.
During the 1960s, some movements — often hippie or feminist anyway — encouraged an even more “natural” look, but many women of these time were picking techniques wherever they saw fit.
Over time, pop culture and the media fueled this hairless trend because acceptable standard by constantly portraying perfectly smooth bodies.
“I let you know for the women I date that I love body hair. On me. On them. It actually turns me on.”
In a 2013 study, scholar Breanne Fahs conducted two experiments surrounding women and their relationship with body hair, specifically what they regarded hairiness.
Fahs results said that many women were disgusted through the concept of body hair, each of their unique and also the thought of other women allowing their hair to grow out.
The second section of Fahs’ study challenged participants to permit their body hair to grow for 10 weeks and a journal regarding the experience. The results says the participating women thought obsessively regarding body hair as well as refused to have interaction with others in the experiment.
And like Fahs, we had arrived also fascinated through the relationship between those that recognize womanhood in addition to their relationship with body hair, and we all did our own research. After all, following the day, it’s a personal preference.
What 10 women had to say about their body hair, removing it, the stigmas, and themselves
On how body hair affects their actions and interactions web-sites
Share on Pinterest
“When first dating someone, I make sure to generate my figure hair visible. If she reacts negatively, then I discontinue relations together with her. When we have intercourse to the first time, I similarly gauge her reaction; nonchalance and awe will be the only acceptable reactions.”
“I make an effort to hide my body system as much as I can when I’m hairy. In the summer it’s so faithfully to constantly shave and I lag a good deal since I stood a baby so I get long sleeve tees or long pants a whole lot a lot more than I should!”
“I accustomed to always wax/Nair when I had new partners, the good news is I really don’t care. I definitely still get rid of underarm hair for going sleeveless, especially in work and formal settings. I feel pressured to do so and I’m too exhausted to convince people that my body is actually mine of these spaces.”
“It doesn’t. At least not right now. It’s a me thing.”
“Not even a little. I make it clear on the women I date that I love body hair. On me. On them. It actually turns me on.”
“I may avoid sleeveless clothing if my underarm locks are long. Everything else is identical.”
Chicas peludas xxx videos
“I don’t shave my vagina — except to trim for convenience during sex — and I infrequently shave my armpits. I don’t do these items because 1. these are tedious and frustrating; 2. if men don’t should do it, how come I; and 3. I like the best way my body system feels and looks with hair.”
“Yes, but ‘regularly’ can be a loose term. I do when I be sure you undertake it or if it’s destined to be needed for me to show a particular portion of my body system. I have really fine and sparse leg hair so I often forget to remove it until I see an embarrassingly long hair. I’m more regular with removing the head of hair under my arms.”
“Yes, oh my goodness yes. Since pregnancy my hair initiated a policy of arriving course and fast! I can’t cope with all of the stubborn and thick growth of hair.”
“It’s be a habit and I’m accustomed to my mostly hairless body.”
“I don’t regularly remove my hair. I only turn to shaving my pubes when I can’t stop fiddling by it.”
On preferred method of body laser hair removal
Share on Pinterest
“I’ve always used a razor. I guess I was only shown using this method also it gave the impression to help me. I’ve since learned what blades perform best and the way to take better proper care of my skin. I’ve considered waxing nevertheless it seems more invasive and painful. I shave many times weekly. Might be obsessive regarding it.”
“I prefer a chemical hair remover because shaving and waxing have unwanted effects on my own sensitive skin.”
“I like waxing and ultizing Nair. Waxing because I don’t should do it as frequently and I use Nair in the event of home ‘emergencies.’ I remove hair much less expensive frequently than I used to since it bothers me less now.”
“Shaving. It’s sizzling hot I’ve tried thus far. Every three to four weeks for underarms if I don’t check out the beach before then. I haven’t actually checked how much time I usually stand it between doing my bikini line and I don’t shave my legs.”
On just how body tresses are portrayed on tv as well as the stigma surrounding it “It’s bulls—t. My body was literally created using all of this hair onto it, how is it that I invest some time removing it when it’s not putting me in peril? I don’t knock or shame any woman who, naturally, but I personally think how the social pressure on women to take out hair is one more strategy for attempting to infantilize her and make her mould to a beauty standard that men don’t ought to stick to.”
“We have issues, man. I will say I hold many of these stigmas and it’s bothersome to me. For instance, I think women (and men) that have bushy underarm hair are less hygienic (and bra burning feminists). And while I know this is completely false, my first thought lands there.”
“No you’ve body hair on television. You develop thinking that’s normal and easily attainable. I also seem like I was raised in a very heyday of female razor marketing — I think the Venus razor became available in the early 2000s and suddenly everyone necessary to have it. But you also needed whatever newest scent of shaving cream was out. At the time, I think it felt being a approach to ‘modernize’ techniques for the new millennium (it’s not your mama’s shaving and many types of), however it’s clear they only wanted us to get more products.”
“They’re exhausting and expensive. Honestly, we ought to just let women live they want.”
“We have to stop policing what folks do with their or how much hair they keep on any part of their health. I think the media has created some strides in leaving perpetuating the stigma attached with body hair. Articles are being written on body hair positivity and that’s amazing.”
On the relationship between body hair along with their feminism
Share on Pinterest
“I think people ought to do the things they’re confident with. Being a feminist doesn’t have to be synonymous with being hairy.”
“It’s integral to my feminism, though I don’t realize that I would have declared before. Feminism could be the freedom to choose and define yourself yourself. I think social expectation for removal of body hair is just another way women’s looks and bodies are controlled, and so I test their boundaries against it.”
“My body hair doesn’t factor much into the feminism because, while it’s directly linked to body autonomy, it’s not just a large portion of what would play into the liberation and fight to end patriarchy. I do, however, think it’s very crucial for feminists and I do support any work to end the negative ideas we have about body.”
“Personally, I don’t make that connection. I don’t think I ever will. Maybe because I haven’t been placed inside a position to must carefully think about the choices I’m making with my figure hair.”
“Even even though it would be great to never feel uncomfortable in a very spaghetti strap top with hairy underarms, it’s not where I think we need to be focused within the fight for equality.”
“I don’t determine if I’d connect my body hair to my feminism, but I do think in regards to the pink tax and exactly how products are marketed towards me. Because I almost exclusively Nair and employ a men’s razor (four blades = closer shave) when I do shave, I don’t often have to go down that aisle inside store. But when I do, I’m really struck by how pastel all of it is. The products seemed created for visual appeal (on the shelf and inside shower) greater than how well they work.”
On whether they’ve had negative experiences brought on by body hair
“Yes. As a teen you’re constantly made fun of for everything. To be made fun of for the little (skin) darkness was life or death. [But it also] depends on where you reside, the location where the negative stigma of hair is for girls. I lived in [Los Angeles] and everyone is well-kept. Now that I’m in Seattle, it’s no big problem who has hair on their own body!”
“Not really. I’ve only learned to use underwear that doesn’t trap heat or moisture because that, in conjunction with my ‘Afro’ tends to supply folliculitis pimples.”
“Sometimes I won’t post an image to social media marketing because there’s visible body hair inside it.”
And there you get it, the view on body locks are as complex as it is simple
As one of the women we spoke to very elegantly input it: “It really hurts me when women shame other women for this. […] I believe inside freedom of. And my choice is to never remove hair from my figure because I like it where it really is.”
Removing your system hair or letting it grow doesn’t must be your firm stand out, however it does exist — and such as the first body hair positive razor ad of 2018, we ought to openly acknowledge that.
Stephanie BarnesStephanie Barnes is often a writer, front-end/iOS engineer, and woman of color. If she isn’t asleep, you will discover her binge-watching her favorite TV shows or looking to find the right skincare routine.