Body hair has always been the subject of many debates everywhere in the world. The arguments surrounding this subject matter try to answer whether or not body hair should be kept, especially on women, or should shaving be the norm.
Let’s get one thing out of the way: body hair is perfectly normal. Some who wish to embrace their au naturel state may wish to grow out their body hair. Others, may pursue a hairless body for hygiene or simply aesthetics.
Whichever camp you find yourself in, it’s fine! Body positivity works in both ways. If you’re wondering what are the varying contentions surrounding body hair and body positivity.
The normality of body hair
Having body hair is a normal part of, well, being human. Our Neanderthal ancestors had an abundance of body hair as a means of survival, and it’s one of the many evolutionary characteristics that have stayed with us today.
Body hair protects the human skin from different external influences, such as abrasion, water, chemicals, and many others. In essence, hair, regardless of whichever part of the body it might be growing, serves very important purposes.
Both men and women have hair on their bodies. This hair typically develops during and after puberty. For men, body hair is typically prominent on the arms and back, while women do not have much hair on such areas. That said, women generally tend to have thicker hair that grows darker and longer on one or more regions of their bodies.
What body positivity means
Body positivity is a growing movement that asserts that everyone, regardless of gender, should be free to have a positive body image no matter how society and popular culture view the ideal body shape, size, and appearance.
Basically, what body positivity wants to achieve is for all people to be able to embrace their bodies without being so much concerned about imposed standards of the society on the human body. In essence, comfort with one’s body is the end goal.
When it comes to body hair, particularly, the body positivity movement has always been persistent in debunking the myth that a hairy body is an unhygienic and ugly, masculine body. Body hair shaming is rooted in sexism and toxic masculinity, where social constructs have limit one’s agency.
Especially among women where social standards tend to be stricter compared to men, body positivity constantly strives to break the stigma around body hair.
Is it okay to shave?
That said, always remember that at its core, body positivity strives to give back one’s agency. This means, one shouldn’t be pressured to grow out their body hair in the guise of embracing natural body hair either!
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who believe that body hair removal should instead be the norm! These people emphasise the importance of shaving, waxing, IPL hair removal treatment, and other methods for removing hair.
The arguments of pro-shaving people are not groundless. There are several reasons why they believe that removing body hair every once in a while should be normalised.
For one, removing hair tend to bring comfort to the body. Especially during summer or in warm weathers like Singapore’s, having a bare-skin body means that there is no body hair to cling onto sweat, which can bring a different kind of coolness and convenience.
Aside from comfort, having a shaved skin can also be a sign of a well-maintained body. Although there is really no scientific evidence that shows that hygiene is associated with a hairless body, many people still believe that removing body hair from time to time is an essential part of self-care.
Overall, no one can really determine, at this point, whether or not body hair should be kept or shaved regularly. The answer will always vary from person to person.
Depending on how one perceives body hair, shaving or hair removal, in general, will always be a matter of personal choice. Both the proponents of body positivity and hair removal offer their respective perks.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day, only you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to embrace your body hair or say bye-bye to it. If you want to go for the latter option, remember to always take extra precautions when engaging in any method of hair removal.
If you wish to consult body hair removal experts, we’re here for you!
At Datsumo Labo, we take pride in offering hair removal solutions for those who wish to be comfortable in their own hairless skin. With an array of hair removal services, from facial hair removal, underarm hair removal, to Brazilian laser hair removal, we got all your body areas covered.
So don’t wait and give us a call today! Embrace the hairless version of you with Datsumo Labo.