# Why do people continue to wage a war on body hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725 "2018-06-25T18:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/41 "2018-06-26T20:40:02Z")
I’ve said it before; I’m sure I’ll say it again: if someone offered me a pill that would make all my hair fall out and never grow back, I’d take it before they finished the word “back”. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/42 "2018-06-26T22:34:06Z")
Beats me. I haven’t shaved since 1964. I do get my hair (what is left of it) and beard trimmed every couple months. I cannot understand why my wife insists on shaving her legs and armpits. She says that everyone does it. Well, in 1964 virtually every man shaved and when I walked down the street of the small town in southern NJ that she spent her teenage years in, I nearly caused traffic accidents because people gaped. Their problem, not mine. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/43 "2018-06-26T23:12:32Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I’m lucky in many ways about hair, except on top of my head, which has typical male pattern baldness, so I keep it really short, like the #2 clipper that someone mentioned. I think it’s 1/8", and when it grows out to about 3/8" is when I have it cut. The # on the guide comb for clippers generally corresponds to the eighths of an inch it cuts to, so a #2 cuts to 2/8th or 1/4th of an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/44 "2018-06-26T23:21:52Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Plus, I find the attitude completely incoherent. The vast majority of men, even the “bare skin purists” wouldn’t demand that women shaved their heads, too. Quite the contrary, beautiful hair is often considered an asset. What’s the logic, there ? Really? The obvious difference there is that my sexual moves don’t involve licking a person’s scalp for an extended period of time. Other body parts are different. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/45 "2018-06-26T23:26:59Z")
Each to their own. I like girl hairs, I have no interest in shaving my own either, and I agree with the OP that the overall trend is fascinating in a creepy way. It may just be the vagaries of fashion and trend or it may reflect something, I dunnno, maybe something that overlaps with the fear of germs and contagion or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/46 "2018-06-27T02:48:29Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Plus, I find the attitude completely incoherent. The vast majority of men, even the “bare skin purists” wouldn’t demand that women shaved their heads, too. Quite the contrary, beautiful hair is often considered an asset. What’s the logic, there ? Head hair is decorative, body hair isn’t. That’s why head hair is so much longer. And just as less body hair is a “feminine” trait, longer head hair is \*also \* a trait typically associated with femininity (it even grows longer on average if left uncut). ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/47 "2018-06-27T07:19:26Z")
I realized 20+ years ago I would never play for the New York Yankees. So that’s the last time I’ve considered that I would be required to shave for a job. Most of the professionals and CEOs I know have facial hair (some obsolete styles included). Then again, people here talk about wearing suits in 2018 and I literally don’t know a single person who does. As far as body hair goes, I guess I go opposite of the times. When I was younger I shaved my chest because I tried to be somewhat of a bodybuilder and I just preferred that look, but the overwhelming response from most people was that it “looked gay.” And all the women I knew preferred hair and running their hands through it. Now I see plucked chicken looking men and women saying “ewwwww” when hunky celebrity men have chest hair. Now, the funniest/strangest looking thing I see - which seems to be the norm - is big hairy guys with huge beards and no body hair. I just find it weird to see a beard and then a smooth chest. Or clean-shaven adult men who are not bodybuilders but have no bodyhair. I don’t care what people do; it’s just a weird look to me. Or the hairy legs with no hair anywhere else Dan Bilzerian style look. It reminds me of that Seinfeld ep where Jerry started trimming the top of his chest and tried to make it even but eventually shaved everything. On women, I personally dislike the hairless look. I am young but old enough that when I entered what I expected to be a longterm monogamous marriage 13-14 years ago, I had never seen a completely hairless area in person. The landing strip/triangle look (which completely addresses the hair in teeth situation) was in but many women slightly trimmed if at all. And tongues were definitely in use and not a brand new thing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/48 "2018-06-27T08:27:17Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Beats me. I haven’t shaved since 1964. I do get my hair (what is left of it) and beard trimmed every couple months. I cannot understand why my wife insists on shaving her legs and armpits. She says that everyone does it. Well, in 1964 virtually every man shaved and when I walked down the street of the small town in southern NJ that she spent her teenage years in, I nearly caused traffic accidents because people gaped. Their problem, not mine. The social penalty a woman incurs for having body hair these days is pretty steep. Looks like she’s not willing to pay it, even if you were willing to take a similar hit in 1964. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/49 "2018-06-27T09:11:27Z")
> [@Crazy\_Canuck](#): > > Really? The obvious difference there is that my sexual moves don’t involve licking a person’s scalp for an extended period of time. Other body parts are different. I’d be curious to know the proportion of guys who insist that women must shave all pubes AND still would never consider giving oral. My feeling is that there might be some significant overlap. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Head hair is decorative, body hair isn’t. That’s why head hair is so much longer. > > And just as less body hair is a “feminine” trait, longer head hair is \*also \* a trait typically associated with femininity (it even grows longer on average if left uncut). Well, I disagree that body hair isn’t decorative. It has more important primary functions but as I said above, it also has esthetic value. As for the rest of your post, it’s splitting hairs. Hair is feminine except when it’s not :dubious: . > [@AHunter3](#): > > Each to their own. I like girl hairs, I have no interest in shaving my own either, and I agree with the OP that the overall trend is fascinating in a creepy way. It may just be the vagaries of fashion and trend or it may reflect something, I dunnno, maybe something that overlaps with the fear of germs and contagion or something like that. I was reflecting about this thread and came to a very similar conclusion. The whole hairless look seems sanitized to me and about as arousing as mannequins. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/50 "2018-06-27T12:27:56Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Possible reasons: Hair growing out your ears and nose is horrifying, many beards look like crap, and armpit hair retains offensive odors … BIG time. If anyone wants to look like a Sasquatch, they can be my guest. I shave my armpits all year round because I’m worried about stinking. Though both on this board and elsewhere online, there are conflicting reports about whether shaving armpits helps with this or not. > [@Broomstick](#): > > The social penalty a woman incurs for having body hair these days is pretty steep. Looks like she’s not willing to pay it, even if you were willing to take a similar hit in 1964. Yeah, I shave my legs in summer so I can wear shorts and bathing suits without getting nasty comments. I don’t generally shave my legs the rest of the year, though. This is looked down upon in some internet circles, the implication being that women who don’t shave their legs all year round aren’t getting laid. Whatever, I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/51 "2018-06-27T13:25:40Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Well, I disagree that body hair isn’t decorative. It has more important primary functions… Well apparently those primary functions are so weak that hundreds of millions (billions?) of people do away with them without a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/52 "2018-06-27T13:58:42Z")
That doesn’t prove much. There are lots of stupid or downright unhealthy things that people “do without a thought”, especially when the consequences appear after years or decades… I’m not saying it’s the case here but the argument is pretty weak. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/53 "2018-06-27T14:12:22Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I shave my armpits all year round because I’m worried about stinking. Don’t you use deodorant? This is a common solution for men - most of whom leave their armpits naturally hairy. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/54 "2018-06-27T14:28:38Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > That doesn’t prove much. > > There are lots of stupid or downright unhealthy things that people “do without a thought”, especially when the consequences appear after years or decades… I’m not saying it’s the case here but the argument is pretty weak. How about this. Why don’t you provide solid proof of real consequences, and then let everyone else do their own cost-benefit analysis of hair removal. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/55 "2018-06-27T15:40:26Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Don’t you use deodorant? This is a common solution for men - most of whom leave their armpits naturally hairy. Yes, I use deodorant every day in addition to shaving. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/56 "2018-06-27T17:00:17Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Yes, I use deodorant every day in addition to shaving. Then you can probably stop shaving your armpits, if concern about odor is really the only thing making that happen. I’m a dude with hairy pits, and I use deodorant on a daily basis; I can’t recall the last time anybody, including my wife, complained about me having stinky pits. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/57 "2018-06-27T17:16:15Z")
Yes, I do admit shaving versus not shaving armpits is a contentious issue. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/58 "2018-06-27T19:25:09Z")
Also, if you are worried about armpit odor, stop using anti-perspirant (if you are) and just use a deodorant without anti-perspirant. Science-y folks can explain this better than I can, but by blocking the pores or sweat glands or something, the knock-on effects of antiperspirant after more than a day or so make the problem worse than it was to begin with, which is great for selling antiperspirant. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/59 "2018-06-27T19:29:41Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > How about this. Why don’t you provide solid proof of real consequences, and then let everyone else do their own cost-benefit analysis of hair removal. How about this: people do whatever they want with their bodies and I’m totally entitled to find the results arousing or ugly. To clear things up, my main beef with the hairless look isn’t about health but aesthetics. It looks sterile and plastic. But again, to each their own. ---
**Author:** ![Dan44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@Dan44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan44)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725/60 "2018-06-27T19:40:17Z")
It’s just a way to prevent beauty Aestheticians from becoming homeless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-continue-to-wage-a-war-on-body-hair/816725.md?page=4)