At first glance, hair removal seems to be an intimate and personal practice. Each person is thus free to remove hair or not, according to their own desires. However, hair removal is an eminently cultural practice. As numerous historical and anthropological studies have shown, each society throughout the world and history has a specific relationship with hair and hair removal. In the West, and contrary to popular belief, hair removal did not come about as a result of the massification of the pornographic industry, but has evolved over time, being valued in certain periods, such as during Antiquity, and abandoned in others, such as the early Middle Ages. Although it is now a well-established norm, it is nevertheless being called into question, particularly by certain feminist movements. Hairiness and depilation are therefore not simple practices, but question our relationship to our bodies, to intimacy and to gender norms. Recent events in Iran are also a good example of the political aspect of hair growth, with many women cutting their hair as a sign of protest against the current regime. All these examples show the interest for research to look into this subject of hair removal and hair growth.
Review • Pilosity and hair removal
19 October 2022
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