Right Hair, Right Now

Body positivity has had its moment, so as the New Year is upon us, it’s vision 2020 when it comes to body hair.

When it comes to body ideals and beauty standards, we have come so far. From body-positive movements in fashion to skinny no, longer being the standard (France banned unhealthily thin models in 2017) to ‘plus-sized’ mannequins becoming the norm (although the ‘big’ mannequin in the Nike London flagship store caused an uproar). In beauty, darker-skinned girls are (finally!) getting more foundation hues formulated for them. But what exactly are we doing about how we view body hair?

GROWTH NEEDED

We are covered in hair follicles, and body hair is obviously necessary to our body. Science has dictated that we need body hair for all sorts of purposes such as keeping cool and even sensing the space around us. It’s very much a part of us and our body, yet society seems to make sure that women (and women only) should remove their body hair in order to adhere to beauty standards.

Historically, according to History Undressed, hair removal was a signifier of cleanliness in the ancient Roman Empire, as well as Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was also a signifier of class — but only for women. Men could wear their hair however they liked (I!!).