Hair Removal and Body Politics: Who Told Us Hair Is Dirty?

Let’s talk about body hair.
Or rather, the billion-dollar industry built around making sure we never see it.

From razors to laser treatments, body hair removal has been marketed as hygiene, femininity, and professionalism. But let’s be real: body hair is natural. The pressure to remove it? That’s social conditioning.

A Brief History of Hair Removal

• Ancient Egypt: Hair removal signaled wealth and purity. Sugar paste and pumice stones were common (Fischer, 2001).

• 1920s: Gillette launched the first women’s razor—Milady Décolleté—and ads began linking smooth skin to femininity (Hope, 1982).

• WWII: Nylon shortages exposed legs, and with that came the expectation to shave.

• Modern day: Influencers, porn, and beauty trends reinforce that being hairless = desirable (Herzig, 2015).
  

Capitalism, Gender, and Hair Removal

The global hair removal market is valued at over $4 billion. The more shame you feel, the more you spend.

And it’s not about hygiene, pubic hair and armpit hair are protective. But coarse, visible, or “unfeminine” hair gets labeled gross, especially on femmes, BIPOC folks, and fat bodies.

This isn’t a preference. It’s respectability politics in action.

Hair Removal Should Be a Choice—Not a Standard

Love being smooth? Great.
Hate shaving? Also great.

What matters is that you’re doing it because you want to, not because you’ve been taught your natural body is unworthy.

TL;DR:

Hair removal isn’t neutral. It’s historical, political, and personal.
You’re not dirty—you’re just a mammal.
Your body doesn’t need to be “fixed” to be worthy.