Not having to shave or wax was cited by women around the world as one of the biggest perks of social isolation during the pandemic. And why would they want to? It’s usually painful, expensive, uncomfortable, and/or time-consuming. But many feel like they have to, or, even more common, many think shaving is a choice they’re actively making when, in reality, it’s decades of social pressures that have shaped these so-called choices.
Many women start hair removal at a young age, but few know how or why the craze started in the first place. Over the years, body hair has shaped gender dynamics, signified class, defined femininity, and controlled women through shame, but now all of that is changing. Click through to see, based on information from CNN, how hair removal started, how it spread, and how it’s being challenged today.