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Woman’s Explanation On Why Males And Females Have Different Body Hair Standards Goes Viral
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with women who don’t shave their body hair and nobody should be made to feel guilty if they choose to opt out of modern beauty standards. That’s the message that TikTok user Solanathegreenfairy is trying to hammer home. She wants people to know that beauty standards are a social construct. Check out her full video below, dear Pandas, and be sure to let us know what you think.
Though Solana is right that women shaving their body hair became popularized in the early 20th century by Gillette (who focused on a trend that had been happening in the West since the late 1800s), there’s far more context that we need to be aware of.
Throughout human history, we as a species have been flirting with the idea of shaving vs. not shaving body hair, and it’s utterly fascinating how these trends have come and gone and shifted over the centuries in different cultures. And it’s not just about subjective beauty standards, either—there were practical considerations to shaving (for both women and men), too.
RELATED:
Solana shared why women are expected to shave their body hair in modern society
You can watch Solana’s full video right over here
@solanathagreenfairybeauty standards are a social construct!@heyestrid ##foryou ##bodyhairpositivity ##feminist ##beautystandard♬ original sound – solana
If we take a look at history, we’ll see that people’s views toward body hair fluctuated over time and in different regions of the world. And while we can claim that it’s all subjective, some of the reasons to shave had deep cultural significance and were actually useful in your day-to-day life.
For instance, back in the Stone Age, shaving one’s hair was a survival tactic, according to CR Fashion Book. This was very useful during battle because it meant that your opponent didn’t have any hair to grab onto. What’s more, shaving meant that you could avoid frostbite in harsh weather, as water wouldn’t become trapped in your hair and wouldn’t freeze against your skin. Sharp stones, animal teeth, and clamshells were used for body hair removal.
Meanwhile, fast-forwarding to Ancient Egypt, hair was removed using sugaring which became the foundation for the waxing techniques we use today. In Ancient Egypt, body hair was seen as uncivilized, dirty, and unhygienic. It also set apart the upper and lower classes. For instance, men would shave their beards to better distinguish themselves from the servants and slaves who would grow them or have stubble.
Similarly, body hair (or rather the lack thereof) was used to indicate whether somebody was from the upper classes in Ancient Greece and in the times of the Roman Empire. Or, as CNN’s Marianna Cerini put it, “the smoother your skin was, the purer and more superior you were.”
Here’s what some TikTok users had to say about the informative video
What do you think ?
Barrie 3 years ago
I get that what she means is that women feel pressured to shave by adverts and it has become the acceptable norm for women to shave all their body hair, which is of course wrong. However, saying that men have never been pressured into shaving is completely false. Until very recently the vast majority of workplaces required men to be clean shaven, most schools require boys to shave daily, men have been bombarded with ads for facial shaving for centuries and more recently for bodily shaving. Very few male celebs apear with full chest hair, mens magazines always have tips on "butt, sac and crack wax", there are special body hair trimmers marketed exclusively at men. It might pay for women and men to occasionally pick up each other's magazines to realise what pressures each face.
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
It's new though. As recently as the 80ies men would get chest hair transplants (yes really!) because it was considered sexy to have chest hair.
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Ivana 3 years ago
So, shaved or not shaved, doesn't matter to me. But can we get people to go back to the safety razors? They are metal and you just replace the blade from time to time. Super cheap and workers better than the plastic disposable ones. I spent $40 like 5 years ago and haven't spent another dime on hair removal since. Why do people still use disposable razors? They are expensive, crap, and horrible for the environment. Shave responsibly.
Candia Lee 3 years ago
I, too, despise those eco unfriendly disposable razors, and their kin, disposable flossers (which users toss in parking lots).
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Aroace tiger (any pronouns) 3 years ago (edited)
You can shave. You can not shave. Do what you want. Same goes to men BTW!
TrixicBird(Any pronouns) 2 years ago
And enbies. do whatever the f**k you want with your body as long as it doesn't hurt others.
Load More Replies... Barrie 3 years ago
I get that what she means is that women feel pressured to shave by adverts and it has become the acceptable norm for women to shave all their body hair, which is of course wrong. However, saying that men have never been pressured into shaving is completely false. Until very recently the vast majority of workplaces required men to be clean shaven, most schools require boys to shave daily, men have been bombarded with ads for facial shaving for centuries and more recently for bodily shaving. Very few male celebs apear with full chest hair, mens magazines always have tips on "butt, sac and crack wax", there are special body hair trimmers marketed exclusively at men. It might pay for women and men to occasionally pick up each other's magazines to realise what pressures each face.
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
It's new though. As recently as the 80ies men would get chest hair transplants (yes really!) because it was considered sexy to have chest hair.
Load More Replies... Ivana 3 years ago
So, shaved or not shaved, doesn't matter to me. But can we get people to go back to the safety razors? They are metal and you just replace the blade from time to time. Super cheap and workers better than the plastic disposable ones. I spent $40 like 5 years ago and haven't spent another dime on hair removal since. Why do people still use disposable razors? They are expensive, crap, and horrible for the environment. Shave responsibly.
Candia Lee 3 years ago
I, too, despise those eco unfriendly disposable razors, and their kin, disposable flossers (which users toss in parking lots).
Load More Replies... Aroace tiger (any pronouns) 3 years ago (edited)
You can shave. You can not shave. Do what you want. Same goes to men BTW!
TrixicBird(Any pronouns) 2 years ago
And enbies. do whatever the f**k you want with your body as long as it doesn't hurt others.
Load More Replies...
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