How many people cringed when they saw the image above, because of the armpit hair?I remember reading an interesting blog article about shaving some time ago on the Internet. The article was about an advertisement poster of a famous actress from about twenty years ago. In the poster, the actress was wearing a swimming suit and her armpit hair had not been shaved. The owner of the blog called it an “accident,” because the actress was everyone’s idol at the time and it is a shame that she had to embarrass herself like that. The owner of the blog also stated that it makes him/her cringe when he/she sees a woman with armpit hair.
This made me think. Is it that much of a shameful and unpleasant image when a woman does not shave? Does hairlessness define feminine beauty? Why is it acceptable for men to leave their hair unshaven, like beard and leg hair, while women cannot even dare wear shorts before shaving their legs? When did this tradition of shaving start?
Men have been shaving throughout history. The history of shaving goes as far back as to 100,000 B.C. Men started plucking their hair using sea shells as tweezers. First razor blades came into play after that, around 30,000 B.C., when men started using crude blades made from flint and horns. Around 3,000 B.C., as humans started making copper tools, this new technology was quickly applied to creating copper razors. The custom of shaving was strongly promoted by Alexander the Great around 330 B.C., and this quickly spread all over Greece and Rome, and to Egypt. Men continued to shave their body hair, originally for hygienic purposes and perhaps for aesthetic reasons as well, and shaving soon acquired a social significance – it started to connote civility. Shaving was considered not just clean but also sophisticated, while “unbarbered” men were considered uncivilized and shameful (hence, the word “barbarians.”) It had become a statement of personal hygiene and fashion.
On the other hand, as for women, there are not much records of shaving. This is perhaps because women are relatively less hairy compared to men, so shaving was not as much of a big deal as it is for men. However, it is clear that hairlessness has been somewhat related to idealistic beauty. In archaic paintings and sculptures, women are often portrayed perfectly smooth and hairless, except for their heads and sometimes, pubic hair. This reflects how women were viewed more beautiful and feminine if they were hairless, and this indicates women may have been shaving throughout history as well.
Later in the history, the razor technology saw a rapid advancement, but a lot of these improvements were developed around men, rather than women. The first straight steel razor was developed in Sheffield, England in the early 19th century. These straight razors, also known as “cut-throat” razors, were used by barbers, who were specially trained to groom men, and most men around this time would go to the barbers to have their beards shaved. These straight razors remained popular until late 19th century, and in 1901, King Camp Gillette invented the concept of the safe, “disposable” razor blades. However, even this revolutionary invention was marketed towards men.
The concept of women removing their armpit hair became a huge trend in the 1920s. The beginning was the May 1915 edition of a magazine, called Harper’s Bazaar, in which a model appeared in a sleeveless evening gown with smooth, hairless armpits. This is around when Gillette started producing small razors, specially designed for women. This trend set the idea that hairless armpits and legs connoted femininity and beauty, which eventually led to our stereotype today that it is unfeminine if a woman has hairy armpits and legs.
Electric razors were created by a Canadian inventor, Jacob Schick, in the 1920s. However, it was not until 1947 when the first electric razor for women started being marketed by Remington. These razors for ladies had more feminine shapes and colors (such as pink) and this started the trend of differentiating men’s and women’s razors by color and form. 
Nowadays, razors of masculine and feminine designs and colors are produced in order to appeal to both genders. Various shaving methods, such as waxing and hair removal cream, have been introduced to promote shaving. The interesting point is that oftentimes, these products, especially leg hair removing products, would not specify if they are meant for women or men, but they would have a feminine look with a female model on the package or advertisement. It seems as if the society is encouraging women to shave more than men. Plus, men’s beards and moustaches have become a fashion statement. Traditionally, it has been more of a men’s task to shave. However, nowadays, it is a bigger deal if a woman does not shave.Even in Asia, where people are known to be relatively less hairy, shaving has become a standard task for both men and women these days. When a celebrity appears on the TV screen without having his/her armpit shaved, that will become a heated topic on Internet forums and blogs that very same day. What is interesting is that in the traditional Korean society, where life was based on the principles of Confucianism, it was actually considered dishonorable to cut one’s hair; hair is something that is given from his/her parents, and thus, it is righteous to preserve it. Therefore, even men used to let their hair grow out. However, these days, it is not an uncommon idea for a man to shave his leg hair, or even his eye brows. As for women, shaving is almost a “must,” especially in the summer, when shorts and sleeveless shirts are in fashion.
Ever since the one image in Harper’s Bazaar magazine, the social significance of shaving has switched from men to women. The trend and demand in the society stimulated the development of special razors for “ladies,” and this in turn aided the consolidation of the stereotype. The society and culture influences the design decisions, and the designs bestow themselves a meaning and a socio-cultural function.Sources:
1 comment:
I wish women would quit shaving. Who wants his girl to look like a 12 year old, except a pedophile? I like hairy women, I think hairy women are sexy. I had a girlfriend a few years ago who I struggled with to convince her to stop shaving, and even then, she still insisted on shaving her legs. She also used my beard trimmer to trim her bush. I would have preferred if she just let it grow wild. The hair helps to hold the natural aroma, which is loaded with pheromones, natures aphrodisiac.
What makes absolutely no sense to me is the current fad of men shaving body hair. I see some actor in a movie with a bald chest, and I think, "What kind of girly man would shave his chest?" Or his back? Or his balls? I had a girl a couple years ago who actually thought I was weird because I flat out refuse to even trim my pubes, there's hair there, it's meant to be there, let it be. She acted like it was something everyone did, or should do. I got news for you, darlin, real men don't. No real man with any kind of self respect would ever shave his jewels, that's just nuts. (Pun intended)
In the last 20 years or so, we have been emasculated by Hollywood and the media. We are expected to behave in a certain manner, to refrain from belching and farting and spitting in public, to dress up like a yuppy, to have short haircuts, and to watch boring television and play golf rather than go hunting or chop firewood. Well I refuse to obey any ridiculous rules. I refuse to be a party to any society that imposes unrealistic expectations upon its members. Give me a hairy woman who will come and live in the woods with me, and I could be happy limiting my contact with society to the internet.
People need to stop being so phony and pretentious. But on the other hand, people also need to quit being so goddamn self-absorbed. Men need to man up, and women need to woman up, and we all need to return to the natural way of living. That's my honest unsolicited opinion, take it or leave it.
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