At Gateway Nailsalon in Paoli, when people carry out body hair removal, it is often accompanied by a notion that cultural inner and outer practice also includes body hair removal. As such, body hair removal is not only a matter of personal aesthetic choice but is also connected to culture, society, and the past. This paper addresses different cultural perceptions of body hair as well as concentration on the waxing practices that sprung from those beliefs to wider discourse of the subject.
The removal of body hair has been in existence throughout history complementing the various sociocultural practices that have been present at a time. Body hair in the ancient worlds was accompanied by many interpretations, for example; fertility, purity, etc. Taking ancient examples, any male or female in ancient Egypt used to remove body hair for hygienic and aesthetic vain purposes. Their perception was that hairless individuals were beautiful and achieved that by employing sharpened stones or bronze to make their skin perfect.
On the other hand, there are other societies that have rather accepted body hair as a normal part of human body. For example, certain tribal groups in North America regard body hair as a celebration of nature and identity. This variability in cultural orientations indicates how culturally complex people’s perception of body is ants.
Body’s Hair Removal ‘The West’ Western societies tend to have a culture of removing Body hair especially in women, particularly the United States and Europe. With the emergence of beauty appetites that favor skin devoid of hair, the adoption of processes like shaving, waxing and laser hair removal is on the increase
Media and Advertising: It is evidenced that the portrayal of a body without hair through media channels such as films, TV shows and ads has changed societal norms for the better. Women’s bodies are portrayed in a way that they have no body hair which creates an idea that it may not be right to have body hair.
Waxing has developed as one of the common body hair removal methods in the Western cultures because it is more effective and durable than shaving. At Gateway Nailsalon, clients can pick several waxes depending on their preference.
Western societies are more obsessed with the removal of hair but there are many societies which do not believe hair removal that body hair:
In some other cultures, hair on the body is regarded as representing in maturity or bearing children. Such as among of tribes of Africa, wax the pubic hair is regarded with honor because it signifies a woman and her ability to reproduce. The people of Igbo have positive views of pubic growth hair unlike negative view and practice of end cuts.
In many non-Western societies, the practices of body hair removal can be more justified as relating directly to issues of hygiene than mere aesthetics. For example, some of the communities may use plucking or trimming to avoid the lice infestation or skin irritation rather than to conform to beauty rules.
A number of non-Western societies use cultural techniques of hair removal that are not similar to current techniques of shaving or waxing services. For instance, some cultures within Asian nations employ herbal depilatory substances instead of modern day depilatory creams.
There has been a change in the attitudes of body hair removal around the world and is expected to continue to change as globalization helps in promoting cultural interactions. The adoption of waxing and other hair removal methods can be attributed to the impact of Western images and advertising on non Western societies:
In various Middle Eastern traditions, the removal of body hair is often associated with concepts of cleanliness and modesty:
‘What is’ body hair removal practices, in fact, depends on the country and culture:
Feminism is one of the most vital aspects that have contributed to modern discourses on the practice of hair removal:
At the Gateway Nail salon in Paoli, there is a progress towards being sensitive to the self and cultural perceptions of body hair removal, as one becomes more aware of the various beliefs and practices concerning this issue. Such as cultural history and how it shaped early understanding of body hair and later on media, feminism does come into play as well on how and what we groom our bodies, it is clear that culture greatly influences regards of grooming.
As the clients deal with their body hair management preferences through waxing or other available methods; there is no harm in the understanding of these cultures that affects these people’s decisions. Last but not least, understanding that choice is personal and incorporating different cultures helps expand the perception of beauty standards across the globe.