Many women the world over battle their body hair every single day. You would be surprised to know that even the average man can spend up to six months of his entire lifetime shaving his beard!^[1] With so much grooming all around, you might think that human evolution would have removed body hair from the skin completely by now. But evolution explains why all of us have hair, whether from top to toe for some, or in bits and pieces for others. There are age old reasons why human beings have hair on their bodies, and why it grows back despite the most rigorous hair removal methods. Here’s taking a look at some of the reasons why we have body hair, even in awkward nooks and crannies.

What Lies Beneath?

The journey of every hair starts just below the skin’s surface. Hair regrowth occurs when the cells inside our hair follicles divide and multiply. This causes the old cells to be pushed out to form a new hair shaft. Once the hair begins to grow for a certain period of time (known as the ‘anagen’ phase), it continues its steady progress during the ‘telogen’ phase and eventually falls off.^[2] The anagen phase varies in duration from person to person, depending on the type of hair. This is why the hair on our heads will grow for years longer than the hair on the rest of our bodies, for instance.^[3]

To Sweat or Not to Sweat

Despite our constant complaints about body hair, humans are relatively less hairy as compared to other mammals. Evolution has ensured that humans have continuously shed the hair on their bodies, right from the primate years. This is a great relief, for how else could we sport our bodies in bikini season? Evolution has ensured that the hair covering has shed off so that our bodies do not get overheated. The sweat from the skin cools us down as it evaporates, and with only a thin coating of hair on the skin, we are better able to adjust even to extreme temperatures.^[4]

A Protective Layer

The hair on our skin also serves an important purpose that most of us are unaware of. One of the functions of the hair present on our heads is to offer better protection from the sunlight^[5]. Even hair in our brows provide protection, by keeping the eyes free of rainwater, sweat and dust.^[6] Think of it as nature’s panama! Harking back to the days when humans had to hunt and protect their families in the wild, the hair present on our legs, arms, and back is said to have provided protection from cuts, scrapes, and chafing, as well as any nasty insects crawling in the wild ^[7]. But there is no need for hair on the body now that we no longer hunt in the wild, so it’s little wonder that smooth legs have become a major feminine trend.

A Sensual Matter?

And while we appreciate the protective functions of hair, you would agree that excessive hair in the bikini and underarm area is a burden, not an asset. Ironically, the thick hair that abounds in the body’s more intimate zones is also explained by evolution to be present for its ability to emit pheromones. Pheromones can entice sexual awareness in others, and even making people seem sexually desirable.^[8]

Hair Removal

With changes in fashion trends over the years, and an abundance of cosmetics and hair removal products at our disposal today, it is little wonder that humans have evolved to vary their tastes in body hair. However, most people agree that removing body hair is the ideal beauty fix, instead of retaining it. Waxing is one of the most common long-term solutions in hair removal today. The Veet Spawax kit enables you to get salon-like professional results from the comfort of your own home. For a short-term hair removing fix, try shaving and depilatory creams. Even unruly eyebrows can be altered with a simple tweeze.

There are many reasons why our bodies produce and retain hair, sometimes in really awkward places. But while it’s great to know that our bodies are working in our favor, it is even better to have a wide range of hair removal solutions at our fingertips. With these solutions, unwanted body hair is no longer a problem for the modern woman.

 

[1] https://uk.askmen.com/grooming/appearance/17b_shaving-5-things-you-didnt-know.html

[2] https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/human-body-hair.htm

[3] https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/hair-care/scalp-treatments/question100.htm

[4] https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/human-body-hair2.htm

[5] https://www.hairfinder.com/hair4/why_we_have_hair.htm

[6] https://mentalfloss.com/article/58424/why-do-we-have-eyebrows

[7] https://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/40/40_4/Bergman.htm

[8] https://www.livestrong.com/article/207980-reasons-for-pubic-hair/