Because hair traps perspiration, it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and odors. For these reasons, by the early 1900s being “clean-shaven” had become associated with basic hygiene. Concerns about personal appearance have often motivated hair removal practices.
Myth 4: Body hair smells.
Not much to say on this one except, no it doesn't. Legend that body hair is unhygienic is just that - legend. As long as your hygiene is up to scratch there's no case for or against growing your body hair besides personal preference.
Myth 1: Having underarm or pubic hair is unhygienic
Our eyebrows and eyelashes protect our eyes from dirt and bacteria, our pubic hair protects our genitals from bacteria and infections that can enter the body, our underarm hair reduces friction and absorbs sweat.
Having body hair is a normal part of, well, being human. The fine fuzz that covers your skin is made up of vellus hairs (from the Latin word for “fleece”).
It helps to regulate body temperature by trapping heat and sweat, and it also acts as a barrier against bacteria. In terms of hygiene, underarm hair is not necessarily unsanitary. Nevertheless, many people still choose to remove their underarm hair, for cosmetic or hygienic reasons.
Not shaving reduces skin-on-skin contact friction, which means when you do activities that involve arm movement, like running or walking, your skin is much less likely to get irritated by the friction. This might lead to fewer skin issues like rashes and ingrown hairs.
It's 100% a personal decision. Keeping your underarm hair is not unhygienic and will not make you sweat more. In fact, some theories say that underarm hair actually helps pull moisture and odor-causing bacteria away from the skin, keeping you fresher.
No, pubic hair is not unhygienic. However, it does trap dirt and sweat, so it can become more pungent than areas of the body that have less hair. Like other areas of the body, pubic hair does require regular cleaning.
In the “choose the most attractive picture” questions, the photo of a woman without body hair was rated significantly more attractive than the one with body hair, with 95.2% of the participants choosing the hairless women.
You're Less Likely To Get Rashes
If you don't shave, those things aren't really a possibility anymore, leaving you and your lady parts in peace. Indeed, Dweck listed infected hair follicles (folliculitis), rashes, and irritation (razor burn) as some of the most common issues she sees from patients who shave.
Marc Glashofer, a dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, claims that the texture of pubic hair tends to be thicker and more coarse than hair on the rest of our body because of its origins as a buffer. “It prevents friction during intercourse that can cause skin abrasion and rashes,” he says.
Body hair is usually associated with being unkempt, unclean, or even barbaric. It is this notion that perpetuates the concept that women need to be clean shaven to be seen as unblemished and desired.
Leg hair and arm hair developed to help prevent chafing so we could move around without causing friction.
The clean shave is the more traditional approach to grooming. Here's one thing to know guys, a clean shaven look is actually the most hygienic of them all. If you have facial hair your need to apply beard oil or gel that attracts a lot of dust and dirt and eventually makes your face unhygienic.
Out of the 105 women, 78 said they dig it (73%), while 28 (27%) would prefer a hairless man. However, even though the overwhelming majority likes a little hair, moderation was a common theme.
A: One study confirmed that women do find a hairless or nearly-hairless body as more attractive, but considered both hair reduction and retention as socially acceptable. Additionally, they found that men are aware that women prefer hairless men and don't think their bodies are ideal in this respect.
If you feel like you have a lot of body hair, it might be serious. Body hair is normal, and it exists for an evolutionary reason: To keep us warm. But too much of a good thing can be a sign that something else is going on in your body.
Pubic hair holds on to residual urine, vaginal discharge, blood and semen. Bacteria line up all along the hair shaft just lunching it up and creating odor. (Very appetizing, I know.) Trimming your pubic hair reduces that surface area for bacteria, thus reducing odor.
The truth is that your doctor and their staff do not care if you are clean-shaven or not. They are medical professionals. They know that hair growth is natural and normal. It doesn't hinder their ability to do their job, and it doesn't harm your health.
Pubic hair may extend out to their thighs, and some girls may have a line of hair up to their belly button. Most girls attain their peak height by age 16, but some may continue growing through age 20.
The biggest misconception around hairy armpits is that they're unhygienic and smell much worse. Let's unpack this. Studies have found the difference in the smell of regularly shaven pits compared to hairy ones is minimal at best.
China. China isn't fully westernized, so Chinese notions of beauty differ greatly than American ones (which is refreshing). In China, underarm or leg hair is nothing to be worried about; body hair is considered completely natural and acceptable in their culture. As a result, hair removal just isn't very popular there.
Shaving exfoliates by removing the dead cells every time the razor glides across the surface of the skin. Nazarian says that if you stop shaving, you will accumulate a layer of skin at the top of the epidermis, making it a little tougher for products like moisturizers to penetrate and be effective.
Shaving can cause inflamed hair follicles, itching, ingrown hairs and razor burn. Results only last 1 to 3 days. Dull blades can cause irritation and cuts.