Body Hair and Insecurity

For many of us, atleast for me, body hair is an insecurity. Lacking confidence, diffidence when your body hair is exposed is common. It’s believed that cavewomen & cavemen where the first to remove body hair, but they shaved for safety reasons, not vanity. They shaved their heads & faces so their opponents wouldn’t grab onto it in battle. Guess Anil Kapoor was trying to be a caveman all these years.

What is body hair?

Body hair, or androgenic hair, is the terminal hair that develops on the human body during and after puberty. It is differentiated from the head hair and less visible vellus hair, which is much finer and lighter in color. The growth of androgenic hair is related to the level of androgens (often referred to as male hormones) and the density of androgen receptors in the dermal papillae. Both must reach a threshold for the proliferation of hair follicle cells.

From the beginning, from our childhood itself these vellas hair cover the human body regardless of the sex. Exceptions are granted to certain parts of the body where vellas hair is not present; lips, the backs of the ears; the palms of hands; the soles of the feet; certain external genital areas; the navel; and scar tissue.

Why is it considered a insecurity

Markus J. Rantala of the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland, said humans evolved by “natural selection” to be hairless when the trade off of “having fewer parasites” became more important than having a “warming, furry coat.

The evolution of humanity led to the creation of insecurity called “body hair”. Body hair is supposed to keep us warm and is a very good thermal conductor and aids heat transfer both in and out of the body. The cavemen and cave women started shaving their body hair despite their loss of warmth, to protect themselves at times of battles.

In the 21st century indeed, body hair remains much more than an indication we’re mammals; it’s loaded with meaning. We equate body hair with power and masculinity, and many are intimidated when women showcase those traits, explains Merran Toerien, Ph.D., professor of sociology at the University of York in England. This ideology has indeed made body hair, the very same hair that you get during puberty, they very same hair that has been on your body since your existence an insecurity. Women are criticised for showing off their body hair, because the world “thinks” and “believes” that it is a sign of “musculinity”. What is forgotten here is that body hair is NATURAL, that means it is not a choice.

Reforms

Since the obscenity of body hair came into existence with evolution, the removal of obscenity is also taking place with evolution. Many body hair activists like; Harman Kaur, Morgan Mikenas, Angelo tesso have put in their inputs to normalise body hair. These strong standing women are a pride,and an inspiration to many. The body hair scene is being normalised.

more #bodyhair pics have probably popped up in your Instagram feed lately. Sift through the hashtag and among guys showing off Hasselhoff-ian chests, you’ll see women proudly displaying their leg, pit, and arm fuzz. Related hashtags #dyedpits, #bodyhairdontcare, and #girlswithhairyarms boldly caption thousands upon thousands of hair-proud posts.

It is now being understood by men and women that, the concept of body hair being obscene is a mere speculation and a “opinion” of someone. It is being understood that opinions of other’s should’nt change the way you embrace yourself.