Unique Grooming Cultures From 6 Countries Presented

Posted by Elise Hanna on March 24th, 2021

Contrary to popular belief, total body hair removal is not a contemporary practice.

8,000 years ago, Egyptian elites from both sexes used sharpened stones and seashells to get rid of all body hair except their eyebrows. They were also the ones who first invented one of the earliest waxing techniques of using beeswax to rid the hair from the roots.

It wasn’t a mere beautification practice either. The Egyptians see this practice as a part of a purification ritual, and body hair also hints at your social class.

Interestingly enough, grooming habits vary from one culture to another, mostly due to the difference in perceptions driven by beauty standards.

Let’s take a look at how women from around the world like their body hair.

America

Surprisingly, body hair removal was not a common practice for American women up till recently.

Caucasian people viewed body hair as a boon and didn’t find the need to rid any. This practice was not transferred over when the Europeans first settled into the country.

This practice only picked up when there was a change in the definition of femininity. Morality, which was used as a yardstick for femininity in the Victorian era, was replaced with the visual representation of the body when women revealed more skin in the 1920s.

Soon enough, hair removal became a gender norm requirement for women, and the emphasis rose greatly with the invention of the bikini in the 1960s.

Now, more than 99 percent of women have reported spending tens of thousands of dollars over their lifetime to remove their body hair.

United Kingdom

As we’ve touched on previously, body hair removal wasn’t popular amongst Europeans until fashion states that the body is now a fashion asset. Except, fashion didn’t have anything to do with leg, armpit or pubic hair.

European women removed their eyebrows and the hair on their forehead to give themselves more extended brows.

However, in this day and age – most women in the United Kingdom seemed to be somewhat disinterested in keeping their body hair-free.

In fact, a UK Medix poll found that 50% of UK women did not shave their mon pubis at all! Those that do will usually opt for wax, shaving and laser treatment for their hair removal.

Brazil

The practice of body waxing for hair removal originates at, you guessed it, in Brazil!

The practice started in the Rio de Janeiro, where small bathing suits are used by men and women. In order to look presentable, hot wax is spread on the desired areas.

When you think of Brazil in conjunction with body hair removal, the Brazilian wax will immediately pop in your head. However, the Brazilian wax has nothing in common with the country, except for the name.

The grooming style was an American invention – New York, specifically – and Brazilian women don’t like to go bare. They’d rather leave a landing strip of hair on the mon pubis.

India

Similar to the ancient Egyptians, ancient India Hindus have practised hair removal, in particular, their faces and pubic area.

In fact, waxing is still seen as a sacred ritual that starts when you’re as young as 12 years old.

Hairless arms and legs are considered as a female-gendered norm and a sign that you’re well-groomed’.

Whilst waxing has been the go-to method, depilatories and laser hair removal have been gaining attraction. The latter, especially, now that laser technology has advanced to suit those with darker skin tones.

Japan

Japanese women are well known for their beautiful skin.

Apart from their extensive skincare routine and healthy diet, there’s another reason why they can maintain such flawless skin.

Many Japanese women have practised shaving their faces! It’s believed to not only rid facial fuzz, but also enhances the skin’s exfoliation process and allows better absorption of beauty products.

It’s not just the face that undergoes a bit of shaving. Many take it upon themselves to shave their arms and stomach, on top of the usuals (legs and underarms).

Surprisingly enough, they would leave their bikini and mon pubis untouched.

The reason being: modesty and even shyness. The pubic hair will hide their lady parts when they have to be naked in their traditional onsen, whether it’d be due to embarrassment or a strong undesirability towards nudity.

Singapore

In Singapore, we’re not as obsessed in the removal of body hair.

Whilst it has gained attraction amongst beauty enthusiasts, only the rudimentary areas such as the armpits and pubic area are placed regularly shaved or wax.

That said, many women are also ridding of unwanted leg hair – unsurprisingly considering the hot and humid weather has encouraged shorts and short skirts to be a staple in our wardrobe.

If you’re missing our IPL hair removal treatment due to the circuit breaker measures, we have just the thing for you! Our Home Edition gets the job done for you in the privacy of your home.

If you have reservations of doing such a seemingly complex procedure on your own, trust us, you don’t have to worry! The device is programmed to be user-friendly whilst still being able to achieve professional results.

The two modes – single shot mode and continuous mode – have 5 power levels respectively for you to choose from. By having full control of the power levels, you’ll be able to adjust it to suit your comfort levels. Furthermore, the Home Edition is programmed with an in-built cooling mechanism to cool the skin to reduce any pain and discomfort!

Conclusion

Whilst it may not be on par with a permanent hair removal procedure done by a professional, you now have the tool that can keep you hairless for weeks!

That said, we look forward to the day reopens to assist you in achieving your desired hairless results. In the meantime, if you have any inquiries, don’t hesitate to give us a call!