By Vanika
4 Myths And Facts About Body Hair
Having body hair is normal but the gender-specific beauty standards have made it difficult for people to love something truly natural. Be it a conversation about beauty standards or personal grooming, you’d come around to discuss body hair. Body hair is not a flaw that needs to be covered up or an error that needs to be fixed. It is a natural and inherent part of human beings. Accepting your body hair signifies accepting your authenticity, liberating yourself from societal pressures, and taking back control of your body.
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT BODY HAIR
MYTH - “NO ONE WOULD LIKE YOU IF YOU’RE HAIRY”
FACT - Regardless, it’s a personal choice if one wants to remove it or not, and what people think should not come in between your form of self-love. Listen to what you want from within, not those around you. Keep it or leave it, it’s beautiful either way.
MYTH - “HAVING UNDERARM HAIR IS UNHYGIENIC”
FACT - Just like on every other part of your body, having underarm hair is normal. In the same way, our eyelashes prevent dirt from entering our eyes, and underarm hair reduces friction and absorbs sweat. Having underarm hair is actually much more hygienic than not having any.
MYTH - “HAVING BODY HAIR MAKES YOU LESS FEMININE.”
FACT - Keeping or shaving off your body hair has nothing to do with your femininity. Since body hair is something which is completely natural, using it to define gender norms is completely unacceptable. Therefore, feel free to shave it all off or let it grow because at the end of the day, it’s all about personal choice and self-love not what society expects out of you.
MYTH - “PUBIC HAIR ARE DISGUSTING”
FACT - Just like underarm hair, having pubic hair is equally normal. Pubic hair protects our genitals from bacteria, maintains temperature, and reduces friction around that sensitive part of our body. Do not let others force you to make decisions that are purely originated out of unrealistic beauty standards.
MYTH - “WOMEN SHOULD NOT BE HAIRY”
FACT - The reason why people expect women to be hairless is due to the beauty standards we have been upholding for so long; having no hair makes women more beautiful. But at the end of the day, that is simply not true. Just like men, it’s equally normal for women to have body hair. Having or not having body hair should be a personal choice, not something to be done to fit into society.
Body hair is a natural and normal part of the human body. It serves various purposes, including protection, insulation, and sensory perception. Your body hair, like every other aspect of your being, is lovely and deserving of love. Accepting and loving our body hair exactly as it is can be a powerful act of self-acceptance and self-expression. Society's constantly evolving beauty standards may attempt to dictate how we should feel about our body hair. The decision should entirely be yours, whether you prefer a carefully manicured appearance or to let it grow wild and free.
Tips and tricks for naturally removing body hair
We understand that no matter how much one tries to overcome their insecurities, it isn't that easy. The same goes for body hair; even though one can be fully aware of the fact that having them is natural and it is not something to feel insecure about, it just isn't that easy. It’s a personal choice to keep it or remove it. For the latter, following are some safe, natural, easy-to-make methods for removing body hair-
- Sugar waxing
An eco-friendly and biodegradable method in comparison to the usual wax, sugar wax is made using sugar, lemon juice, and honey. Here's a step-by-step guide to making it-
→ Mix sugar, lemon juice, and honey in a pan and allow it to heat up until it turns into a thick, caramel-colored paste.
→ Let it sit until it cools down to room temperature.
→Apply it on the skin, in the direction of hair growth with the help of a spatula.
→Further, put a cloth strip over it, pat it down, and quickly pull it off in the direction of hair growth.
- Turmeric and milk/yogurt paste
Another common and easy method for naturally removing body hair is using a paste of turmeric and milk/yogurt. Following are the directions -
→Mix turmeric powder and yogurt or milk, according to the requirement, and blend until it turns into a thick paste.
→Apply this paste onto your skin and let it dry.
→ Once it's dried, gently rub off the paste in the opposite direction of hair growth.
→ Rinse off the remaining paste with warm water.
- Egg-white mask
Egg whites have proven to be extremely effective when it comes down to removing body hair. To make this mask, the steps are easy-
→Separate egg whites from the yolks and beat them until frothy.
→Apply this mask to the desired area and let it dry.
→Lastly, peel off the mask in the opposite direction of hair growth.
- Oil massage
A hot oil massage consisting of caster oil, coconut, mustard, tea tree, sesame oil, or olive oil has proved to be an effective home remedy for reducing hair growth as well as providing instant relaxation.
- Oatmeal and Banana paste
Due to its rough texture, this paste works as a natural exfoliator for body hair as well as removing dead skin cells. To make this paste, you need to mash a banana and some oat meals according to the requirement and mix it well. Massage the paste for up to two minutes and then scrub it off.
It's important to keep in mind that natural hair removal treatments might not be as effective compared to traditional methods like shaving, waxing, or threading. They need patience as well as persistency before they produce any visible outcomes. Apart from this, it’s always safe to do a patch test before to make sure that you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients.
To know more about Myths About Body Hair read here
To know more about Evolution in the Perspective of Body Hair read here
References
https://www.theskingames.com/four-myths-about-body-hair/
https://www.beautyhub.ph/skin/skin-care/balbon-body-hair-myths/
https://www.myglamm.com/glammstudio/2019-05-best-natural-hair-removal-methods
#Facts #Myths #BodyHair #BodyDysmorphia #SelfAcceptance #Beauty #BeautyStandards #NaturalBeauty