Though many people see hair removal as some modern trend, actually it has been around since the beginning of our civilization.
People developed different tools and products for hair removal that we use today for centuries. Nevertheless, shaving was mainly associated with health and hygiene, but not with the celebration of a hairless state of the human body.
Removing hair from face and head was a popular solution even among cavemen who saw it as the solution to prevent mites and other insects from forming nests and laying eggs in their hair. Though there were no razors, cavemen used sharpened rock and seashells to get rid of facial hair.
People in ancient Egypt also removed hair to avoid grabbing them onto during battles. It is worth to mention, that the first razor that was made of copper was created exactly in Egypt, in 3,000 BC. Furthermore, Egyptians removed hair with the help of sugary substances, so waxing and sugaring came from Egypt as well.
In Ancient Greece and Rome, it was considered uncivilized to have pubic hair. Facial hair was viewed as a sign of lower class. Ancient Greeks and Romans used fire, razors sharpened stones and even some depilatory substances to remove unwanted hair.
In Europe, hair removal became popular in Elizabeth era. Though it was exactly women who were focused on removing unwanted hair, it was not about legs or armpits. European women of that time were focused on removing hair from foreheads and thinned their eyebrows. It was about fashion and there were even cases when women went so far as to rub walnut oil on their children’s forehead to prevent hair growth. If you look a Mona Lisa, you will see that her hairline is set back an inch or so.
Shaving became popular in America after Abraham Lincoln was killed in 1865. It was a time when the first Gillette razor appeared.
As most women in America of that time were of European descent, hair removal trends were quite similar to European ones. As women of that time dressed very conservatively, there was no need for shaving. So the first razor for women appeared just in 1915. It was used to remove hair above ankles, especially after the World War II when there was a lack of nylon and women were forced to look into hair removal methods.
Today, both men and women use different hair removal options to get rid of unwanted hair. Modern hair removal industry offers various hair removal options, including depilatory substances, body shavers, and electric shavers and so on. When it comes to removing hair from the back, there is even a back hair shaver option. Methods of shaving are also varied. The most permanent ones are electrolysis and laser hair removal. Waxing and sugaring are considered to be popular as well, though the most common method of removing hair is still provided by various shaving razors.
