Fiona’slatestnovel,
TheMumWhoGot
HerLifeBack, is
published by Avon
A brief history ofhair (dow n there)
✢Thosesmooth-
operatingAncient
Egyptiansaimedfor
entirebodyhair
removalusingpumice,
sugarorbeeswax.
✢Regardingit as
“uncivilised”,women
oftheRomanempire
wouldpainstakingly
tweezethoseshort
andcurliesaway.
✢BytheMiddle
Ages,pubichairwas
routinelyshavedto
combatlice.Enterthe
pubicwig– ormerkin
- sportedtocreate
theappearance
ofa luxuriantrug.
✢Thosesupposedly
buttoned-upVictorians
consideredpubichair
alluring.Witnessthe
abundantshrubberyin
the erotica of the era.
✢Thebikini’sarrivalin
1946 prompteda swift
tidyupoftheregion.
✢Bythelate1960s
andearly70s,
feministshadrejected
thenotionofbody
hairremoval,
preferringtolet
it allhangout.
✢In 1987 theBrazilian
“JSisters”started
offeringextreme
waxingattheir
Manhattansalon.“In
Brazil,waxingispart
ofourculturebecause
bikinisaresosmall,”
explainedJonice,one
ofthesevensisters.
✢In2000,Sexand
theCity’s Carrie
Bradshawwasshown
gettingherfirst
Brazilian:“Shetook
everything I’ve got!”
✢“Pubeskeep
thegoodsprivate,
whichcanenticea
lovertocomeand
takea closerlook
atwhatyouhave
tooffer,”wrote
CameronDiazin
TheBodyBook
(HarperCollins),
publishedin2013.
✢In2014,fashion
brandAmerican
Appareldisplays
mannequinswith
fullbushesvisible
beneathsheerlingerie
ina NYCstore.
✢By2017,the
#noshavenoshame
movementhas
takenhold,asa
newregenerationof
Instagraminfluencers
weartheirbody
hair with pride.
otherpathogens).Andwhohasn’t
enduredthediscomfortofingrown
hairs,orcringedatthesightof
regrowth?“Likea stubblyman-chin”,
asonefriendbemoanedwhenshe
wasbetweenwaxingappointments.
A studysuggeststhat85%of
women*– andaroundtwothirdsof
men– haveoptedforsomekindof
groomingoftheirintimateregions.
However,it’sbynomeansviewedas
essential.FurOilis a popularhigh-end
productdesignedto“condition”our
undergrowthandlesseningrownhairs
(actressEmmaWatsonis a fan).Its
makersarebigonembracing“amore
inclusivedefinitionofbeauty,
whetheryouthinkthatthe
bushis backorskinis in.”
“Butwhatabout
pornography?”
asks a
55-year-oldfriendwhenI tellher
I’mwritingthis.“Youngerguyshave
seenalltheseperformerswithouta
singlebodyhair,sotheideaofpubic
hairrepulsesandterrifiesthem.”
I don’tbuythethoughtofa young
heterosexualmanwitnessinga
nakedwomaninbedand
experiencingfear.Of
what– thathe’llbecome
engulfed,lefttoblunder
throughtheforestuntila
crackteamarrivestoguide
himtosafety?It’strue
thatsmoothnesshaslong
beenfavouredwithinthe
adultentertainmentbusiness(it
offersgreatervisibilityoftheaction
- plusonmen,it makestheir
equipmentlookbigger).However,
attitudesarechanging,withfemale
performersbeingaskedtogrow
backtheirpubes,oraredoingso
by choice. According to a report in
Vicemagazine,“Hairhasmadea
significantcomebackintheindustry.”
Meanwhile,intherealworld,it
seemsweareoptingforwhatever
feelsrightandfitsintoourlifestyles.
Janette,48,worksinrecruitment
andsays,“I hada Brazilianforyears,
butit startedtofeelrather
datedandunfeminist.
Whena friendspotted
it atthegym,I bluffed,
‘Itcauseslessdragwhen
I’mswimming.’I feltI had
toexcuseit somehow.”
Janettehassincegoneau
naturel:“I’dbeenwaxingfor
solong,I thoughtit mightgrowback
asthiswildmass,butit’sactuallyquite
dainty,”shesayswitha traceofpride.
Amanda,a 50-year-oldnurse,varies
hergroomingaccordingtotheseasons:
“I gonaturalinwinterandsavewaxing
forlatespringandsummer.It’slike
swappinga heavywintercoatfora
lighterjacket.”Unsurprisingly,several
friendsswitchedfromprofessional
waxestohomeshavingwhentheir
childrenwenttouniversityandthey
werewhackedwithstudentrentalbills.
Afterall,a Brazilianwillsetyouback
around£35,a packofrazorsundera
fiver.Asformen,a fullintimatewax
(includingbottomand– ouch– testicles)
is stillthego-tooptionforhardcore
groomers.However,lesstear-inducing
alternativesarebecomingpopular.
Lastyear,men’sbrandManscaped
launchedanelectrictrimmernamed
TheLawnMower,designedspecifically
forde-fuzzingthetackle.
Perhapsweareallgrowingtiredof the
painandtheupkeep– orwe’vegoneoff
howit looks.AsLucy,41,pointsout,“I’m
favouring‘neatnatural’thesedays.I was
in Parisrecentlyandwenttoa salon,
justwantingthesidestobedone.The
wholelotwaswhippedoff– everyhair,
withoutdiscussion.I wasflippedover
likea kipper.I feltrobbed,andcold
- andnoonewantsa chillyvagina in
Paris.”Oranywhereelse
for that matter.w&h
“Hairhas
madea
significant
comeback”
straight-talking woman
*STUdY PUBLISHEd In 2017 In THE JOUrnAL JAMA dErMATOLOgY
PHoTogRAPHS
ALAMY, gETTY IMAgES
84 woman&home IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU!
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