What’s the obsession as of late with eradicating physique hair? I imply, what’s it with portray on thick eyebrows, excruciatingly painful waxing, and clearly fake-looking hair extensions?This child boomer should be feeling my age as a result of I simply do not get it.Sure, I shave my legs, however I am unable to assist noticing that ladies are overly preoccupied with hair currently. Have been we girls bamboozled into this obsession by entrepreneurs?In response to the e book, Plucked: A Historical past of Hair Elimination, greater than 99 p.c of American ladies take away their physique hair.Apparently, Gillette launched the primary razor for girls in 1915 together with the message that physique hair was “unsightly” and “objectionable” and thus wanted to be eliminated. They usually simply so occurred to have the right software. The corporate now earns over 9 billion {dollars} a yr in gross sales.The Brazilian bikini wax was created in Manhattan by seven Brazilian sisters within the early 1990s, who now earn six million {dollars} a yr from waxing, hair, and nail remedies.Individuals are profiting large time from this obsession to take away hair. Not solely do ladies wax their legs and armpits, however immediately it turned crucial and ever-so-fashionable to wax different locations as properly. I imply, OUCH! When did ripping scorching wax off delicate areas turn into empowering?In reality, ladies spend about $10,000 and the equal of over 4 months of their lives eradicating hair. Those that wax a couple of times a month will spend a median of $23,000 throughout their lifetime.Actually women?Does this all appear a bit unusual to you child boomers who fought for the feminist revolution with the conviction that as a substitute of obsessing over bodily magnificence, ladies ought to deal with their intelligence, careers, achievements, and making a distinction? Throughout the 60s and 70s, ladies felt free to make their very own selections about hair removing and plenty of selected to go au pure. Nowadays, ladies really feel ashamed and someway soiled with no bikini wax. What occurred?To not sound old school, however aren’t there extra necessary issues to consider and do than obsess and spend money and time on eradicating physique hair? Again within the outdated days (okay, now I sound historic) folks appeared extra centered on non secular issues and household. They did not spend all their time worrying about whether or not their armpits have been correctly waxed. And plenty of would have donated that $150 for a full physique wax – to take away hair that is going to develop again actual fast – to an excellent trigger.And whereas we’re discussing this, simply when did ladies turn into so helpless? Have you ever child boomers observed that ladies do not know the right way to pluck their very own eyebrows, shave their very own legs, or paint their very own fingernails and toenails anymore? Along with all the cash spent on waxing, ladies spend about $1,300 a yr on manis and pedis alone. Sure, I splurge on occasion to do my nails but it surely’s not rocket science to use nail polish. Would not you relatively make a journey with all that cash?We boomers did not go to the hair salon for a “blow dry.” As a substitute, I deftly wielded my very own blow dryer like a professional and caught prongs into scorching rollers with out burning my fingertips to seem like Farrah. If we needed our hair coloured we picked up a bottle of Clairol on the drugstore. We even dared to perm our personal hair! Sure, we appeared like poodles however who cared? And provides me a break. At the least we did not seem like a Dr. Seuss e book with multi-colored rainbow hair! What’s with that loopy pattern?When ladies aren’t busy making an attempt to take away each scrap of hair from their our bodies, they’re clipping or taping on hair extensions to seem like a Actual Housewife or one of many Kardashians. Some ladies turn into hooked on the extra everlasting sort of extensions which leaves pure hair trying like a struggle zone. Did I point out the ache of ripping out the tape from the extra everlasting sort of extensions? The potential for bald spots? Does this sound like a good suggestion to you? Even Jennifer Aniston has admitted that her well-known locks had turn into skinny from extensions.Okay, I have to confess that within the 60s it was standard to frost hair. For these of you who do not bear in mind, this course of concerned a tight-fitting rubber cap with tons of little holes. A small steel crocheting needle was then used to drag items of hair by way of the holes – one by one. So, it was kinda tortuous and girls could have misplaced a few of their hair within the course of. And we child boomers will not discuss concerning the bristle rollers ladies someway slept in or teasing hair till it appeared like a chook’s nest. Ladies again combed their hair till they appeared like Marge Simpson after which utilized sufficient sticky hairspray to make hair crunch.However that was completely different. Kind of. Why do not we alter the topic?Can we discuss a minute about these wonky eyebrows, deemed the “power brow?” These stylish fuller brows are imagined to seem like artistic endeavors, however they only look foolish to me. Darkish forehead fillers create these squared off however completely arched eyebrows that look something however pure. I’ve nothing in opposition to eyebrows, however ought to these two arches in your brow warrant this a lot consideration, trigger a lot work, and price a lot cash? And why wax off your eyebrows should you’re solely going to attract them again on once more? I am so confused.Okay, possibly I should not be too crucial. My senior image shows skinny, arched eyebrows which are maybe a tiny bit over-plucked. Truly, I am unable to consider I walked round so proudly like that, however that is inappropriate. At the least I plucked them proudly all on my own and it did not price me a penny!Nonetheless, this entire cultural phenomenon puzzles me. However wait a minute. Perhaps armpit hair is making a comeback. There’s an Instagram account known as Woman Pit Hair that options ladies going in opposition to social magnificence norms and rising out their armpit hair and dying it brilliant colours.”Today’s beauty standards really bum me out as they constantly police women’s bodies,” says Taylor Carpenter, a 23-year-old whose scorching pink pits are featured on the web page. Apart from the difficulty of rebelling in opposition to norms society forces on us ladies, she has another excuse for brightening the colour of her physique hair: “Honestly, I really like how they look. When I catch a glance of my hot pink pits, it makes me smile.”Okay, I sorta just like the sentiment of standing up in opposition to this cloud of disgust over any scrap of non-waxed physique hair, however I am nonetheless mystified. Is fluorescent inexperienced leg hair the following pattern? Perhaps I get outdated!
