Where did the custom of women shaving their bodies come from?

Question

I've always hated it - it makes a woman look like a little girl (shudder). Guaranteed turn-off for me, and it CAN'T be good for the self-esteem of a woman, being trained that "everybody" thinks that what grows naturally on her body is "dirty" or "ungroomed."

How did this peculiar custom arise? Why is it more common in the U.S. than in Europe?

Answer 1

I think it was from Brazil.

Answer 2

Since no one attempted to rally naswers.....I don'r know. People are into looking young. Botox, surgry, shaving.....traits associated with the youth. I saw an absurd ad today. Some Venus razor kept using smooth & shaving over & over agian. Ads work. That is one way it emered into our brains.

No, it doesn not help a post peuberty woman's self esteem. When do you see hairy women in public. I too think it is very unnatural.

Answer 3

I think it did come from Arab culture, because hair removal was a monthly ritual in their harems.  The recipe of wax was created and improved upon generation after generation of ladies. It contained lemon juice, sugar or honey along with some other ingredients. The end product became very thick and sticky and somehow absolutely painlessly removed body hair, where it was applied. I would venture to say that this tradition was acquired by our American ancestors with international travels and eventually was excepted as our own.  Now, USA has only existed a little over 200 years, when European nations have been around centuries longer with very strong traditions and customs of their own. That is why at some point Americans did have an open mind and did try to learn as much as we possibly could from other cultures. European nations were not pressed into situations like that for a while now.

Answer 4

Maybe people realized that it looks more attractive.

Answer 5

It's for aesthetic purposes. I don't think that looks juvenile. It's more just for the artistic aspect.. it makes the legs look more defined and graceful. Now shaving of pubic hair, THAT looks prepubescent and weird.

Answer 6

you may have answered the reason behind it yourself.

it makes a woman look like a little girl .

whenever patriarchy started some chauvinists and pervert men found it attractive that way! in japan they use to tie a woman's feet to keep it small! just like a kid! go and figure!  good question.  peace

Answer 7

Perhaps it was to get further away from our primate ancestors

Answer 8

Shaving seems to have been practiced in ancient Egypt, though whether this extended to pubic hair as it does nowadays I couldn't say.  Ancient Greek and Roman women used depilatories and razors and also a method of scraping the hairs off legs with a piece of thread held between the fingers.  men used to shave their bodies sometimes too, Greek athletes (who performed naked) used to shave their bodies for instance.

I don't know why it has become particularly popular in recent years, but it seems that even men are shaving themsleves nowadays, and I find that a real turn-off.  I shave because my husband likes it, but I have no views about it being 'dirty' or antyhign like that, I just do it because he finds it s**y.  Otherwise I wouldn't bother.

Answer 9

You know...I couldn't agree with you more.

I find shaving incredibly unnatural, and will only shave my legs in summer when I wear shorts - the reason I do it - because my last experience of anyone seeing any hair on my legs caused me such distress, that I didn't want to have to see that much hatred on some idiotic stranger's face ever again. It actually made me lose a little more confidence in human kind, and reminded me once again that this society lacks humility.

My partner likes hair on women, so that helps bucket loads.

Why oh why should I give a toss about what idiots think? Particularly since it just buys into the whole "women are here to be pleasing to the male eye" notion. Often, I think **** them" but I prefer to pretend the world is a nicer place

;-)

Answer 10

because we got freedom of the press and they learned about it faster

Answer 11

More than likely this came from Egypt. Like most all odd things we do that people accept just because everyone else is doing it. And I hate to hear men say that they like women who are shaven and "ripe".

Answer 12

Actually, little girls have hair on their bodies, starting at 3.  What makes you think they look like little girls? If you are talking about a certain private part, it is not the look the ladies go for, it is the feel.  Hair doesn't feel at all.  No feeling whatsoever, but skin does.  It's an erogenous zone that feels and hair gets in the way.  As a guy, you ought to try it.