What is a wax…?

Occasionally, as I sit naked with my legs splayed open, paying a woman to pour and then rip hot wax off my most private parts, I get to thinking. Normally my mind drifts to what my waxer’s opinion of my tidbits are in comparison to the other countless women she sees. I mean really, even Barney Stinson probably hasn’t gotten that up close and personal with so many women. But then as the half hour rolls on and things get more painful, I generally end up thinking to myself, “WHY THE HELL DID WOMEN START DOING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE??”

 

In order to answer that question, I plan to impart my newfound wisdom to you, dear readers, in a brief history of the bikini wax (and I do mean brief, my days of 50 page research papers are thankfully over for now):

 

According to The EmBodyment of American culture, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of women and girls in the United States perform some type of hair removal on a regular basis. While  a quick Wikipedia search informs us that women in Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures have been getting rid of unwanted hair that was deemed unsanitary for many centuries, depilation did not become popular in the United States until the beginning of the 20th Century. Initially, hair removal advertisements were aimed only at underarm hair. However, as fashion evolved and skirts and sleeves became shorter and shorter, revealing what was considered unsightly underarm and leg hair, the hair removal craze began. It was fueled during World War II when silk tights normally worn by women became a scarce commodity, forcing ladies to comply with sheer nylons. Electric razors were invented,  marketed specifically toward women, as early as 1940.

 

The bikini wax is a somewhat logical next step, as bathing suit lines were cut and higher and higher, along with the skirts and sleeves of the 40s and beyond. It’s hard to deny that pubic hair tufting out of underwear and bathing suits is somewhat unsightly. Take the Brazilian wax, for example — an all over “let’s get rid of every folicle imaginable” kind of wax that became common with the popularity of thong bathing suits worn in those warm South American countries where  everyone seems to have a perfectly toned ass … but I digress.

 

As fashion changes, so did the societal norms of body hair. However, from my personal experiences–and I’m guessing yours as well–I would say that hair removal has become necessitated not only because of the clothes, bathing suits, and underwear we choose to don, but also because of a belief that the men/women we fool around with have strong opinions on what our hair down there should look like.

 

If you are interested in learning more about the history of waxing, I’d recommend taking a look at this article: The EmBodyment of American Culture

Other articles referenced for this post: Epliation Device; Wikipedia