Why do we have Hair?

For majority of women, hair removal is a daily process. Even an average man ends up spending up to six months of his lifetime shaving his beard! With all this need for regular grooming, one would expect evolution to do away with body hair completely by now. But, from head to toe (for some), and everything that comes in between, there are age old reasons why humans grow body hair, and why it can be determined to grow back even after you use some the most fool proof removal methods. Mentioned below are some of the reasons why body hair exists, even in the most awkward locations.

What Lies Beneath?

The journey of each hair begins from below the surface of the skin. The cells present inside our hair follicles divide and multiply, forcing the old cells out to form a hair shaft. These hairs grow for a certain duration known as the anagen phase, before resting throughout the telogen phase and finally falling off. The length of the anagen phase varies depending on the type of the hair. This is the reason the hair on our heads will grow for years longer than the hair on our legs.

To sweat or not to sweat

Despite our grievances, humans have lesser hair compared to other mammals. Since our primate years we have managed to shed most of the hair which once covered our entire body – a big breather when you think about bikini season! One of the major reasons for this is to prevent our body from overheating. Sweat cools us down via evaporation, and with a wafer thin coating of hair, our bodies can better adjust to extreme climatic conditions.

A protective layer

The remaining hair on our body serves an important purpose. One of the important functions of the hair on our head is to give better protection from the sun. Even our eyebrows offer protection, helping in keeping our eyes clear of sweat and rain. Look at it as nature’s panama! If you travel back in time when humans had to hunt and protect the family in wild, the hair on our legs, arms, and back had the duty to protect us from cuts, scrapes, and chafing, as well as from any nasty insects. Now that we no longer have to hunt in the wild, it’s no surprise that smooth and hairless skin have become the need of the hour.

A sensual matter?

Many women would agree that excess hair in the bikini and underarm area are less of an asset and more of a beauty burden. Ironically, the thick hair located in those intimate zones is said to stem from its ability to help emit pheromones, which can entice sexual awareness in others, making people seem sexually desirable.

Hair removal

With changing fashion trends, and with access to huge range of cosmetics at our fingertips, it’s no surprise that humans have evolved to vary their preferences in body hair. Waxing is one of the most common technique that gives you long term solution when it comes to hair removal. Veet Cold Wax Strips help you achieve salon like results from the comfort of your home. For a short-term solution, shaving and depilatory creams is preferable too. Even stray eyebrows can be dealt with a simple tweeze.

There are a plethora of reasons why our bodies produce hair, sometimes in awkward places. While it’s reassuring to know that our bodies are functioning in our favor, with such a wide variety of hair removal techniques out there, unwanted body-hair needn’t be bothering the modern woman much.