Stylist joined forces with Veet to discover how women feel about their body hair in 2023. Here’s what they said
Love it, hate it, remove it, embrace it, dye it pink: when it comes to body hair, we think it’s fair to say that our relationship with it is, well… personal. From the embarrassment of PE changing rooms to hideous waxing experiences (everybody has one), to more celebrities choosing to celebrate their au naturel armpits, the subject of body hair continues to push boundaries and spark debate. Whether that’s in the media, as a societal movement or, possibly, within our own journey towards self-acceptance.
That’s why Stylist partnered with hair removal brand Veet to find out more about how women* are feeling when it comes to their body hair in 2023. Together with Veet, we wanted this study to help more women see their body hair choices as an accepted expression of their own identity, and support women who choose to remove it with superior solutions to get the best results when doing so. Here’s what we found out…
HAIR AS SELF-CARE
Unsurprisingly, 98% of women said they have removed their body hair at some point, and nearly all currently removed some or all of it, particularly from the underarm, leg and pubic areas. Reasons for removal varied: 66% removed underarm hair ‘to feel more hygienic’, while 74% removed their leg hair and 73% their pubic hair, to feel ‘more groomed and put together’.
Most women preferred to remove their body hair at home (91% removed leg and underarm hair by themselves rather than at a salon) which suggests that hair removal, in some form, is an important part of our grooming routine. Also, the world of home hair removal is having a bit of a moment thanks to new, innovative products that allow more freedom in terms of skin type and the areas we want to remove hair from. For example, the recently launched Veet Expert – the brand’s most effective hair removal range to date – offers targeted solutions to help create a simple routine that delivers great results, while still being kind to skin. Great news for those who want an elevated hair removal experience without having to visit the salon.
The research also found that many of us aren’t removing our body hair as often, with nearly half of the women asked admitting that they don’t remove their leg, underarm and pubic hair as regularly as they used to. This could be an indicator that (finally) women aren’t feeling the same pressure to be hairless all the time, and that when they do choose to remove it, it’
