Yep, we’re going to talk about body hair.
Nobody really likes body hair, but we’ve all got it. It’s a natural part of our evolution as human beings and plays an important role in our health and well-being.
Body hair is nothing to be ashamed of, and we might as well embrace it.
In this blog, we’ll go over some fascinating body hair facts we think you might find interesting:
- The more hair, the bigger the brain: Did you know that body hair is tied to intelligence? Well, at least one study says so. Dr. Aikarakudy Alias has been studying body hair and intelligence for over 22 years and has found that men with more chest hair often have more important jobs or performed better in school than men with less chest hair. So, if you’ve got a carpet on your chest, chances are you’re a genius.
- Our ancestors were A LOT hairier: You might think you have a lot of body hair now, but your primate ancestors were COVERED in hair—we’re talking full face, palms, and feet. But over time, we humans lost a lot of our fuzz. Scientists are not 100% sure why we’ve become less hairy. Theories as to why we lost our body hair include: hunting in the water, hunting in the savannah where it’s really hot, ridding of pesky lice, or helping communicate emotions without fur covering our faces. Though we’re much better groomed than our ancestors, we did keep some Hair on our heads to help us regulate our body temperatures, and our eyebrows keep sweat out of our eyes.
- Why men are hairier than women: Though men and women share the same number of hair follicles, men have more androgens (sex hormones) like testosterone in their bodies, and androgens are what cause terminal hairs to grow. There is also an evolutionary theory that women subconsciously find men with body hair more virile and therefore better mates. One study discovered that women found men with “evenly and continuously distributed facial hair” more sexually attractive, as well as men who had some chest hair rather than none.
- Body hair and those teenage years: Puberty: That awful time in your life when you feel emotionally out of control and body hair starts sprouting like weeds in awkward places. There’s a reason why hair grows in your armpits, face, and nether regions and that reason is called hormones. Lots and lots of hormones. At this time in your life, your hormones usher you into adulthood and make sure you’re safe from and attractive to the world around you. Hair on your face helps you regulate your body temperature, armpits release pheromones (smells that make you appealing to potential mates), and pubic hair helps protect your private parts from bacteria and other nasty pathogens.
As you can see, body hair plays an important role in our evolution and modern-day bodies. However, just because body hair is important, it doesn’t always mean you want to be stuck with it. If you’re looking to get rid of some of that body fuzz, we can help.