Fashion is constantly evolving. It changes and re-invents itself with stunning regularity. Every few decades, styles of past eras are marched out of storage to be dusted off, modified and let loose on the runway. Bellbottoms made a splash in the 1960s and experienced a resurgence thirty years later. Crop tops first came onto the scene in the 80s and have recently returned to store racks and streets around the globe. Like it or not, belly buttons are back.
What we wear on our bodies and our bodies themselves are subject to the trends of our times, and hair is no stranger to the scene. Hairstyles come and go, sometimes inspired by fictional characters or reality stars. For example, in the 1990s, Jennifer Aniston’s character on “Friends” minted “The Rachel” hairdo and fans flocked to salons to emulate the look.
Hairy High and Low
Body hair isn’t exempt from shifting trends, either. It may surprise some to know that the highly groomed (or entirely absent) pubic hair of today wasn’t always the look du jour. Women of the 70s spent significantly less time and resources grooming hair south of the border, and probably would’ve thought the idea of a Brazilian wax sounded like a means of torture.
In the name of beauty or personal preference, many women pursue a myriad of solutions to rid themselves of unwanted body hair. But it may surprise you to know that art offers proof of female body hair as a thing of beauty. Across time, style and culture, artists including Van Gogh, Renoir, Klimt, and Hokusai rendered depictions of women in all their glory: armpit hair and pubic hair apparent.
Perhaps no artist is as famous for her self-portraiture and celebration of body hair as Frida Kahlo, champion of the unibrow. These artists and their collection may serve as inspiration to modern women who want to embrace stylistic, unapologetic expressions of body hair.
The Treatment that’s Trending
Not all women are inspired to throw caution to the wind and let their hair everywhere grow. For those who prefer the mainstream beauty trends of today, laser hair removal has introduced a welcome option. Laser hair removal offers a permanent reduction in hair, and can be used nearly anywhere on the face or body. Any hair that regrows will be lighter, finer and less noticeable.
Laser hair removal uses a pulsing beam of highly concentrated light that works on follicles below the surface of the skin, disabling the follicle and preventing future hair growth. Because hair grows in stages, laser hair removal treatment is performed in series of sessions, targeting follicles during the growth stage. After six to nine sessions spaced 10 to 12 weeks apart, patients enjoy near permanent results. Most people find that one to two maintenance sessions each year offer them the best long-term outcome.
The treatment is proving popular for men, too. Tired of the daily shaving ritual or the nuisance and pain of ingrown hairs, increasing numbers of men are choosing laser hair removal to tame their facial hair and instill order out of what can often seem like chaos.
Art lovers can go right on appreciating the great works portraying the human form in all its hairy glory, but for those searching for a way to permanently ditch the razor, shaving cream, or hot wax, laser hair removal is a thing of beauty.