History of hair removal
Historian Russell B. Adams states that tracing back to where hair removal began is actually a very difficult task. The first hints towards hair removal were prehistoric cave drawings in which the drawings included men with no facial hair. This could’ve been a very dangerous task possibly using sharpened animal teeth.
Rather than hair removal being focused on beauty standards, it was more based on hygienic habits. Removing body hair was mainly intended to starve off infestations of lice and many other possible parasites. This was especially important to those who had limited access to bathing, because rather than having to bathe in order to take precautions of parasites, they could just remove their hair. Hair also traps perspiration so it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and odors, by removing the hair all together, you remove the risk of odor. Because of these new findings, being “clean-shaven” had become associated with basic hygiene throughout the 1900s.
Soon, hair removal created and reinforced identity and gender norms within American cultures. The way these products were marketed, they linked the use of these products with how attractive the consumer was and their masculinity or femininity. Shaving in the 1800s was often done with a steel straight razor, typically always done by a barber. In 1904, Gillette created the first safety razor, making it easier for men to shave themselves at home. Now it was very convenient and more fashionable to be clean-shaven.
Men who shaved everyday also had to continue to purchase a constant supply of blades. The marketing for the shaving habits of men built on the idea that a man who has a clean-shaven face is hygenic, modern, and civilized versus one a man who gets shaved once a week at his barber. In the early 20th century, manufacturers of the safety razors were trying to expand their market, so they began to advertise the idea that body hair in general is masculine and on women it is indelicate as well as unhygienic.
In the 1920s, sleeveless tops and short dresses were more and more fashionable. This meant that the legs and armpits were now visible in most social gatherings. Marketers took advantage of this opportunity and encouraged women to shave these body parts in order to complete their look. The term “shaving” had always been associated with men and their hair removal practices so advertisers tiptoed around this word when females were their primary audience. Instead, they tried to convince women to make their legs and armpits “smooth,” though they never encouraged women to use razors on their face, they were encouraged to use products like bleach, wax, or depilatory creams which dissolve facial hair.
Many women wanted longer-lasting methods of hair removal rather than just shaving. They also wanted to avoid the risk of cuts and ingrown hairs that were typically apart of the shaving process. Mitts that you could wear on your hands and rubbed against the skin and they would scarpe off the hair or pulled them out from the root. Depilatories were also sold in either cream or powder form to chemically break down hairs so that they could be wiped away. A 1908 advertisement for X-Bazin’s Depilatory Powder, entitled “Personal Comeliness,” states that the product will remove the “misery attending growths of hair on the face, neck, or arms.” However, depilatory powders and creams often irritated the skin.
Jacob Schick received a patent for the first electric razor in 1930, which he called the “Schick Dry Shaver,” as no shaving soap was necessary. This made hair removal less dangerous and easier, they also did not require shaving soap. Men who shaved themselves typically had to purchase shaving soap, mugs pre-filled with shaving soap, and shaving brushes.
Rather than hair removal being focused on beauty standards, it was more based on hygienic habits. Removing body hair was mainly intended to starve off infestations of lice and many other possible parasites. This was especially important to those who had limited access to bathing, because rather than having to bathe in order to take precautions of parasites, they could just remove their hair. Hair also traps perspiration so it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and odors, by removing the hair all together, you remove the risk of odor. Because of these new findings, being “clean-shaven” had become associated with basic hygiene throughout the 1900s.
Soon, hair removal created and reinforced identity and gender norms within American cultures. The way these products were marketed, they linked the use of these products with how attractive the consumer was and their masculinity or femininity. Shaving in the 1800s was often done with a steel straight razor, typically always done by a barber. In 1904, Gillette created the first safety razor, making it easier for men to shave themselves at home. Now it was very convenient and more fashionable to be clean-shaven.
Men who shaved everyday also had to continue to purchase a constant supply of blades. The marketing for the shaving habits of men built on the idea that a man who has a clean-shaven face is hygenic, modern, and civilized versus one a man who gets shaved once a week at his barber. In the early 20th century, manufacturers of the safety razors were trying to expand their market, so they began to advertise the idea that body hair in general is masculine and on women it is indelicate as well as unhygienic.
In the 1920s, sleeveless tops and short dresses were more and more fashionable. This meant that the legs and armpits were now visible in most social gatherings. Marketers took advantage of this opportunity and encouraged women to shave these body parts in order to complete their look. The term “shaving” had always been associated with men and their hair removal practices so advertisers tiptoed around this word when females were their primary audience. Instead, they tried to convince women to make their legs and armpits “smooth,” though they never encouraged women to use razors on their face, they were encouraged to use products like bleach, wax, or depilatory creams which dissolve facial hair.
Many women wanted longer-lasting methods of hair removal rather than just shaving. They also wanted to avoid the risk of cuts and ingrown hairs that were typically apart of the shaving process. Mitts that you could wear on your hands and rubbed against the skin and they would scarpe off the hair or pulled them out from the root. Depilatories were also sold in either cream or powder form to chemically break down hairs so that they could be wiped away. A 1908 advertisement for X-Bazin’s Depilatory Powder, entitled “Personal Comeliness,” states that the product will remove the “misery attending growths of hair on the face, neck, or arms.” However, depilatory powders and creams often irritated the skin.
Jacob Schick received a patent for the first electric razor in 1930, which he called the “Schick Dry Shaver,” as no shaving soap was necessary. This made hair removal less dangerous and easier, they also did not require shaving soap. Men who shaved themselves typically had to purchase shaving soap, mugs pre-filled with shaving soap, and shaving brushes.