This study aimed to investigate the frequency and meaning of the removal of
body hair in women, participants were 129 female university students (mean
age = 22.3 years) and 137 female high school students (mean age = 14.3 yea
rs). Almost all (>95%) were Caucasian. it was found chat, as predicted, the
vast majority (92%) of women remove their leg and/or underarm hail; most f
requently by shaving. This was irrespective of their feminist beliefs, but
was negatively related to self-esteem in university students. The reasons c
ited for hair removal were primarily concerned with a desire for femininity
and attractiveness. However the reasons provided for starting to remove bo
dy hair differed between the groups, in that they were relatively more norm
ative for the university students than for the high school students. It was
concluded that women's stated reasons for starting the practice of hair re
moval reflect primarily their vantage point as an observed In fact, removin
g body hair Is a practice so normative as to go mostly unremarked, but one
which contributes substantially to the notion that womens' bodies are unacc
eptable as they are.