Desexualize Waxing

It might surprise you to know just how long hair removal has been around and why it became so popular. Some of the very first razors, dating back to 3000 BCE, were made of copper originally found in Egypt and India. Egyptians during the time of Cleopatra’s rule were the first to remove hair using a sugar mixture; it is said that some Egyptian women removed the hair from their heads and regarded pubic hair as uncivilized. The more elite Roman women of sixth century BCE used tweezers, pumice stones, and other depilatories to remove unwanted hair. Romans, the masters of cleanliness, gave us our first heated baths! I can’t say I’m at all down with the Elizabethan women who removed their entire eyebrows and drew them on for a longer look; Grateful that trend didn’t last! After all this time it seems that waxing and other forms of hair removal are here to stay. As a woman who likes hair-free legs, underarms and a clean bikini line, I am grateful for it. However, recent social media posts and news related to hair removal has my knickers in a twist and I want to get it off of my chest – literally:

Overly sexualizing waxing and hair removal
When I look at marketing ads in trade and consumer publications that arrive on my desk I see one message about waxing and hair removal: hair removal will lead to a better sex life and that if you take it ALL off, you and your partner(s) will be better for it. Here’s what I think. If you want to remove unwanted hair because it makes you feel better about yourself; you do you. But don’t do it because you think you’ll perform better under the sheets. Don’t do it for a partner who thinks they’ll perform better because you’re hair free – that’s shallow and judgemental.

Shaming people for removing unwanted hair
I have never liked my leg hair. It was coarse, dark and itchy as hell! It put endless runs in my stockings at my corporate job (late 80s) The more I shaved it, the itchier and darker it seemed to get. I have been waxing without issue for years. My skin gets a better exfoliation from it, and my hair grows less. And yes, I find that my underarms smell less when there is no hair there. Hair has its benefits but I have my own preferences to how much bikini line hair I take off; I don’t allow others to dictate that for me. I certainly don’t want to be told by a complete stranger what is wrong or what is right. My body, my rules; same applies to you.

Why we wax and its benefits – Here are some examples:
Pre-surgery – hysterectomies, c-sections, gender reassignment surgery, vasectomies, tummy tucks, surgeries in general. Some doctors will require a patient to shave the area, whilst a lot of people opt for waxing because it is cleaner, leaves the area hair free longer, and doesn’t leave itchy stubble. Sports-related hair removal brings athletes to Queen Bee. Cyclists swear wounds from road rash heal faster and tight clothing isn’t so itchy. Triathletes believe their performance is better without a lot of thick body hair and they are more aerodynamic. Some even say a massage feels better without as much hair. Maybe it just feels or looks better to you!
And then there are some of the emotional effects. We hear from clients that they feel more confident and ready to take on the world once they’ve been waxed. They might be going on vacation and want to feel great in that new bathing suit. They might be about to argue their dissertation and feel a confidence boost after shaping up their brows. There are countless reasons that people get waxed; it is one of the best parts of being a waxer that we get to be there with them to make it happen.

So the message from me is this; if you want to remove hair from any part of your body for any reason, that is up to you and is nobody else’s business. Do not allow others to make you feel ashamed or awkward for doing so and remember that when you make the decision to do it, do it for you and you only. At Queen Bee, we do not market our services to force anybody to do something against their will or that if they don’t do it they are not a part of society. We take care of our clients based on individual requests, not those of the masses.

I hope that clears things up from my hair free end!

Jodi