The Specter of Excess Reflection
By: Zeina Jabali
Shaving and waxing are just some of
the many norms women today have to abide by. Over 99% of women in the US and
80% of women in England, Austrailia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Uganda and Turkey
have reported to use hair removal techniques. We do this to refrain from
feeling and being seen as “unattractive”, “vulgar”, and “disgusting”. In fact,
many of the girls in the experiment felt a need to over compensate by “wearing
making more often”, putting on more lotion, and taking more showers. Social
behaviors also changed when they started avoiding certain types of clothing and
exercise and hiding in their houses rather than going out. I completely
understand their reaction and I think it’s perfectly normal, I would feel
disgusted as well. I say its normal, but I don’t think it’s right; society
shouldn’t be built in such a way. It is, however, and so we have the choice of
living it or constantly fighting against “the man”, which I think is just
utterly exhausting.
After
reading the article I called my boyfriend and asked him how he would feel if I
completely stopped shaving my legs for a month, he said it would be “pretty
disgusting” and that he would probably say something to me about it. He also
reassured himself by saying that I didn’t have the guts to do it, so he was not
worried; and he’s right, I don’t. His friends all agreed with him and one even
jokingly promised to shave his girlfriends legs for her if she didn’t. Even my
best friend said that hairy legs/armpits are a definite deal breaker. I don’t
blame them for such a reaction because if a one of my male friends or my
boyfriend shaved off their leg hair I would be pretty disgusted as well.
My
disgust of growing hair out is rooted in the fact that it is unhygienic. For
example, Esperanza says that she had a “medical impediment” that forced her to
shave her pubic hair. Also, studies have shown that long hair in ones armpits
can significantly add to their body odor. The girls in Breanne Fahs and Denise
A. Delgado’s study said that they had to shower more often and put more make up on.
This adds to the already increasing level of impracticality that goes along
with growing hair out. In addition to hygiene, the appeal of being soft and
smooth after a shave, which adds to feelings of cleanliness, are just great;
men often feel the same way when they shave their heads and can feel the
breeze, but more importantly when they don’t have to use shampoo anymore. Even
if societal norms flipped, I will continue to shave because there’s nothing
that drives me crazier than feeling unhygienic.
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