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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Rachel Hall

From the Romans to Sex and the City: how body hair went out of fashion in the UK

United Kingdom English Heritage
An English Heritage conservator with one of the 50 tweezers found at a Roman site used for removing body hair before exercising or bathing.
An English Heritage conservator with one of the 50 tweezers found at a Roman site used for removing body hair before exercising or bathing. Photograph: Jim Holden/English Heritage

Ever since Roman texts warned women against appearing “bristly like a goat”, body hair removal trends have come and gone, but historians say Britons now have less body hair than ever before in human history.

The UK retail industry for shaving and hair removal products was worth £574.1m in 2022, and with the advent of laser hair removal, there exists the option to remove body hair permanently.

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