Male body depilation: prevalence and associated features of body hair removal

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research,  May, 2005  by Michael Boroughs,  Guy Cafri,  J. Kevin Thompson

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Michael Boroughs, (1) Guy Cafri, (1) and J. Kevin Thompson (1,2)

(1) University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

(2) To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-8200; e-mail: thompsonjk2003@yahoo.com.

(3) Future use of the questionnaire should reword item 1 to say, "Do you or have you recently shaved or trimmed any body hair from the neck down?"

(4) Follow up analyses were not carried out to investigate why participants selected certain body sites for depilation. Explanations could include the biological, i.e., areas where all men are likely to grow hair (e.g., groin, arm pits and legs) are more likely to gather a higher frequency of depilation behaviors in a sample of men. Likewise social motivations might also explain the finding, which would be congruent with the participants' reported overall motivations for depilation: to make the genitals appear larger or because it makes participants feel cleaner. Over 30% of participants reported "better sexual experience" as a reason for depilation, and this particular response may be highly correlated with the groin as a site of depilation.

(5) Although a substantial minority of participants claimed that they began depilation on their own accord, the accuracy of this self-reported response may be suspect. Clearly there may be influences that individuals were not aware of, or perhaps forgot, especially for those who had been depilating for some time. The inclusion of this item was due to both our previous qualitative inquiry and because of our interest in their subjective interpretation of the genesis of their shaving or trimming. Prospective work would be necessary to gauge more accurately the connection between specific experiences and the onset of depilation.

Table I. Summary of Body Sites Where Depilation Occurs in Men

Body site     n   (%)

Groin         56  74.7
Chest         42  56.0
Abdomen       35  46.7
Back of neck  28  37.3
Arm pits      25  33.3
Upper legs    20  26.7
Clavicle      16  21.3
Lower arms    17  22.7
Lower legs    14  18.7
Feet          14  18.7
Hands         13  17.3
Upper arms    12  16.0
Buttocks      10  13.3
Upper back     9  12.0
Shoulders      8  10.7
Lower back     7   9.3

Table II. Distribution of Methods Used in Body Hair Removal and
Reduction

Hair removal method    n   (%)

Regular razor          53  70.7
Shaving cream          41  54.7
Electric razor         24  32.0
Electric clippers      22  29.3
Scissors               20  26.7
Creams                  5   6.7
Waxing at home          5   6.7
Chemical depilatories   2   2.7
Electrolysis            2   2.7
Nads[TM]                1   1.3
Waxing in salon         0   0
Laser hair removal      0   0

Table III. Summary of Reasons for Shaving

Reason                       n   (%)

Cleanliness                  56  74.7
Sex appeal                   52  69.3
Body definition/muscularity  29  38.7
Better sexual experience     24  32.0
Youthfulness                  8  10.7
Avoid teasing                 6   8.0
Better healing                4   5.3

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