Did you know, our body has about five million tiny roots where hair grows? These roots help our bodies work in big ways. But why do we need to pull this hair out? It’s mostly because culture and society have said so for a long time.
Before we talk about what body hair does, let’s talk about why we have it. What is the point of having it? Well, let’s go back a long time ago. Many years back, our ancestors had lots of hair. This was because hair served many important purposes. Body hair keeps animals warm and protects their skin from many things like rubbing, water, and chemicals. Hair is very useful. Most animals, including our close relatives like bonobos and chimpanzees, have hair all over. So, it’s quite interesting that we don’t have much body hair now.
When did people begin to lose their hair? According to Nina Jablonski, Atherton Professor, the simple answer is that we began losing most of our body hair around two million years ago because we became very active. “Our ancestors weren’t lazy; they weren’t just sitting or hanging around in trees,” she says, taking a dig at the bonobo. “They were active, walking, running, very active creatures.”
Jablonski says that our ancestors made a lot of body heat because they were active, and it was hot where they lived in tropical Africa. “So, what happened, and this was a really interesting change, is that our skin started becoming less hairy,” she adds. “Instead of having lots of body hair, our skin had more and more sweat glands to help us cool down by sweating.”
Jablonski thinks it took over half a million years for us to lose our body hair, evolving from hairy beings to almost completely hairless, except for a few places.
What is the Purpose of Body Hair?
Our bodies have about five million hair follicles now, from the top of our heads to the tips of our toes. You don’t get more hair cells as you age. You have them all from birth.
You don’t get more hair as you age, but the hair you have changes over time, as does where it grows. Babies often have soft hair called “lanugo” when they are born, but it falls off over time. Your hair gets thicker and stronger in some places, like your head, underarms, and private parts, as you get older. The hair on the rest of your body is thinner and lighter and is called vellus hair.
Hair that is thin at birth can become thicker as you age, especially when you hit puberty and your hormones start to change. Boys may have light facial hair at first, but it gets thicker and more noticeable as they hit puberty.
But why do some parts of our bodies have hair? That’s pretty cool. For example, the hair on our heads helps keep our brains at the right temperature. Curly hair, in particular, keeps the skin cool and helps sweat disappear. The hair that has stuck around in places like the underarms and private parts may have done so because it helps spread smell molecules, which can tell others about our ability to reproduce and how beautiful we are.
Eyebrows serve a different purpose—they help express our emotions and communicate with others. And even though you can’t see them, there are tiny hairs all over your body that play a big role in healing wounds because they contain stem cells.
Interestingly, there are three places on our bodies where hair doesn’t grow: our palms, soles, and the red part of our lips. This is because these areas don’t produce the oil that’s usually attached to hair follicles, so they don’t get pimples. Our lips are different too—they’re made of a different type of cell and are considered part of our digestive system, not our skin.
Does Body Hair Reduce or Increase Friction?
Body Hair helps to reduce friction. Yes, having hair on our body can help to make our skin smoother when it touches other things. The hair works like a cushion and protects our skin when it rubs against things often, like when we move our arms or legs. For instance, the hair in our armpits and private parts reduces the rubbing. The hair on our head protects it from the sun, and the hair on the rest of our body helps to keep our body temperature balanced. Plus, hair can sense when insects land on our skin, which can help stop them from biting us.
When we shave our hair, there is less protection for our skin, which may worsen the rubbing. However, eliminating body hair might make swimming easier since it makes the water smoother, requiring less effort. Athletes with no hair may move quicker because it reduces wind and water resistance. In sports such as rugby, soccer, and wrestling, eliminating body hair makes it simpler to apply bandages or tape. Furthermore, smooth skin is less prone to sustain cuts or scratches.
Just like the hair in our public parts, it’s believed that the hair under our arms helps reduce rubbing from moving around. And it might also help make our natural body smells stronger.
Facts and Myths about Body Hair
Myths Debunked
- Myth: Body hair is dirty. Truth: Having body hair doesn’t mean you’re dirty. It’s important to keep clean, no matter how much hair you have.
- Myth: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker and darker. Truth: When you shave, you only cut the hair on the surface. Your hair may feel rough when it grows back, but it stays the same color and thickness.
- Myth: Everybody needs to remove body hair. Truth: Body hair is normal, and you don’t have to get rid of it unless you have a special reason to do so.
- Myth: Less body hair is always more attractive. Truth: Beauty standards differ among cultures and times. What’s attractive regarding body hair can vary a lot.
Interesting Facts
- Keeping Warm: When its cold, body hair keeps you warm like a blanket. Making small muscles move, which lets air flow, helps cool you down when it’s hot outside.
- Feeling Sensations: Each hair has nerves that feel touch and pressure. They help you know what’s happening around you and avoid things like poking yourself on a branch.
- Smooth Moves: Hair on your arms, legs, and underarms keeps you from rubbing against things as you move. Just think about how painful it would be to run without it!
- Sun Shield (a bit): Head and arm hair give some protection from the sun’s rays, though not as much as sunscreen.
- Evolutionary Help: Body hair might have helped our ancestors in various ways, like attracting mates or keeping insects away.
