The history of plucking, waxing, tweezing, and shaving

The human body contains 5,000,000 hair follicles. The practice of removing female body hair isn’t new - it can be traced back to ancient Rome and Egypt. During World War II, wartime shortage of nylon meant women couldn’t wear stockings every day. Having to go bare legged, more women shaved their legs, a practice that prepared them for the mini-skirt in the 1960s. By 1964, 98% of American women were routinely shaving their legs. Today, the choice to groom body hair is a personal preference, but it's a practice that’s been shaped by centuries of history.