Epilation in body building

[Creation]

I was wondering about something.

How did it become that having hair on your chest was considerate something unaesthetic?

What's your take on it? It's a fairly recent phenomenon I think and I was wondering how you thought it came to be.

I'm not for or against it, I'd be curious to read your opinion.

I've heard a lot of women complain about hairy chests and I'm wondering how that came to be as it's often related to the natural process of becoming a man.

I'll be looking forward to reading your opinions.

[#8]

I cannot grow facial or body hair so I am naturally hairless. I think its better to have too little body hair than too much.

[moh2010]

I paid 2.5k to get the hair from my back removed. I had 10 sessions (1 every 6 weeks). Sting like hell. But if you're using androgens, it will grow back, just like you never had the treatments before...

When I need to be shirtless, my gf apply some nair on me and I'm good to go for 2-3 days. Waxing give me acne.


To get back to the subject lol, I think there is nothing wrong with having hair on your chest. It depend how much too. As long as you can see the color of your skin, you're good. My gf prefer when I have some hair on me. She think its more manly. I had this conversation with women (not girl) and they usually agree.

Girl like boy

women like men

[Creation]

Thanks for the input.

I'm actually curious as to why it's a requirement when it comes to bodybuilding. Where does the idea come from and why.

EDIT:

In bodybuilding the removal of hair is a necessity because it detracts from the presentation of a muscular physique which is the basis of bodybuilding.

Ah ok! That does explain it.

[O-Train]

In bodybuilding the removal of hair is a necessity because it detracts from the presentation of a muscular physique which is the basis of bodybuilding. However, if you're referring to society as a whole...that's much more complicated and may relate to a false perception of cleanliness or something along those lines. Perhaps it is also an example of the de-masculanization of society. It could be argued many different ways.

[#8]

^^yes

I do remember reading something about the hyper-visibility of masculinity and machismo that many young, and older men experience today.

[Creation]

I do remember reading something about the hyper-visibility of masculinity and machismo that many young, and older men experience today.

Care to expand, #8? I'm not sure I get what you're saying.

[Prisoner#22]

I don't grow any hair on my chest, arms, or back, and barely any on my thighs. Does that make me less manly?
No.

I thing Body Hair, the absence of it or the presence of it is multifaceted.
For example the Greek and renaissance sculptures and art work did not have any hair. Bodybuilding is thought originally to emulate that look, and that look originated as from Greek and Macedonian region of the ancient world, where they pictured their gods having hairless muscular bodies.

The Ancient Egyptians for example were a culture that shaved every last strand of hair off their entire bodies...That would seem like a religious cultural thing to me since their lives revolved around their faith.

And finally in mainstream times, it seems to me that in our modern culture as women gained status as being "equal" to men, Men now have conformed their image they portray, to best appeal to the opposite sex. Beards, moustache's, rotting teeth, and excessive body hair are not what seem to appeal to the mass of the opposite sex and possibly that is why they have fallen out of fashion.

There is also a religious aspect that has played a very important part in this. As a result of the waning of its influences in the 20 and 21st century, men and women's bodies are now openly on display, and therefore the presence of body hair that may have been accepted as the norm back in more religious dominated social times, because bodies were to be hidden, not viewed, is now in full view. Furthermore, since this culture dominated by religion kept hair from the razor, any man who was found to be shaving his hair was likely deemed back then to be queer. Peer pressure is a powerful thing!

Vanity, queerness, sexuality, e.t.c was all looked down on back even in the 60's, and 70's when Playboy and Hustler were trying to emerge. Even Bodybuilding was considered a fringe sport in which Gay men were its biggest patrons.

Now the pendulum as swung in the opposite direction. Peer pressure now forces men with excessive body hair to remove it. Evolution is now an accepted scientific theory. Men with too much body hair are now referred to as Apes, which are further down the evolutionary ladder, and consequently, not an image the modern man wants to portray.

So to sum up, I think the absence of body hair that men and women now pursue, is just a sign of the times we are in, and it is not just a fashion that is going to come and go like bangs and bell-bottoms. It is hear to stay for the long haul.

[Talo]

I bet if the population was 75% ripped and healthy they would also be hairless , but since the population is 75% over weight and unhealthy they do not care about what they look like and I'm sure they want to grow as much hair as possible to hide their bodies :)

[BAM]

I have ran into many women that are into men being hairy. They think the guys with shaved chest etc are like fags.

[Creation]

@Prisoner#22:
An interesting point of view. I too suspect it might somehow be related to the depiction of Man in Ancient Greece.

[#8]

Care to expand, #8? I'm not sure I get what you're saying.

Basically, what I read was that there is research that points to a new trend in masculinity. If you look at action heroes of the 40's, 50's, 60's, etc. and so on, they have consistently become larger, leaner, and less hairy. The stereotypical archetype of the "masculine hero" has evolved into an ultra lean / muscular (body builder). In recent history the role the hero played and his behaviour in that role was what predicated him on fulfilling that position. Modern media constructions now almost always portray him with similar characteristics (although now often exaggerated with super machismo) but also being "super fit" as well.

The relation to the hairless body I believe is simply that the media portrays a "clean cut" look that is achieved best with a hairless body type. I believe the association with youth and wasp culture is also present in there somewhere, but that is merely my opinion and I have read no data to back that up.

[BAM]

Hairless body = youthful

That's all that is about.

Same reason women shave their arms pits & legs.

[Creation]

I probably should descriminate epilation in bodybuilding and epilation in men in general which are distinct.


That's all that is about.

While I agree that a youthful appearance is possibly one of the reasons, I don't think it's only about that.

I might be wrong here but metrosexuals is a fairly recent phenomenon and I think it's a manifestation of something much deeper which is happening right under our nose. This might seem off topic but I do think that epilation for men is somewhat related to the rise metrosexuals in men. Maybe being hairless is part of evolution like another member said as well as a combination of other things, including wanting to look young.

According to Zemmour, a French author who is interested in this, it might also be that capitalism has changed in the sense that it wants to consumers now as opposed to producers. According to him, women consume the most and so the objective is to make men consume as much as women. I think it's a fair assumption.

[cog]

The hairless look in general society migrated from the gay scene which preferred the smooth"youthful"look.Just like so many other things such as dress code and speech.

[L3]

grow it out when bulking. shave when cutting. speaking of which...

[Creation]

The hairless look in general society migrated from the gay scene which preferred the smooth"youthful"look

Zemmour also talks about that. He says it comes from homosexual fashion designers.

[cog]

Zemmour also talks about that. He says it comes from homosexual fashion designers.

And media people.