Bonjour!

There was a request for the History of Women Shaving their “pocketbooks”, as the person put it. So! I did some research and Eureka! I’ve found some quite interesting information!

The background of Pubic Shaving has been in effect way back in the prehistoric ages. Documents on this topic dates back to 10,000 B.C. (This is definitely before Gillete & Schick razors)

The women of that time – roughly, 4000-3000 B.C. – would use depilatory creams to remove the unwanted body hair. The ingredients to make the concoction was scary and questionable, there was arsenic agents, quicklime and even starch to remove the pubic hair. (This was no Nair! but probably smelled like it)

Around 3000 B.C. the appearance of the Copper razor was born in both Egypt & India. However, research says, that the most “elaborate” model of a razor was created 1500-1200 B.C. in Scandinavia.

The image of a clean shaven body goes back to the Egyptians days where it was a sign of class and beauty to have a smooth & hairless body. The depilatory cream that was used in these early civilized days was, honey & oil ( This closely relates to our “sugaring” )

This lifestyle of shaving unwanted hair on the body – under arms, legs, face, genital & anal areas – was viewed as personal hygenie which was adopted by other countries over the centuries. Greece – Rome – India all had their rules and approach to it. Both men & women did a form of body hair removal. It was about cleanliness and high class. It didn’t matter how the hair was removed; be it: Razor, Cream, or Tweezers. Even in Greece, 400 B.C., the women practically burnt the hair off their legs using heat. The Romans used depilatory cream made from: “resin, pitch, white vine, ivy extract, ass’ [donkey] fat, she-goats gall, bat’s blood, & powdered viper”(BeaverShaver.com)

In as much, there has been religious taboo stories, or untold stories, about shaving the body; the Muslims are firm believers of body grooming and hair removal. According to the research, hair removed from the pubis area and from under the arm is part of cleanliness.

“The fitrah consists of five things: circumcision, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubic hairs”

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim. [pinkislam.com])

Even the Crusaders (1096-1270) dived into this practice of body hair removal back Europe. Everyone was into shaving, the Renaissance was a time where shaving was at its highest. (That’s were the 16th-17th century art portraits showed the bare parts) until the French Queen (1547-1589) put those pratices to a stop. No women was allowed to shave their pubic hair; this ruling last all the way through the Victorian Era.

Then the 20th century happened. There was “blue movies”, flapper girls and the fashion revolution. Skin was making its way back in the hearts to all men & women. Around May 1915, the mark of a new age claimed to unsalvage the women by advertising the “unhygenic and unfeminine” ways of the past was no more and that shaving the body is the right thing to do. This ad started a razor riot and double their profits!

The undergarment industry moved with the time and the birth of the bikini came, along with it came the need and demand to shave the “bikini line” hair.

The 1960s was the time were the pubic area was or wasnt getting shaved. It was an act of choice and not an order of decency. The 1970s, was the year to introduce the “Disposable Razors” and the Gillette Co. designed the double blade razor. By the end of the decade the invention of the electric razor came about. The rest is history!

The concept of pubic shaving took on soo many definitions that by the time it hit the 20th-21st century it was a matter of preference. There are many varying types of shaving styles:

*Natural Bush *Trimmed *Triangle *Landing Strip *ToothBrush Mustache *Brazilian Wax *Fauxhawk *MoHawk *Dyed hair *etc…

>>>>> If there is info I have missed, gotten wrong, please let me know!!! <<<<

ALL INFORMATION WAS FOUND ONLINE FROM:

Wikipedia

BeaverShaver.com

PinkIslam.com

quikshave.com/timeline

Salut!!!