Definition of Depilation

Depilation, or hair removal, is the removal of hair by various methods, mostly from the human body. Depilation removes the hair above the skin's surface, but does not remove the hair follicle beneath the skin. Both women and men can remove hair from the body.

Areas

• The areas from which hair is usually removed are the armpits, back, chest, legs, face, eyebrows, head, public area and abdomen. This removal can last up to seven days depending on the method of removal. Women are more likely to remove hair on their legs and pubic area than men are. However, some men do choose to remove this hair.

Religion

• Buddhist monks shave their heads as part of a religious tradition. In Thailand, such monks also shave their eyebrows. In some other parts of the world it is common to shave the heads of children in religious traditions. Brahmin children are known to have their heads shaved before starting school during a special ceremony.

Military

• When a person joins the military it is common procedure to remove their hair by shaving. This is due to soldiers being exposed to environments that have fleas, lice and ticks. Due to hectic schedules, many military workers may have limited time to groom and may not be able to keep up with the hygiene requirements of having hair. Also, if a soldier has no hair, then the hair cannot be grabbed by an enemy during combat.

Other Reasons

• Many people do not like how hair feels on the body and they choose to remove it. Others simply do not like the appearance. Sometimes a patient's body hair is removed by a doctor or nurse for hygienic purposes. This is done so that the patient's hair does not get into any open wounds which could cause an infection. Hair is also sometimes removed to allow the skin to be easily accessed for medical or surgical purposes. People who get head or body lice may also choose to remove their hair.

Shaving

• The most common type of depilation is shaving. Shaving removes the hair by using razors and other types of blades. Men most commonly use this method when removing facial hair. It is a popular method that women use when removing leg and underarm hair. If a man shaves his beard he is referred to as "clean-shaven." There is a wide variety of shaving tools you can use today, including electric razors, multi-blade razors, disposable razors and electric trimmers.