Hair removal

Hair removal, also known as epilation or depilation, is the deliberate removal of body hair or head hair.

Hair typically grows all over the human body and can vary in thickness and length across human populations. Hair becomes more visible during and after puberty and men tend to have thicker, more visible body hair than women.^[1] Both males and females have visible body hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, genital area, arms, and legs. Males and some females may also have thicker hair growth on their face, abdomen, back, buttocks, anus, areola, chest, nostrils, and ears. Hair does not generally grow on the lips, back of the ear, the underside of the hands or feet, or on certain areas of the genitalia.

Hair removal may be practiced for cultural, aesthetic, hygienic, sexual, medical, or religious reasons. Forms of hair removal have been practiced in almost all human cultures since at least the Neolithic era. The methods used to remove hair have varied in different times and regions.

The word "depilation" comes from the Latin "pilus" which means "hair".