Ever Wonder About Your Body Hair’s Shortness?

No, really. Ever wonder why the hair on your head can grow long, while all your other hair, wherever it is, never grows long like that? I was sitting here, relaxed, with my shirt open, working on the last little things I need to write so I can set aside my novel draft, and I looked down at my chest and noticed my hair looks thicker now. I realized that’s a function of having lost weight… same hair, less surface area, right? Kind of weird but nice. And suddenly I was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude to nature that I don’t have to get all that hair groomed the way the hair on my head needs to be. Imagine going out for a chest haircut. Okay, well, come to think of it, some women do actually go out to get their body hair groomed, as with leg and bikini waxing for example.

(As an aside, I’ve noticed plenty of Korean women don’t shave their armpits. And that’s cool with me. I wonder how Western women put up with the chore of the thing. I would cut my armpit, and it would just be awful.)

But anyway, then I started wondering, why the hell is chest hair, arm hair, basically all body hair, short? How come it doesn’t grow long like hair on our heads?

So I went out and consulted that great oracle called the Internet, and I found an answer. Meaning someone else wondered about this too, meaning I am not as weird as you may think for asking this question.

But I am still wondering about what could cause a chemotherapy patient to lose head hair but not body hair. I’ve seen that once, and it was pretty damned weird to me. I wonder if scalp hair falls out more easily from certain chemotherapy treatments or something, and why that would be. Hmmm.

The things people do when they’re procrastinating. Back to work, I say to myself. Back to work.

5 thoughts on “Ever Wonder About Your Body Hair’s Shortness?

  1. Personally, I think waxing is the best way to deal with underarm hair. It hurts a bit but then there is no more grooming to worry about for the next 6 weeks or so. As for why, well, it just feels cleaner that way. And you sweat less too.

  2. Huh. Well, but if you’re Korean you sweat less anyway… and that little tuft can be so cute.

    Okay, to some people.

    As for me, I know if I de-haired my armpit it’d be less sweaty, but… somehow I just can’t make myself do that. You know, it’ll be sweaty anyway…

    Something is preventing me posting comments on your blog, btw. Some kind of new antispam measure over at LJ. Argh.

  3. Yeah. But tomorrow I’ll try from the work server, maybe that’ll make a difference. Also, I should have an LJ account working sometime soon and maybe that’ll obliterate the problem… but do write in once you’re feeling better!

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