<p>Gendered sociocultural norms, many of which center appearance, are salient during adolescence. Importantly, physical appearance is altered by puberty, including the development of visible body hair. Feminine beauty standards promoting hairlessness may be particularly salient during adolescence, when pubertal development leads to body hair growth, and when overall rates of self-objectification and body dissatisfaction are high. However, adolescents’ attitudes toward body hair removal have rarely been examined in the body image literature. We explored associations among self-objectification and body hair attitudes, satisfaction, and removal behaviors in a sample of U.S. adolescents who completed a cross-sectional survey in 2021 (<i>N</i> = 936; aged 10–18, <i>M</i><sub><i>age</i></sub> = 13.57; 51% girls; 33% Latina/e/o, 32% White, 17% Black). Compared to boys, girls reported less body hair satisfaction, more positive attitudes about body hair on girls, and more frequent body hair removal; differences also emerged at the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity. Within the sample of girls, self-objectification was negatively associated with body hair satisfaction. Further, negative attitudes towards girls’ body hair were positively associated with more frequent body hair removal, and body hair satisfaction was negatively associated with body hair removal frequency. We also found evidence of cross-sectional mediation, wherein girls’ higher self-objectification was associated with less body hair satisfaction, which in turn was associated with more frequent body hair removal. These findings advance our understanding of adolescents’ body hair attitudes and behaviors and suggest connections to broader gendered and intersectional differences in body image concerns that emerge during adolescence.</p>

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Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: Investigating Adolescent Body Hair Attitudes, Satisfaction, and Removal Practices

  • Claire D. Stout,
  • Anne J. Maheux,
  • Scott Fraundorf,
  • Sophia Choukas-Bradley

摘要

Gendered sociocultural norms, many of which center appearance, are salient during adolescence. Importantly, physical appearance is altered by puberty, including the development of visible body hair. Feminine beauty standards promoting hairlessness may be particularly salient during adolescence, when pubertal development leads to body hair growth, and when overall rates of self-objectification and body dissatisfaction are high. However, adolescents’ attitudes toward body hair removal have rarely been examined in the body image literature. We explored associations among self-objectification and body hair attitudes, satisfaction, and removal behaviors in a sample of U.S. adolescents who completed a cross-sectional survey in 2021 (N = 936; aged 10–18, Mage = 13.57; 51% girls; 33% Latina/e/o, 32% White, 17% Black). Compared to boys, girls reported less body hair satisfaction, more positive attitudes about body hair on girls, and more frequent body hair removal; differences also emerged at the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity. Within the sample of girls, self-objectification was negatively associated with body hair satisfaction. Further, negative attitudes towards girls’ body hair were positively associated with more frequent body hair removal, and body hair satisfaction was negatively associated with body hair removal frequency. We also found evidence of cross-sectional mediation, wherein girls’ higher self-objectification was associated with less body hair satisfaction, which in turn was associated with more frequent body hair removal. These findings advance our understanding of adolescents’ body hair attitudes and behaviors and suggest connections to broader gendered and intersectional differences in body image concerns that emerge during adolescence.