
Hair removal has been used in the past to ensure sanitary living conditions; people often cut their hair to prevent lice and other insects from inhabiting their bodies. Wigs, popular with many cultures throughout the ages, were another reason people removed their body hair in the past. Today, medical reasons and improving appearance are common reasons for hair removal.
One of the only medical reasons for removing hair today is trichiasis, a condition that causes the eyelashes to grow inward toward the eye. Surgery is often the best hair removal option for this condition.

Today, men and women use hair removal mainly for aesthetic purposes. Although there is no general ideal for the "right" amount of body hair, women who choose not to remove hair from their legs or underarms, or men with especially hairy backs, may get sideways glances in certain cultures. If you're considering hair removal as a way of improving your looks, there are a variety of techniques to help you get rid of what you consider excess hair. Women who want to feel more confident in short dresses might choose to wax their legs, while men with long nose or ear hair would probably want to look into the plucking technique.
There are many reasons for hair removal. If you feel you understand your reasons, your next step will be to consider which hair removal method to use.
Today, men and women use hair removal mainly for aesthetic purposes. Although there is no general ideal for the "right" amount of body hair, women who choose not to remove hair from their legs or underarms, or men with especially hairy backs, may get sideways glances in certain cultures.