Galaxus survey: which European country is most bothered by body hair?

Let’s start off with the good news. More than half of our survey respondents think their body hair is «just right». The satisfaction rate is higher among men, with 61 per cent of male respondents stating they were happy with their body hair, compared to 53 per cent of women.

Young women are the most dissatisfied with their body hair

Women are most likely to worry about having too much body hair. Men, on the other hand, more often complain about not having enough. People tend to be less bothered about their body hair as they age, with the survey revealing over-60s to be the happiest with theirs. The younger the respondents, the unhappier they were with their body hair.

La vita è bella – with or without hairy legs

Comparing European countries, women report significantly lower satisfaction with their body hair than men. Swiss women (33%) are the most likely demographic in Europe to feel disturbed by excess hair on their bodies.

Italy’s the happiest country when it comes to body hair, with the majority of female (63%) and male (67%) respondents describing theirs as «just right».

Some survey participants said their bodies weren’t hairy enough. In Italy and Austria, almost 10 per cent of respondents fell into this category. The Swiss, on the other hand, reckon they’re sufficiently hairy already. Only 3 per cent of respondents in Switzerland said they’d like to have more body hair.

Armpit hair? No thanks

Although the majority of respondents think their body hair is «just right», more than 6 out of 10 people trim their underarm hair. Eighty-two per cent of women and 48 per cent of men report doing so.

People also do rigorous hair maintenance in their genital areas and on their legs. Almost 80 per cent of women shave their legs compared to 8 per cent of men.

As expected, the chest, stomach, back and shoulders are male domains when it comes to hair removal.

Almost 1 in 5 people leave their natural fuzz just the way it is, with just under 20 per cent of respondents saying they simply allow their body hair to grow. Twenty-nine per cent of men and 7 per cent of women let their body hair grow unchecked.

The natural look vs. smooth as a baby’s butt: the European comparison

Three body parts are most likely to be targeted by trimmers, epilators and razors – the armpits, genital area and legs.

With over 60 per cent of respondents in the five countries surveyed stating that they trim or shave their underarm hair, armpit braids seem to be well and truly out. Men in Italy and France keep their armpits and genital areas naturally hairy.

Their counterparts in German-speaking countries, however, prefer the manicured look. This is especially true in Austria, with 74 per cent of women and 55 per cent of men surveyed there reporting that they trim or shave their pubic hair. In France, about half of respondents said they preferred a natural bush. Only 49 per cent (58 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men) of survey participants in France take a trimmer or razor to their pubic hair.

Moving further down the body, German women are more likely than their European neighbours to let their leg hair grow. Swiss women are most likely to prefer smooth legs, with 88 per cent of those surveyed stating that they shave or epilate theirs.

Arm hair, on the other hand, is less likely to bother them. As for Italian women, there’s no «amore» lost between them and their arm hair: 1 in 4 remove the fuzz from their arms.

Men most likely to be bothered by their partner’s body hair

People generally take a more relaxed attitude to their partner’s body hair than their own. Although 65 per cent of respondents said they shortened their own armpit hair, only 33 per cent said their partner’s underarm hair bothered them.

Almost a third of the survey participants went as far as to say they were totally unfazed by their partner’s body hair, regardless of where it appeared.

Men are more likely to be bothered by excess hair on their partner. Female respondents, on the other hand, only show more discomfort around body hair on their partner’s shoulders and back.

Wet or dry?

So what are the antibody-hair crowd’s favourite hair removal techniques?

Wet razors and trimmers prove to be the preferred weapons in the fight against body hair. Men most often opt for the latter, while women usually go for wet razors. French women were the only female respondents to prefer dry razors.

Other hair removal methods barely get a look-in – at least among male respondents. Women, however, see epilators, hair removal creams and waxing as valid alternatives to shaving. Italian women in particular (41%) wax regularly.

Do you like your body hair or does it bother you? If you trim or remove hair from your armpits, legs or other body parts, what tools do you use? If you have any questions or comments about this hairy issue, feel free to share them in the comments.