Why Do We Have Armpit Hair? Health Benefits Of Human Hair Explained

Armpit hair and body hair have evolutionary importance in the lives of human beings, as they sit over apocrine sweat glands and also reduces friction between body parts and the arms.

It is expected to naturally draw off sweat or any other moisture away from your skin, promoting a kind of ventilation. Armpit hair prevents the odor-producing bacteria in our arms from settling over the skin, and therefore, the foul odor is transferred away. One study has pointed out that natural pheromones from the partners emitted from arms in the absence of deodorant can make one feel calmer and less stressed.

Armpit hair is due to the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and armpit hair is normal. Interestingly, armpit hair, facial hair, and pubic hair are all the same; they all possess the same kind of hair, commonly known as 'terminal hair.' Most of the hair in your arms is thick. Initially, it starts to grow as fine hair, called vellus hair, and from puberty, the hair begins to transform into coarse hair.

So, why do we have armpit hair? You will come to discover the reasons behind armpit hair in the article. If you like reading fun facts, you may also enjoy reading related articles on why animals reproduce and my eyes change color.

Evolutionary Reasons For Humans Having Armpit Hair

The change that's going to bring revolution in the thinking of humans is spotted in our day-to-day lives. Nowadays, many celebrities keep their bodies as they want to, refusing to shave, wax, or laser their underarms. They are carrying their underarm hair as unicorn armpit hair, glitter, or braided hair. Armpit hair is responsible for the scent or smell and release of natural pheromones.

Hair on your underarms keeps you warmer, as it helps in retaining the heat in your underarms. Armpit hair attracts you towards your ultimate mate. Armpit hair can hold on to your pheromone, which helps you in attracting your perfect mate, which can make you preferable in the eyes of another.

Hairs in your arm not only absorb all of your sweat but can also keep away the odor-causing bacteria from your skin. Thus, it prevents a bad odor from your arms and makes you feel fresh.

This is not all. The hair helps in reducing friction between the underarm skin; otherwise, in the absence of it, that can be painful and uncomfortable at the same time and can also lead to the formation of skin tags. The hair acts as a protective cover for the arteries that pass over your armpit. So, your body is well aware of what it's up to and how to protect itself.

The significant benefit of letting your armpit hair grow is that you no longer need to deal with the struggle of shaving or waxing your underarms at regular intervals. Just keeping it clean and groomed is all that's required. You can also use a good-quality deodorant to suppress the smell of the sweat without affecting the release of natural pheromones in a person.

Does having hairy armpits cause odor?

Sweat is basically odorless, but the bacteria on armpit hair and skin change it into 'volatile odoriferous substances.' Bacteria are more commonly responsible for your odor. Chopping your hair in no way controls odor. Instead, shaving or waxing the underarms helps in reducing the odor.

Initially, soap washing can effectively reduce the odor of underarms, but shaving can improve the cleansing of underarms, effectively helping in reducing the odor. Armpit odor is considered unpleasant by most cultures across the globe, resulting in demoralizing self-esteem and self-confidence in both men and women.

So, the question that can often come to your mind is, 'is it ok to not shave your armpits?'. Sometimes it is not ok to not shave your armpits. If you are an athlete or sportsperson, you might need to remove your armpit hair because it might hinder you during your performance. While attending a meeting or giving a presentation, or having a full-time job position, you might end up wearing long-sleeve clothes all the time due to your unshaven hair. If it obstructs your personality, and you do not feel comfortable and confident in carrying all kinds of dresses in public places, then of course shaving is a good option for you.

So there will always be times when it's completely ok not to shave your arms, and there will always be times when you might need to remove your armpit hair.

Is it good to remove armpit hair?

According to a professor at Yale University, there is no biological idea behind the inclination of women for hair removal from arms, and the benefits that hair removal serve is totally cosmetic and personal in nature. Another study highlighted that sex hormones called androgens initiate the working of apocrine sweat glands when children hit puberty. This development is considered extremely healthy and essential in the cultural context in various societies.

When you remove armpit hair, the odor in your underarms gradually reduces. When you wash your underarms or pubic hair with soap, the cleansing is implemented more effectively. It is said that armpit hair protects the skin of your underarms. However, nowadays that protection is usually not required. Armpit hair traps the scent of your body, which results in giving you more body odor. During hot sunny days when the temperature remains generally higher, your odor can actually linger and could make you feel like you stand out in a crowd.

Another factor that is tackled totally when you remove your armpit hair is that you don't sweat as much unless you have a condition called hyperhidrosis, which makes your entire body sweat excessively. Sweat trapped in armpit hair could lead to straining. So, removing your armpit hair and body hair helps in reducing all such related problems.

It Can Actually Make You Smell Fresher

Armpit hair absorbs sweat and reduces odor. This can be a great way to get rid of odors from your real face and make cleansing a little easier by eliminating the stains from pits and. And according to Caruana, it can also absorb sweat from athletic bodies.

Though your underarm and body hair is natural, many of you might not find it attractive. Shaving your underarms can leave you feeling more confident while carrying yourself in public.

Is it ok not to shave your armpits?

When people do not shave underarms, they automatically remove the dermatological issues that they can have from razor burn, rashes, or irritation. The growth rate of your armpit hair, and the color or thickness of the hair, is not affected by shaving your underarms.

On the flip side, sometimes it can be beneficial not to shave your armpits, as sometimes shaving can have side effects. So it's entirely up to you whether you want to remove your underarm hair. The benefits of shaving your underarms can be the desire to have smooth, hair-free underarms. Shaving can reduce the noticeable sweat from thin fabric because the armpit hair holds the moisture in it, giving a bad odor to your body.

On the other hand, shaving your underarms can give you unwanted irritation, ingrown hair problems that are often painful, red bumps on the skin, inflammation in the hair follicles due to bacterial infections, and consequently shaving can result in a darkening of the underarms that can become permanent.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why we have armpit hair, then why not look at why atoms bond, or why do people put cucumbers on their eyes?