Curious about hair growth patterns? Maybe you want to try waxing your partner, or perhaps you're just a nerd like me who likes to learn about such things. 😊
Well, you're in luck. I've been pulling out people's body hair for 30 years. Here's what I've learned.
Hair Direction
For reasons mysterious and unknown, body hair tends to grow towards the nearest extremity, eg the closest 'bump or hole'.
Your arm is a prime example. At the very top of your upper arm, the hair on your deltoid grows towards the clavicle and neck. In contrast, half way down your upper arm, the hair direction deviates in a wave formation and travels down towards the elbow.
The same deviation happens on your lower arm, with the upper hair growing towards the elbow and lower hair growing towards the wrist.
Hair on the stomach grows inwards towards the navel, the same applies to the anus, while hair on the lower leg grows towards the feet.
Meanwhile, male pubic hair and upper leg hair grows towards the perineal raphe and tip of the penis. On women, it grows towards the vagina.
When waxing, in all cases, apply the wax in the direction of hair growth with 'mildly firm' pressure, then remove swiftly in the opposite direction.
Some wax manufacturers recommend applying hard wax in a figure-eight format against the grain first but this isn't really necessary. It's also risky unless you're very confident and experienced.
Tender Areas
Just as hair growth patterns are the same from person to person, so are areas of tenderness. Many of the areas are common for men and women.
Girls:
- Labia - highly innervated, loose skin,
- Perineum - largest concentration of nerves on female body, thin sharp hair,
- Face - microscopic nerve endings, sharp thin hair
- Forearms - due to environmental exposure
Guys:
- Sides and top of the penis base - huge concentration of nerves, thick hair,
- Perineum - largest concentration of nerves on the male body,
- Face - deep rooted thick hair, highly innervated,
- Forearms - due to environmental exposure,
- Chest - intracostal muscles between ribs directly beneath area, highly innervated,
- Nape - extreme sensitivity due to environmental exposure,
- Sides of stomach - intracostal muscles highly innervated