Last updated on October 17, 2020
Question:
I am a girl and I am 14. I have hair all over my body and it looks really ugly. What can I do?
Answer:
Everyone has hair every place they have skin, except on the lips, the palms of their hands, and soles of their feet. You don’t notice because most of the hair is very fine, short, and colorless. These fine hairs are called vellus hairs. The hairs on your head, which are thicker, longer, and have color are called terminal hairs. When you reach puberty, the hormones your body produces changes some of the vellus hairs into terminal hairs.
The distribution of the terminal hairs on the body varies by genetics. However, women and men tend to have a different pattern of terminal hairs on their bodies. Women tend to have them on their forearms and legs with a thin strip between their navel and genitals and on the inside thighs — not counting the thicker hair covering the groin and under the arms.
The acceptance of body hair is based on the culture. If it bothers you, you can always shave it off.