They often want hair removed from between the eyebrows, around the outside of the ears, and the shoulders. Sports enthusiasts want smooth bodies to cut down on wind resistance. Male cyclists and swimmers want hair removed to give them speed and an edge on the competition. Women often want hair removed from the lip, chin, eyebrows, and neck, bikini line, abdomen, breasts, forearms, and underarms. Muscle building has become very popular for men and women.
Muscle builders prefer the hairless look to portray the 'perfect' body image.
With the onset of menopause a woman's level of the female hormone estrogen may decline relative to the male hormones in her body so certain masculine characteristics become more prominent such as facial hair. Sometimes abnormal hair growth is experienced due to using medications such as steroid hormones and birth control pills. The surgical removal of sex glands can also contribute to unwanted body hair. A convenient economical long lasting hair removal method is therefore in great demand. A marketing executive with the Wilkinson Sword Company designed a campaign to convince women in North America that underarm hair was unhygienic and unfeminine.