From Planet Vol.245 <Survey on Attitudes Toward Unwanted Hair Removal>

Planet Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Seiichi Sakata), which operates an information platform for daily goods distribution used by over 1,500 companies in Japan, is releasing the 245th issue of 'From Planet'—a series delivering insights on consumer goods and lifestyle topics. This edition presents the results of a survey on attitudes toward unwanted hair removal, conducted with a sample of 4,000 people. Additional data not included here or expert commentary from our team can be provided upon request.

※ Response rates (%) are rounded to one decimal place. Therefore, the sum of individual percentages may not equal the total due to rounding.

This survey uses weighted back-calculation based on gender and age population ratios from the 2020 (Reiwa 2) national census.

Unwanted Hair 'Concern Level' Rises 8 Points Over 10 Years

As we approach another hot summer, concerns about rising temperatures are growing. The Japan Meteorological Agency defines days with temperatures exceeding 40°C as 'extreme heat days,' and Tokyo's 'Cool Biz' initiative has now lifted the ban on wearing half-pants, making short sleeves and sleeveless tops more common in people's wardrobes. With this shift, unwanted hair on arms and legs is becoming a growing concern. In this survey, we explored various aspects of personal hair removal habits. (A similar survey on this topic was previously conducted in April 2016, published in Vol.38.)

First, we asked respondents how much they care about their own unwanted hair (Figure 1). Those who said they 'care' accounted for 40.2% ('very much' 13.0% + 'somewhat' 27.2%), while those who 'do not care' totaled 59.7% ('not really' 30.5% + 'not at all' 29.2%), indicating that the majority do not feel strongly about it. When broken down by gender, 32.5% of men and 47.8% of women said they care—nearly half of all women.

Looking more closely by age and gender, it is understandable that younger respondents are more likely to care about unwanted hair. Among women aged 40 and under, over half expressed concern, rising to three-quarters among those in their 20s. Given the importance of summer fashion, unwanted hair is naturally a point of attention. Even among men in their 20s, more than half (53.2%) said they care. This may reflect the growing social acceptance of wearing half-pants in summer and rising aesthetic awareness among younger generations.

Compared to the same survey conducted in 2016, the proportion of people who 'care' has increased by 8.1 percentage points overall, with a striking 13.6-point rise among men. In contrast, women showed a 5.1-point decrease—possibly due to more women having completed permanent hair removal or a shift in social attitudes. Examining changes by age group, men across all age groups except those in their 30s showed an increase compared to 10 years ago, with particularly large increases among those in their 20s (17.8 points), 50s (16.7 points), and 60s (11.7 points). Women, while relatively stable at high levels, saw increases of 5.3 and 6.2 points among those in their 60s and 70s, respectively. The gap between younger and older women has narrowed—from 50.1 and 59.9 points in the previous survey to 45.9 and 54.8 points now—by about 5 points. This suggests that concern over unwanted hair is rising not only among younger people but also among middle-aged and senior men and women.

Both Self and Others: Hair in Visible Areas Draws Attention

We also asked specifically which body parts' unwanted hair people find concerning, distinguishing between 'self' and 'others' (Figure 2).

For 'self,' 'nasal hair' ranked highest at 30.3%, followed by 'around the mouth' (26.8%) and 'eyebrows' (20.8%). Given that these facial areas are highly visible during face-to-face interactions and affect first impressions, it is logical that they are top concerns. The top three for men—'nasal hair,' 'chin,' and 'around the mouth'—match the overall ranking. However, women's top three were 'around the mouth,' 'facial vellus hair,' and 'underarms.' Women also reported concern for 'eyebrows,' 'below the knees,' and 'VIO area' at over 20%, indicating broader areas of concern. Among women aged 20–40, many items exceeded the overall average. 'Nasal hair' was particularly high among men aged 60 and above, with nearly half expressing concern.

For 'others,' only four body parts exceeded 10%: 'nasal hair' (32.7%), 'around the mouth' (12.4%), 'eyebrows' (11.5%), and 'chin' (10.8%)—a significant drop from the 12 areas mentioned for 'self.' The top concern, 'nasal hair,' matches the self-perception result, but gender differences are notable: men rated 'nasal hair on self' 6.5 points higher than 'on others,' while women rated 'nasal hair on others' 13.8 points higher than 'on self.' Additionally, 'no concerning areas' was reported by 32.6% for 'self' and 47.4% for 'others.' This suggests that people may not pay as much attention to others' unwanted hair as they assume.

Over 30% Engage in Hair Removal—Are Men Showing Growing Interest, Especially Among Youth?

Next, we examined actual hair removal practices (Figure 3). Those who 'currently perform hair removal' accounted for 31.6%, while 46.9% said they 'have never done it and do not plan to,' a 15.3-point gap. Additionally, 13.7% said they 'no longer do it but have in the past,' and 7.8% said they 'have never done it but would like to.'

Breaking down 'currently performing' by age and gender, women peak at 52.8% in their 20s, decreasing with age, though still reaching 24% among those aged 70 and above—one in four. The consistent 17–23% across age groups who 'no longer do it but have in the past' may indicate completed permanent hair removal. Among men, those in their 30s stand out with 33.2% currently performing hair removal—possibly reflecting a desire to make a good impression at work or with clients. Notably, 10% or more of men aged 20–50 said they 'have never done it but would like to,' suggesting a shift in younger men's attitudes.

Hair Removal Tools: Surprisingly Traditional?

We asked respondents who answered 'currently performing' or 'have performed in the past' about the specific tools or services they use for hair removal (Figure 4). The most common tool was 'razors for shaving facial hair' such as T-shaped razors, cited by 52.6%—a majority. This was followed by 'tweezers' (46.1%) and 'scissors' (28.7%), indicating widespread use of traditional tools. Specialized devices such as 'body/face groomers' and 'home-use hair removal or light-based beauty devices' received moderate support at 20.7% and 11.9%, respectively.

The top three tools are the same for both genders as the overall ranking. Gender differences for 'shaving razors' and 'tweezers' remain in single digits, but 'scissors' are used 14.6 points more by men. Additionally, 'electric shavers for facial hair,' ranked sixth overall, are used by 28.5% of men (4th place) but only 4.1% of women—a 24.4-point gap. This suggests men repurpose their daily electric shavers for other body areas, while women, having less need for facial shaving, opt for specialized tools like groomers or home-use hair removal devices. Among the many available methods,