Comment on letter “The Pits”
The following was submitted on 1999-5-5 as a Letter to the Editor of the National Post:
One theory about why we have armpit (and groin) hair: the hair shafts
provide a larger surface area to enhance the diffusion of pheromones
(chemical sex attractants) emitted by the apocrine sweat glands located
at the bases of the hair shafts. Thus, shaving one’s armpits would
reduce sexual attraction.
I suspect women, likely unconsciously, want other women to shave because it reduces their sexual attractiveness and thereby lessens the
competition. This might help to explain the vicious personal attack on
Julia Roberts (“The Pits”, letters, 4 may 1999), presumably for failing
to conform.