Hair and fur

Beautiful, long, curly, straight, grown, cut short or removed completely. Throughout our lives, we spend an average of 2 years taking care of our hair. We devote quite a lot of time to them. Is it right to do so?

Hair can be a beautiful decoration of the head, giving appearance and character to the whole person. Just walk down the street of a major city and you are sure to pass several hair salons and barbers. We regularly trim, color, curl, straighten, shade and shape. Some make sure that the hairstyle looks the same over and over again (which requires as much effort as constant changes), while others keep changing their look thanks to their hair. A few years ago barbers came back into favor and men already know that a beard adds character, but only a well-groomed beard.

But what does Mother Nature have to say about it? Did she create hair with the idea of making it pretty? Probably too, because everything she creates is pretty. But first and foremost it is functional.

Human hair has a specific job to do. Among other things, it helps regulate temperature: it retains heat in cold weather and protects the skin from overheating when it’s hot, and protects against UV radiation.

Body hair is sensitive to touch. So why do we remove them? Why do we buy all those razors, waxes, subject ourselves to pain and irritation, itching when hair grows back, spend money and time fighting something that is good for us? Well, fashion is sometimes stronger than common sense and convenience.

Aren’t animals hot in their fur?

And animals can’t remove their hair and have to wear their fur even in the worst heat. And when it comes to functionality, animal hair has a lot more work to do than human hair. In addition to protecting against cold and overheating, it can, through its color, help with camouflage. In addition, in some species, a change in coat color can signal to the opposite sex that they are ready to breed. The fur also acts as a barrier and blockade to pests such as fleas and ticks.

Animalization of customs

All indications are that while humans like to consider themselves (wrongly) a superior species, they peep into the animal world and take handfuls from it. We like to dress in feathers – and sometimes literally. Many clothes, patterns and fabrics are modeled on animal motifs: boas (feathers), faux fur, leopard or zebra patterns. Because Mother Nature is the best seamstress.