Judy Wearing, Icon Books
Pick up Judy Wearing鈥檚 Anxious and Hairy, and you might well wonder at its length: how did she possibly fill 300 pages with鈥� hair? It is a credit to her diligent research, infectious curiosity and personable voice that, on finishing this exhaustive exploration into what the subtitle calls the 鈥渆volution and culture of human hair鈥�, I was struck by how much I鈥檇 taken for granted.
From the start, Wearing sets out to win over readers who might be sceptical, taking on the broad (and, arguably, often sexist) sidelining of hair to reveal a 鈥渂iological wonder鈥� touching 鈥渙n virtually every aspect of humanity鈥�. Her own fascination dates back to her postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, and Anxious and Hairy builds on her research into mating behaviour, especially 鈥渁daptive benefits of human hair patches鈥�.
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Why did we evolve to have tufts in some places, but not others? Even now, research remains limited. As Wearing points out: 鈥淥ddly, humans have paid more attention to the traits involved in the mating of mites and birds than the plumage of our own species.鈥�
The earliest fossil evidence of hair, she writes, dates back about 245 million years to cynodonts: warm-blooded, reptilian and the ancestors of mammals. They developed fur for insulation, but some hair follicles continued to evolve to produce milk and body odour. Homo sapiens shed their fur coats over time, but not as decisively as it seemed. The so-called naked ape, in fact, has the same number of follicles as our primate relatives, everywhere except on the soles of our feet and palms of our hands; but they produce mostly thin, fine 鈥渧ellus鈥� hairs.
The thicker, more mature hairs evolved, through sexual selection, to grow in specific locations for highly varied purposes. The hair on our head helps to regulate temperature while also offering sun protection, explaining the diversity in density, colour and curl. Curly hair, for example, blocks more solar radiation while keeping the head cooler. In men, this balance also involves facial hair, with Wearing exploring the links between bushy beards 鈥� which would have dissuaded sexual rivals 鈥� and balding.
At Oxford, Wearing 鈥榓mbushed鈥� her peers with requests for samples from their 鈥榠nteresting bits鈥�
The science behind our other furry patches is more speculative. Underarm hair might have evolved to broadcast our particular chemical blends, aiding social communication and helping to attract genetically suitable mates, she writes. As for pubic hair, Wearing鈥檚 preferred hypothesis is that it evolved as a 鈥渃heating detector鈥�, trapping fluids and odour, informing mate choice and communicating about sexual activity, though she stresses this is untested.
Even with all the unknowns, Wearing鈥檚 evolutionary lens makes hair unexpectedly interesting. Culture adds an equally dense layer 鈥� and accounts for the titular 鈥渁nxious鈥�. Having too much hair in the wrong places, or not enough in the right ones, is associated with depression, anxiety and lower quality of life.
Hair styling has been a form of self-expression since the earliest societies, and across the classes. Rameses II, one of ancient Egypt鈥檚 most renowned pharaohs, used henna to hide greys. And the remains of a woman buried in the 14th century BC showed evidence of 70 coloured extensions.
Even deciding to wear hair up or down is socially mediated, and often political. Women鈥檚 flowing tresses convey feminine sexuality but may be covered, bound or shorn as a means of control. Hair has also literally been a matter of life and death, writes Wearing. Natural variations, a function of genetics and geography, were used to justify racialised prejudice, abuse and enslavement. Hair texture, an official classification criteria in apartheid South Africa, determined rights and freedoms.
Anxious and Hairy reflects Wearing鈥檚 careful, wide-ranging research, but the narrative is powered by her enthusiasm for hair and on-the-ground reporting. At Oxford, she made a name for herself, 鈥渁mbushing鈥� her peers with requests for samples from their 鈥渋nteresting bits鈥�. Later, her quest takes her from a high-end Paris salon to Detroit for a beard and mustache convention.
She discovers that what is signified by our 鈥減atches of hair鈥� continues to evolve. Botox, which limits eyebrow movement, may affect our ability to communicate and empathise. Overall, Wearing more than delivers on her promise to transform how we see hair.
Elle Hunt is a writer based in Norwich, UK
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