Magic + Loss

Magic + Loss

Close Shaves

Virginia Heffernan's avatar
Virginia Heffernan
Apr 01, 2022
∙ Paid
(Wiki photo)

How we handle our body hair says as much about us as how we dress. On this week’s This is Critical, Rebecca Herzig, professor and author of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal, explores the culture of shaving, waxing, plucking—and just letting it be.

Read an excerpt below and listen to the whole episode here.

Virginia Heffernan: Today’s guest …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Magic + Loss to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Virginia Heffernan · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture