http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=48&story_id=10816
Belgian women lag British on hair removal, study finds
18 August 2004
BRUSSELS – Some 79 percent of Belgian women between ages 15 and 34 epilate their legs and underarms, while just over a quarter of women 50 years and older prefer the natural look, according to a study by razor manufacturer Wilkinson Sword.
The results of the survey, published in Wednesday’s edition of La Derniere Heure, found that about 67 percent of all Belgian women epilate. Electric razors and depilatory cream both earned equal standing as the top method of choice for 49% of Belgian women who do epilate, while tweezing (33 percent) and waxing (23 percent) were less popular.
In the neighbouring Netherlands, shaving with traditional razors was the preferred method, followed by electric devices and depilatory cream.
In a smooth-leg contest the Belgians would apparently have little chance of competing against British women, 90 percent of whom over age 15 said they removed their hair. Spaniards also had a slight leg up on Belgians with an 80 percent overall epilatory rate.
But Belgian women are apparently more avid epilators than their French and Italian counterparts, who had 75 percent and 73 percent rates, respectively, in the over-15 population.
According to the survey, the main reasons women epilate vary from general hygiene purposes to cosmetic reasons. The article did not mention anything about particular product brands.