Skin dryness/health vs hairiness

I get the impression that the women around me (who obviously have less hair than a hairy dude like me) have more problems with dry skin and use more moisturizer. Is there a connection between hairiness and skin health? Does hair protect the skin from friction damage/irritation and make it less dry?

(I know that this theory is based only on anecdotes and that my premise could be flat out wrong, or that gender, age, and various things also can influence dryness).

Any ideas and would this be something to keep in mind if getting permanent hair removal? Has anyone noticed this after getting hair removed?

Any input on this? Just feeding my curiosity hereā€¦