Survey by Suzuki Herb Laboratory Finds Men Are Most Concerned About Body Hair at Pools, Body Shape at Hot Springs

Suzuki Herb Laboratory conducted a survey on men's body hair targeting a total of 550 men in their 20s to 60s. The internet-based survey was carried out from March 16 to 17, 2026, in collaboration with KJ Research. The laboratory has been conducting this survey periodically since 2023, with this being the fourth installment.

Key findings from the survey are as follows: - At pools and beaches, 'body hair' was the top grooming concern at 26.7%, slightly surpassing 'body shape' (26.5%). - At saunas and hot springs, 'body shape' was the leading concern at 19.8%, followed by 'body hair' at 17.8%. - For short-sleeve fashion, 'underarm hair' (26.0%) and 'arm hair' (25.1%) were the primary concerns. - However, 49.6% of all respondents said they were 'not particularly concerned' about body hair when wearing short sleeves. - When wearing half-pants, nearly half of the men (48.4%) were concerned about 'hair below the knees.' - Younger generations showed a greater tendency to worry about the impression their body hair (other than beards) gives to others.

An analysis by situation showed that while concerns about 'body hair,' 'body shape,' and 'body odor' were common for both pools/beaches and saunas/hot springs, the percentages were generally higher for pools and beaches. Compared to daily life, awareness of body hair and body shape increases significantly in these leisure settings.

Regarding clothing and body hair, while 'underarm hair' was the top concern overall for short sleeves, 'arm hair' ranked first for men in their 20s and 30s. Notably, 38.2% of men in their 20s were concerned about 'arm hair,' a figure more than 10 percentage points higher than other generations. For half-pants, 48.4% were concerned about 'hair below the knees,' indicating a higher level of concern than with short sleeves. The percentage of those 'not particularly concerned' was 49.6% for short sleeves and 41.5% for half-pants.

As a generational trend, younger men were more likely to respond that they were 'very concerned' or 'concerned' about the impression their non-beard body hair made on others, suggesting higher awareness of others' perceptions among the youth.

Suzuki Herb Laboratory's public relations team suggested that for pools and beaches, the environment—where one is more conscious of others' gazes, including those of the opposite sex, in addition to greater skin exposure—likely influences these results. They also analyzed that the high awareness among men in their 20s suggests that the idea of 'body hair care as part of grooming' is becoming ingrained in younger generations, in line with the expansion of the men's beauty market.