Hairy Pits, Don’t Care: Michigan’s Relaxed Approach to Underarm Grooming

Photo by Cliff Booth

Article courtesy of Laser Hair Removalo

• Hairy armpits are Michigan’s newest badge of honor, with the lowest searches in the country for ways to remove armpit hair.
• Grand Rapids is the 26th most fuzz-free city in the US, out of 177 analyzed, in contrast with Detroit which only ranked 62nd.
• Overall, Michigan is the 26th hairiest US state, where there are 50,134 searches a month linked to hair removal solutions for its ten million population.
• People in Michigan mostly want to get rid of their facial hair while leaving their hairy feet run wild.

If Michigan’s internet search history could tell a story, it would reveal its best-kept secret: they love their hairy armpits more than anyone else in the US. This seems more unusual, considering it is otherwise a very average state when it comes to overall hairiness.

This is according to new research from beauty experts at Laser Hair Removalo, who used Google Keyword Planner to uncover US states’ and cities’ most searched hair removal concerns, from problem areas to preferred products and solutions. For the purposes of this study, the places with the lowest search volumes per 100,000 population were deemed least interested in removing hair from certain body parts and therefore described as the hairiest. The searches were measured for a year leading up to June 30th, 2025.

Michigan Findings

Michigan loves hairy armpits more than any other US state, as searches for armpit hair removal here are the lowest in the US. However, Michigan residents might flinch at the sight of unwanted facial hair, fuzzy bikini lines, as well as pubic, arm, and nose hair. Searches are highest for these particular areas.

Hairy feet are the least of their concern, where just one in over half a million monthly searches indicates a wish to change this. Meanwhile, unruly hairlines and furry hands are acceptable here too, with only one in nearly 400,000 monthly inquiries suggesting they care about it.

In total, Michigan searches for hair removal solutions 50,134 times every month. Proportional to its population, this makes Michigan the 25th hairiest state.

In the city ranking, Grand Rapids (MI) is the 26th most obsessed US city with getting rid of unwanted fuzz, out of 177 places analyzed. For every 100,000 residents, there are 2,595 searches linked to hair removal solutions every month here. In Detroit, this rate stands at 1,038, making it the 62nd most fuzz-free city in America.

According to the study, Michigan’s top five go-to hair removal products are razors, Nad’s, electric razors, Nair and epilators.

“We have good news for the busiest Michiganders who might feel a little self-consious about their hairy armpits – you are surrounded by like-minded people who, statistically, care the least about your hairy pits out of anyone else in America,” said Timca Pruijt, founder of Laser Hair Removalo.

“Better yet, if you are from Grand Rapids going to visit your friends in Detroit, it might be nice to know that if you forgot to shave one day, people there are 2.5 times more chilled than those at home when it comes to body hair.

“Besides, removing unwanted hair is a personal choice and that Sex and the City episode when Miranda got told off for forgetting to wax her bikini line is way in the past now.”

America’s Most Unwanted Hair and States Most and Least Obsessed with Removing It

From peach fuzz and sideburns to beards and whiskers, facial hair tops America’s greatest problem areas to depilate. Every month, there are 46,518 searches, on average, from people wondering how to get rid of them. Most of these come from Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, when measured proportional to their populations. Idaho is the least bothered state about removing facial hair, followed by New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Bikini lines are the second body area Americans want to see hair-free, with 17,843 searches a month seeking solutions. Massachusetts, New York and Vermont are most obsessed with smooth bikini lines, whereas Mississippi, West Virginia and Oklahoma are least concerned about it.

Pubic hair is the third most unwanted type of body pilosity, with 9,944 searches per month on how to remove it. Washington, Hawaii and Maine prefer taming the garden, while New Mexico, Idaho and Arkansas would much rather go au naturel.

Aside from Utah, these three body parts ranked consistently as the top three areas Americans want to see hair-free the most. Arms, legs, noses, ears, buttocks, unibrows and backs all fight for the fourth and fifth spots across all US states. Furry shoulders, feet and hands are the least of America’s concerns.

Overall, Mississippi is the hairiest US state, where there are only 10,379 searches a month linked to hair removal solutions for its 2.9 million population. This averages 353 searches per 100,000 residents. West Virginia and Montana follow, with just 358 and 373 monthly searches per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.

However, Virginia, New York and Massachusetts are most obsessed with getting rid of body hair, where searches are roughly double compared to the states least bothered about hair removal: 712, 671 and 658 searches, respectively, per 100,000 residents.

Among US cities and towns, Atlanta, Georgia, is most obsessed with getting rid of body hair. With 14,533 related searches for the nearly half a million population, this would roughly mean that every 34th resident of Atlanta is probably not a fan of body hair.

On the other hand, North Las Vegas in Nevada is the hairiest city in America when it comes to removing body hair, with just 1,596 searches a month for its 280,534 population. If one search were to represent a separate person, this would mean only one in 175 residents in North Las Vegas care about shaving, waxing and other forms of depilating.

“For those who prefer a hair-free autumn getaway to someplace warm, we would like to kindly remind you that you should never book a waxing appointment less than 48 hours before a flight, due to infection, dryness and inflammation risks,” Pruijt advises. “If your beautician refuses to book you in so close to your trip, they are actually doing you a huge favor. At that point, your only sensible solution is shaving, especially if you expect to be out and about in the sun.”

Sources: 

Laser Hair Removalo via Google Keyword Planner.

Methodology:

1. The researchers created a seed list containing body parts, treatments, products and combinations that indicate interest in hair removal, totaling 352 keywords.
2. Using Google Keyword Planner, search volumes for 177 US cities and all US states were measured from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
3. All the state and city rankings use proportional values relative to their populations, namely search volumes per 100,000 residents.

America’s Hairiest States