Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A poll released today by Gillette Venus Embrace has uncovered a condition believed to affect as many as 94 percent of Australian women surveyed — hairy kneecap syndrome!
Believed to manifest itself on the knees, hairy kneecap syndrome results in areas of missed hairs around the knee on otherwise smooth legs. The syndrome is believed to potentially cause the sufferer feelings of frustration (72 percent), untidiness (72 percent), self-consciousness (60 percent) and embarrassment (46 percent).
The poll also finds:
- One third of Australian women surveyed find hairy kneecap syndrome more frustrating than other beauty blunders such as lipstick on their teeth (36 percent), discovering a ladder in their stockings (38 percent) and even more frustrating than discovering a pimple on their chin (34 percent)
- Seventy percent of Australian women surveyed feel mortified when having to bare their legs in front of colleague or friends when struck with a bout of hairy kneecap syndrome.
- It may even be having an impact on Australia's population growth, with 64 percent surveyed saying when they are experiencing an episode of hairy kneecap syndrome it makes them think twice about romantic encounters.
- A third of women surveyed believe hairy kneecap syndrome reflects badly on a woman's personal appearance, with 65 percent believing that perfectly shaved legs with no missed hairs shows a woman takes pride in her appearance.
Australian men also felt passionately about the subject, and they don't like it! Twenty percent rate it a bigger turn-off than awkward silences (13 percent) and almost on par with daggy underwear (26 percent).
Elka Graham, retired Olympic swimmer and former hairy kneecap sufferer, is on a one-woman crusade to help banish hairy kneecap syndrome from the nation. "The consequences can be really embarrassing but luckily, this research comes just in time for summer, so we can make sure it doesn't get out of control," says Graham. "I use [the Gillette Venus Embrace] every day to help keep my legs silky smooth every time!"
