Laser Hair Removal At the End of the World | Sarah Chin

I take comfort in knowing that if the world ended right now, in this very moment,

my legs would be bare. There is some value in that, I think,

or at least in the commitment —

You see, it takes anywhere between four and twelve weeks to see results from at-home laser hair removal

after which, you still might need regular touch ups. A lot of people don’t read the instruction manual.

A lot of people expect that their hair will instantly fall out, but not me.

I’m patient. I’m clever. I always read the instruction manual, and I keep them too,

in a file folder, in case I need to reference them in the future.

The file folder is in the closet

next to some version of me who didn’t think about these things —

genocide

the politics of hair removal and feminist self-identification

death

instruction manuals —

I’m pretty sure that version is a child, legs naturally smooth

except for the occasional dried, flaking scab or stray marker dash.

I’m pretty sure that version never felt better than anyone, didn’t even know she was clever.

All she used her legs for was pumping higher and higher in the swing

until the horizon was below her

until the very edge of the world was under her feet.

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Sarah Chin is a writer with a day job in politics. Her work has been featured in HAD, Anodyne Magazine, The Belladonna, Kingfisher Magazine, and more. She lives in Chicago, Illinois and can be found at sarahchin.net.