Thank you for writing.

This question comes up from time to time, and sometimes there is confusion because the photos which accompany the rules show House Boys both with and without body and public hair.

A House Boy who is collared for * full-time service* in the Master’s home is *required* to be shaved or smoothed from nose to toes unless they are granted an exemption. Exemptions may be requested by the House Boy Applicant at any time in the screening process, and are granted on a case by case basis. Generally, boys that are more attractive *with hair* than without – in the Master’s opinion – are more likely to be granted an exemption, and exemptions may cover just one area of hair (like public area or mustache). Also taken into consideration is the boy’s grooming history, current status, and stated preference, though none of these by itself is sufficient to guarantee an exemption. One boy was granted an exemption for a full beard only because he was able to prove that three prior generations of his lineage each had full beards and that this was a family tradition. He was unable to prove that his elders had their pubic hair growing, so no exemption was granted beyond the beard.

Exemptions are *always* granted to applicants or in-service House Boys with a temporary or permanent disability (including skin sensitivity) that prevents safe shaving (See Rule #181) unless a safe alternative method of body hair removal is agreed on.

Exemptions are *automatic* for House Boys that are collared for *Temporary* or *Part-Time-Service* – since many have outside obligations where shaving might be difficult to explain – though each applicant is heartily encouraged to agree to shaving or smoothing to the extent that they are comfortable with.

No House Boy has any right to privacy during any hair removal process. Sometimes a prospective House Boy will request shaving prior to his collaring – to avoid the possibility of being forcibly shaved in front of guests at a ‘Collaring Party’ – and these requests are usually granted. The boy is still subject to being shaved in front of or by another House Boy or applicant, however.

The Master’s house guests and visitors usually assume that a boy who is completely shaved is in *full-time-service* (or wishes to be), and boys with body or pubic hair are *Temporary or Part-Time*. Any guest who feels that a *Full-Time* House Boy is not properly shaved or smoothed may request that the boy receive a Body Hair Inspection, which may result in a touch-up or body shaving being assigned.

In your case – as a boy with a history of being kept shaved or smoothed – it is unlikely you would be granted an exemption to serve full-time with body hair even if you wanted to do so. You would be placed into service with an official re-shaving at collaring, regardless of who may be present. You would qualify for an automatic exemption if you serve *Part-Time or Temporary*, but only to allow whatever body hair you happen to have visible, not to grow out any new hair.