A deep dive into the history of the 4B Movement.

American Democrats are now frantically running to find answers on Google after the recent election results.

The main answer they found was none other than the 4B movement, which originated in South Korea, stemming from a similar movement called “Escape the Corset”.

The idea of rejecting stereotypically “feminine” traits, dates back multiple millennials, with the oldest example of this idea being Aristophanes’ ancient Greek comedy play “Lysistrata”, performed in 411 BC, following a group of Greek women withholding sex, thus forcing men to end the Peloponnesian War.

This idea became the inspiration for South Korea’s Escape The Corset movement, which was popularised in 2017, with the western rise of the #MeToo movement, inspiring women to reject South Korea’s unrealistic beauty standards.

The standards had women and young girls spending incredible amounts on makeup, perfecting a 10-step skincare routine day in and day out, as well as taking an extra two hours out of their sleep to perfect this standard.

Now, in 2024, the Escape The Corset has been rebranded slightly to the ‘4B movement’.

The origins of the 4B movement can be traced back to the national protests over the filming of women using spy cameras and the publication and sharing of these videos.

With the name, 4B, stemming from ‘bi’ being the shorthanded word for ‘No’ in Korean, the 4b movement, relates to the 4 Nos.

The 4 Nos rules are: ‘bihon’, meaning the refusal of heterosexual marriage, ‘bichulsan’, the rejection of childbirth, ‘biyeonae’ is the denial of heterosexual dating, and the last no is ‘bisekseu’, the avoidance of heterosexual sexual relationships.

So, as explained in an article by The Cut: “The women of South Korea’s 4B Movement aren’t fighting the patriarchy-they’re leaving it behind entirely.”

So, with all of this in mind, what exactly does this have to do with the American elections?

With Trump’s presidency officially beginning on the 20th of January and 53% of females voting for Harris in comparison to Trump’s 45%, many American Democratic women are considering adopting this lifestyle.

With the highest Google searches being in states that all voted for the Democrats such as Washington DC, Colorado, Vermont and Minnesota.

Furthermore, the movement has also caught the attention online, with most taking to social media platforms such as, to express their inclination to join, believing in Fannie Lou Hammer’s quote: “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

However, as we enter the final months of Biden’s presidency, it is unclear how many women will be making the sacrifice.

Bitterne’s local history society is helping to preserve the history of Southampton and the surrounding suburbs by collecting thousands of artifacts from local residents who have donated much loved items to the society.  

The formation of the society began in 1981, after the imminent construction of the Bitterne bypass.  

Those who were keen to ensure the area’s heritage was not lost under the bulldozers, salvaged and donated items of interest, creating a museum of timely artifacts.  

The society opens its doors six days a week (Monday to Friday) 10am-4pm and Saturday from 10-2pm for visitors to view and ask questions.  

Manager and Chairperson of the society Ian Abrahams said:  

“If we don’t preserve these artifacts and the information we hold in the museum, it will all be lost, and it would be a great shame.” he said.  

Gary Cooper, a board member said:  

“This is a wonderful museum we’ve got because it’s unique and it’s something a lot of places don’t have. It’s filled with all the memories and is an eyeopener for people.” he said.  

The heritage centre is staffed by volunteer stewards who have many books, photographs, maps, and street directories dating from the 19th century onwards.  

The volunteers have access to newsletters of local groups (including schools and churches) and computer databases, which can assist anyone searching for family who have lived in the area or those who just want to find out more about their city’s history.  

The items that can be viewed in the museum range from – old shop signs, radios, telephones, cash registers, gas masks, tins, photographs, shoes, and much more.  

Ian Abrahams said: 

“People will donate all sorts of things that are not necessarily dedicated to Bitterne, but also items that hold the memories of those whose parents fought or lived through the war as most artifacts the history society receives, are passed on through many generations.”   

When I visited the history museum, an older gentleman whom I interviewed, told me he resided in one of the local suburbs and came to donate old school photographs and historical books about Southampton.   

The resident mentioned that it is becoming increasingly common for items of a certain age to be misplaced or even destroyed, where he worries about the “heritage and information” of the area of where he comes from, will not be remembered.  

When asking as to why he decided to donate these items, he said:  

“I am concerned that I have no one to pass these items onto, because I am on my own and I don’t want them to be destroyed.  

“I know the society here do things, so I’m at rest knowing they will be preserved for a lot longer.”   

Instagram: @nellahairartistry

Stress: noun
“A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”

According to the NHS, stress is: “The body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure.”

When we are stressed, our body releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline (often called the “fight or flight” hormone), which usually gives us a boost or motivates us to act quickly.

Too much stress however, can cause bodily upset, consequently reflecting through many different ways in the body.

That is where the link between stress and hair loss comes in. People may enjoy the look and feel of their hair, but from a biological perspective, your hair is not necessary.

Can stress really Affect the hair and the scalp?

The short answer is yes, it can.

Nella, a trichologist, hairdresser and owner of Nella Hair Artistry, told me about the increasing number of clients she sees that are experiencing hair loss alongside developing major scalp conditions resulting from stress.

A 2023 national survey of more than 2,000 men and women conducted by award winning vegan brand, ‘Hair Gain‘, had revealed that the UK is in the grip of a women’s hair loss epidemic.

The survey expressed that 75% of UK women stated they had experienced hair thinning or underwent hair loss.

Can you guess the major reason as to why?

Stress.

The survey concluded that the biggest cause of hair fall in women by far, was that of stress and anxiety, where 50% of women claimed it was the reason as to why their hair had either fallen out or thinned.

Despite a worrying statistic, it is not surprising given the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, and recent price hike of many different things.

It is definitely a problem that could become even more acute in the future.

So with that being said, stress, amongst many other medical conditions, can have a profound impact on hair growth and the reason as to why we lose hair.

Dermatologist Dr Scott Walter, explains that it is normal to lose around “50 and 100 hairs a day”.

Walter describes that those who have underwent trauma such as “losing a job, a death in the family, illness or even surgery, people may find themselves experiencing something called ‘Telogen effluvium’ or commonly known as ‘excessive daily hair shedding’, and won’t notice it until around three months after a period of stress.”

Researchers have found one of the cortisol hormones, called ‘corticosterone‘, specifically affects the way your hair grows.

As your stress levels rise, you produce higher levels of this hormone.

It is very common that stress can definitely worsen or even cause scalp conditions such as dandruff, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, and in today’s world, stress does not disappear.

With the constant pressure of our daily life, it is important to note that our hair is incredibly sensitive to whatever goes on internally, and this is because it is non-essential tissue, (unlike your heart or your kidneys), so the scalp is the last thing to receive the nutrients it needs in order to remain healthy.

Nella said: “So you could say, if eyes are the window to our soul, then hair is a window of our health.”

Nella always makes sure to help her clients rule out the root cause of the problem.

“I also always make sure to tell my clients [with scalp conditions] that eating the right foods, and finding out whether they have a vitamin deficiency, is imperative for the ability to properly take care and nourish their hair.”

But even if you are eating well, it’s important to realise that stress can also impact how your body is absorbing nutrients, so it’s the matter of how we deal with stress individually.

Although losing hair is horrible, its a normal body reaction to the overload of emotions, and “our body must release it one way or another”.

How can stress be kept in line?

There are multiple ways to manage stress, but what is important is finding what works best for you.

Nella recommends these few techniques to her clients:

• Mild to moderate exercise such as jogging, swimming and low to moderate pace cardio
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Finding time for ‘me’ – this can be in the form of reading, going on a walk or even listening to calming music.