Glabrousness (from Latin glaber = bal, hairless) is the technical term for an anatomically abnormal lack of hair or down. This may be due to a physical condition, such as alopecia universalis, which causes hair to fall out and/or prevents its growth. More commonly, glabrousness is a result of culturally-motivated hair removal by depilation (surface removal by shaving or dissolving) or epilation (removal of the entire hair, such as waxing or plucking).