Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
A clear majority of women prefer a simple trim. While there will be eternal debate over whether or not the balls and anus should be smooth, most women agree that as long as things are kept in order, the style of trimming isn't a deal-breaker.
About 67% of women said they do it because they feel more feminine, 63% said they like to feel soft, and 62% said their partner liked it. Women who didn't shave said they opt out because of the side effects, like itching and bumps, or because their partner prefers them not to.
It is more hygienic not to shave it (although depilation does make pubic lice homeless). In removing their pubic hair, most women will get cuts or ingrown hairs, and some will develop inflammation of the hair follicles or hyperpigmentation.
Trimming pubic hair is an intimate choice but many experts feel that shaving pubic hair is simply a misleading attempt at personal hygiene. An increasing number of studies are now advocating against shaving the pubes.
Pubic hair is also there to ease friction between body parts during sexual intercourse, without which you can experience skin irritations. It also reduces friction between your vulva and clothing. The presence of pubic hair makes the skin down there less susceptible to chafing or rashes.
Should you shave your pubic hair every day? It might be tempting, but you definitely don't want to shave down there every day — this could lead to increased irritation. “It's best to give the skin some time to recover,” Dr. Garshick explains.
Women's current preferences for men's pubic hair
Another survey of 300 women found 64 percent preferred their guys trimmed, 16 percent preferred a clean-shaven man and 20 percent found the natural look best.
In general, pubic hair in females naturally covers the labia majora (outer lips) to the inner thighs and form a triangle-like shape up to the pubic bone. Some women will naturally grow thicker or thinner hair than others, so typically there's no cause for alarm when there's slight variation.
Pubic hair growth begins at the onset of puberty when estrogen and progesterone levels increase. After menopause, when estrogen levels decline, pubic hair - along with the hair on the head - stops growing. Not everyone will experience pubic hair loss after menopause, it may simply turn grey or simply thin.
Some teens don't do anything with their pubic hair, leaving it to grow naturally. Some girls remove hair when they'll be wearing a bathing suit, and some remove hair regularly as part of their beauty routine. No health benefits are linked to removing pubic hair, so choose what feels right for you.
Shaving with a clogged or unclean razor is a big no-no. Folliculitis is typically caused by bacteria. Folliculitis causes red and white pimples to grow around the hair follicle resulting in that prickly feeling after shaving. Rest assured, mild cases of folliculitis should clear on its own within a number of days.
In separate studies, 59% of women and 61% of men stated that they groomed their pubic region for hygienic purposes. However, there is currently no scientific evidence to suggest any health benefits associated with removing pubic hair — other than the removal of pubic lice.
Pubis Shaving
For many years, people never cared about shaving their pubic hair until the birth of bikini in 1946. Between the 1960s and 1970s, trimming took a different twist, and women were discouraged from trimming. In the 1980s, they were now encouraged on trimming and even to do a thorough shave.
As an ob-gyn, I want you to know that pubic hair is normal. Whether to groom or let it grow is your choice—no one else's. And there is no reason to apologize about your pubic hair, to your ob-gyn or anyone else.
Yes. It's perfectly fine to carefully trim your pubic hair with small scissors along your swimsuit or underwear line. Many girls trim their pubic hair, or go to a salon to have a “bikini wax”; others prefer to shave just about every day, and many just leave it alone. Removing pubic hair is a personal preference.
As menopause occurs there is a reduction in the amount of estrogen that is available in our system. This slows down hair growth. It means that women may notice less pubic hair or thinner pubic hair as they age.
You're getting older.
"After menopause there's a decrease in regrowth of overall body hair," says Raquel Dardik, MD, gynecologist at the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center. And that includes your pubic hair. It won't just thin as you age, either.
What pubic hair styles do Americans like and dislike? The most-liked style of women's pubic hair is trimmed, with 52% saying they like this style. Men (59%) are more likely than women (45%) to say they like this style.
Trimming will make you feel more confident: Shaving will eliminate odour and sweat and you will feel more confident and fresh. Trimming pubic hair will help you to stay cooler down there: “That extra layer of bush would make you feel hotter. So, trimming will help you to avoid that extra heat and sweat down there.