The primary benefit of pubic hair is its ability to reduce friction during sexual intercourse. The skin in the area around the genitals is very sensitive. Pubic hair can naturally reduce friction associated with the movements during sexual intercourse and other activities wherein chafing may occur.
If you sense a little body odor, it's because your pubic hair is doing its job of trapping sweat, oil, and bacteria. To care for your pubic area, all you need to do is regularly rinse with water. Long story short, there is nothing dirty or unclean about pubic hair. There is no medical reason to remove it.
"From a health standpoint, removing pubic hair can lead to irritation of the hair follicle, and open wounds or nicks, which may increase the risk for sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission," said Maureen Whelihan, MD, an OB-GYN at the Elite GYN Care of the Palm Beaches in Florida.
Hygiene: Without pubic hair, it can be easier to keep the area clean and free of sweat, odour, and bacteria. So, apart from obvious hygiene you also end up reducing the risk of irritation or infections by removing your pubic hair.
If your hair is more than a half-inch long, you should consider shaving it and “starting over.” Then schedule an appointment so that it lands about one full growth cycle out. That is, give the hair 1 to 4 weeks to regrow to about ¼ inch. In most cases, 3 weeks is usually long enough.
Hormonal changes
Hormones are chemical messengers that control many functions in the body, including hair growth. During puberty, an increase in hormones called androgens triggers the growth of pubic hair . As a person ages, their body begins to produce fewer androgens. This may result in pubic hair loss.
Shaving your pubic hair is entirely a personal preference. As we mentioned, some people just let it grow out and never shave it off. The decision is based on comfort, appearance, and health. If you're prone to excessive sweating, not only will your hairy groin area overheat, but it may have an odor.
Here's what they found: 80% of women said they had removed their pubic hair recently at the time of the survey. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that number was only 39% for the guys. Just 3% of women said they had never removed their pubic fuzz.
The main role of pubic hair is to reduce friction during sex and other forms of exercise, protecting the delicate skin around the genital area. Just like eyelashes and nose hair, pubic hair helps prevent the transmission of bacteria, trapping any dirt, debris, and microorganisms that could be harmful to the body.
Trim between 2mm and 6mm lengths for neat and tidy pubic hair.
Data showed that 46% of men prefer when their partners go completely bare down there. 70% of women, on the other hand, only expect a trim to keep things neat, not total removal. And while that might not surprise many people, just how adamant guys are about their preferences may be the most shocking data point.
Pubic Hair Trends
According to the researchers, when asked if they removed their pubic hair, 80% of women and 39% of men removed their pubic hair near the time of the survey. Also, 3% of women and 21% of men had never removed their pubic hair.
Of the 500 men surveyed by Schick, 79 percent said they like neatened-up bikini areas, while 21 percent either don't care or are turned off by it. (Of course, if guys want it so much, perhaps they should pick up the salon tab…but that's another story!)
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.
Shaving, whether it's your legs, armpits, or pubic area, is a personal choice. You certainly don't have to shave before sex if you don't want to. Shaving pubic hair (or not) is a cosmetic preference, and it does not mean you are "cleaner" if you shave. If you do prefer to shave, try not to do it right before sex.
In general, we recommend shaving every two to three days if you want a clean shave; three to five days if you want to simply style or trim; and if you want to just let your hair grow, then simply stop shaving.
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
At around 12 years old, on average, females will begin to see hair growth under the arms. Pubic hair will start growing along the labia and will gradually become thicker, curlier, and cover a larger area of the vulva. In the final stages of puberty, pubic hair may grow around the top of the thighs.
This process usually begins between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls and 9 to 14 years for boys. Along with puberty, children begin to have a tendency to grow body hair. This article will provide more detailed information about this period of children.
A combination of polls shows that 80 to 90 percent of women prefer some amount of grooming for starters. Only 10 to 20 percent prefer guys with a completely unkempt bush; this means that going wild below the waist is not the default look. It may require less work, but you're not playing the odds.
Research has shown that men who keep their pubic hair have a lower chance of getting warts. This is because pubic hair acts as a shield to reduce skin contact between people during intercourse. Getting rid of pubic hair is different from going to the barber for a haircut.
The short answer: going au natural is the healthiest pubic-hair policy. "Your pubic hair is there to protect the skin around your lady parts because that skin is very sensitive," Donnica Moore, MD, a Chester, New Jersey-based gynecologist and president of Sapphire Women's Health Group, told Health.