From the gynecologist's perspective, shaving regularly to eliminate pubic hair has drawbacks. Razors harbor bacteria and cause some abrasion of the skin; especially in a moist environment. This creates a setup for a bacterial skin infection.
Your pubic hair is "protective," says Metz, and you don't *need* to remove it. But of course, if you prefer to trim, shave, wax, or otherwise remove your pubic hair, that's totally fine.
To reduce the likelihood of razor burn or irritation we've seen 4mm as the recommended length to trim pubic hair with a bikini trimmer. If you want smooth skin we recommend waxing or sugaring. Exfoliate your bikini line and apply a soothing pubic oil to prevent itch during regrowth.
From the gynecologist's perspective, shaving regularly to eliminate pubic hair has drawbacks. Razors harbor bacteria and cause some abrasion of the skin; especially in a moist environment. This creates a setup for a bacterial skin infection.
You're Less Likely To Get Rashes
If you don't shave, those things aren't really a possibility anymore, leaving you and your lady parts in peace. Indeed, Dweck listed infected hair follicles (folliculitis), rashes, and irritation (razor burn) as some of the most common issues she sees from patients who shave.
Pubic hair may extend out to their thighs, and some girls may have a line of hair up to their belly button. Most girls attain their peak height by age 16, but some may continue growing through age 20.
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.
Pubic hair holds on to residual urine, vaginal discharge, blood and semen. Bacteria line up all along the hair shaft just lunching it up and creating odor. (Very appetizing, I know.) Trimming your pubic hair reduces that surface area for bacteria, thus reducing odor.
The practice of removing female body hair is not new, it can be traced back to ancient Rome and Egypt. Some of the first razors, made of copper, were used in Egypt and India around 3000 BCE. Egyptian women removed their head hair and considered pubic hair uncivilized.
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.
If there is an infection
Whether is a yeast infection, bacterial vaginitis, or something else, you must avoid shaving down there. Shaving can spread the infection. In fact, you need to notify your doctor about the same.
It is not more hygienic to shave pubic hair. Some girls decide to remove it (as a personal preference) but there are no health benefits. In fact, there are risks associated with shaving your pubic hair including: razor burn (rash), redness, itching (from hair growing back), and infection in the hair root.
More likely, it's just that you're getting older. Even though it seems like hair comes in thicker when we shave, the actual number of hairs and thickness stays the same. Whether or not you shave the hair on your legs is up to you. Just don't worry about it spreading further down or getting thicker!
Pubic hair and hair on the body doesn't usually grow back after the menopause, this is due to levels of estrogen and progesterone remaining low as we continue to age.
Then there's the regrowth stage: Shaved hair grows back after a couple of days, and when it does it can be prickly or itchy. This can leave you feeling uncomfortable. There's also a chance some hairs will become ingrown. This means that the hair that's trying to grow back gets trapped under the skin.
There are a number of hair removal options they could be using, some of which are temporary and others that are permanent. Temporary options include shaving (by far the most popular method), waxing, depilatory creams, tweezing, and trimming.
As for the curliness of pubes, Brian Steixner, M.D., Director of the Institute of Men's Health at Jersey Urology Group in Atlantic City, suspects it's because curly hair does a better job at trapping the pheromones secreted from sweat glands around the groin area.
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.
Dr. Minkin told us that, although "there is no biological reason to remove pubic hair," shaving down there is a safe option for removal, as long as you're doing it correctly. "The major concern with shaving is cutting oneself — but as long as you don't get cut, there's not much harm," Dr. Minkin said.