Answer From Mary Marnach, M.D. There's no medical or hygienic reason for removing some or all of your pubic hair. But the removal process can be painful and cause many side effects, including: Genital itching, sometimes severe.
As mentioned above, pubic hair serves a protective function by trapping pathogens that could otherwise enter your body. Removing pubic hair may therefore make a person more susceptible to common infections, such as UTIs, vaginitis, and yeast infections.
Trimming or shaving your pubic hair, for instance, may increase your chances of contracting STIs like herpes, HPV, genital warts, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and even HIV, according to a recent study from the University of California at San Francisco.
You really don't need to remove your pubic hair for any health reasons, sexual or otherwise, other than perhaps decreasing odor from sweat. When it comes down to it, pubic hair grooming is a personal preference.
Many of the common “ingrown hairs,” skin rashes, infected hair follicles as well as more serious abscesses and skin infections in the genital region can be traced back to shaving.
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.
Trimming with scissors Using scissors can be a safe way to give the pubic area a well-groomed look. Since the operation does not come into contact with the skin, trimming the pubic hair with scissors has a relatively low risk of injury.
Trimming your pubic hair during or after a shower might seem best, but wet hair is much harder to deal with. When it comes to trimming down the bulk of your pubic hair, you want everything to be dry. That makes it easier for your body trimmer to get the job done.
Keeping it clean can help prevent odor. 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.
Why do my pubes itch after trimming? The most common cause for itchy pubic hair is trimming with a dull blade or making contact with your skin. To prevent this focus on exfoliating your skin and hair, so it is less sensitive.
Your pubic hair region is more sensitive than your armpits and legs. So one reason why you might be hurting down there when the hair starts to grow back is because of razor burn, which can be itchy or painful. Another reason why you might be uncomfortable is because shaving can trigger ingrown hair growth.
The pubic area is among the most prone parts of the body to feeling itchy and “razor-burned,” because it is a very sensitive area for most, and the hair in that area typically is thicker, making it more noticeably uncomfortable when you feel it growing back.
To keep the pubic area smooth and hairless, you'll need to shave regularly, even daily.
"If you do remove hair too frequently, you can end up with something called folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicle," Dr. Metz says. Basically, the act of shaving poorly can damage the follicle and cause inflammation. Ouch!
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
Laser hair removal or electrolysis
Laser hair removal and electrolysis are both considered “permanent” methods to denude pubes: both eliminate hair follicles so hair doesn't grow back.
Marc Glashofer, a dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, claims that the texture of pubic hair tends to be thicker and more coarse than hair on the rest of our body because of its origins as a buffer. “It prevents friction during intercourse that can cause skin abrasion and rashes,” he says.
Pubic hair follows the same pattern as any other hair on your body. In a typical cycle, the entire three-phase process takes 30-44 days, according to a doctor at Men's Health. You can count on your pubes growing back at a steady rate of ⅛ inch per week, or 1 cm every three weeks.
Dry, flaky skin in a female's pubic area can have many causes, including skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis. Allergies and bacterial or fungal infections may also be the cause. Hair removal products or even wearing tight clothing can also damage the skin, making it dry, itchy, and flaky.
Why does the itching get worse at night? The itching can get worse at night due to increased moisture in the area, temperature changes, bacteria, and increased awareness. There are certain conditions, such as pubic lice, in which the itching gets worse at night.
You might have noticed that the skin on your intimate areas is darker than the rest of your skin. This is normal because the colour of our skin is not linear, that is, there might be variations in tone depending on the part of the body.
Adult: The adult pubic louse resembles a miniature crab when viewed through a strong magnifying glass. Pubic lice have six legs; their two front legs are very large and look like the pincher claws of a crab. This is how they got the nickname “crabs.” Pubic lice are tan to grayish-white in color.
Aloe vera, pure shea butter, and coconut oil are all great natural options. An anti-inflammatory cream or oil with vitamin E would be a great option as well!
It could be caused by something like vaginal dryness or chemical irritants, such as the ones found in scented soaps. Itching can also be the result of a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), or something else.