The safest technique is trimming pubic hair with scissors, if they do not come into contact with the skin. Shaving or using methods that remove hair from the hair follicle can lead to effects such as unintentional cuts or small cuts in the skin, redness or irritation.
The key to shaving pubes is to use short strokes with gentle pressure. You can shave in any direction that feels comfortable, but shaving “with the grain” will help to avoid excess shaving irritation. Clean the blade in water every 2-3 strokes to keep your hair from blocking the blades.
You'll see that scissors are a terrible idea for trimming pubic hair, and not just because you could accidentally snip your junk (although that's a very serious consideration). Scissors are more than an inferior tool. They're a relic of a past, not so long ago, when grooming was a dangerous venture.
Because the skin on your vulva is sensitive, prickling and itching after trimming your pubic hair is very common. In fact, pubic hair grows on and around your vulva to protect the vulvar area from irritation and infection.
“There is no medical reason that you need to be removing or trimming some or all of your pubic hair,” says Nina Carroll, MD, OB/GYN, of Your Doctors Online. According to Carroll, the risk of infection — be it bacterial, yeast, or sexually transmitted — is not higher or lower based on your pubic hair practices.
To keep the pubic area smooth and hairless, you'll need to shave regularly, even daily. Consider if this is worth the trouble; it may become tedious after four or five weeks.
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.
It can cause inflammation, pain and tiny bumps in the area where the hair was removed." It's common you'll see post-shaving irritation turn into ingrown hairs, which thereafter turns into itchiness in the pubic region.
Trim between 2mm and 6mm lengths for neat and tidy pubic hair.
Male pubic hair is currently less "full bush" and more "clean-cut," which is the current trend. As a result, not all men should completely shave off their pubic hair because doing so can cause excruciating discomfort and even unpleasant skin conditions like razor burn or ingrown hairs.
tl;dr. In short (lol), there's nothing wrong with trimming or completely removing your pubes if it makes you feel good about your genitals and confident in front of sexual partners. However, it may be best to avoid shaving and stick to waxing instead, as shaving increases the risk of laceration and infection.
“There is no right or certain age to start shaving,” said Rashell Orey, a licensed master social worker at Banner Health. “Some may be eager to start very early, while for others, this could be a scary thought. It's a conversation that you'll need to discuss with them.”
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.
Your pubes may itch for a bunch of different reasons. These include unsafe shaving techniques, infections, and chronic conditions like psoriasis or eczema. Sometimes, a home remedy, OTC cream, or simple lifestyle change can help you manage the itching.
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.
If you'll only be cutting hair; not shaving it, do it while the hair is completely dry — it'll be easier to manage. If you're shaving though, soaking in a warm bath or shower for 10 to 15 minutes can reduce the irritation to your skin.
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.
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.
Interestingly, 84 percent of the men surveyed had a preference when it came to a woman's pubic hair, but only 9 percent would end a date or sex because of a women's grooming habits -- so they must not care all that much. And of the men polled, a whopping 88 percent do some grooming of their own.
Brazilian wax: the triangle
(Yep, that means around your bum). If you want to feel totally smooth and hairless, go Brazilian.