The difference is cycles are less intense. They last only a month or so and that's why hair body does not grow very long as the hairs on our head. The hair on our arms, legs, armpits, and pubic areas grow around 30-45 days in comparison to 2-6 years for the hair on our heads.
Hair growth rate varies from across the body, with head hair growing on average about an inch a month, that's up to 0.5mm a day, while armpit hair grows up to 0.27mm a day.
Puberty typically begins in boys between the ages of 9 and 15 and in girls between ages 8 and 14. During these years, both boys and girls grow terminal hair under the arms and in the pubic areas. In fact, in the early stages of puberty, terminal hair growth is concentrated in the pubic area.
On average, hair tends to grow between 0.5 and 1.7 centimeters per month. This is equivalent to around 0.2 to 0.7 inches.
“People who trim or shave their pubic hair often think it grows faster than the rest of their hair, specifically the hair on their head, but this is not the case,” she says. “We simply notice hair growth most, and the speed of that growth, the shorter the hair.”
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.
"The hair traps the smell," Michael Cackovic, M.D., an ob/gyn at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. "What you can smell is bacteria mixing with the sweat and oil." But Rowen says that as long as you have good hygiene in general, your pubic hair isn't any worse off than the hair on your head.
The 'grass' down there helps to provide a cushion against the friction which may cause skin abrasions and tiny, open wounds. Secondly, and more importantly, it acts as a barrier against germs and bacteria from entering the pubic area.
The African hair is generally curly or frizzy, and grows almost parallel to the scalp. It has the slowest growth rate of 0.9 centimeters per month due to its spiral structure which causes it to twist on itself as it grows.
Aprocrine glands have an abundance of hair follicles, which is why underarm hair can grow so thick. As for the rest of your body hair, the hair is rooted in eccrine sweat glands, which primarily control temperature. Hair follicles are more dispersed here, so it's much finer.
“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.”
Stage 5 is the final phase. Development typically ends in this stage. Girls reach physical adulthood. 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.
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.
“The ethnicity with the least amount of terminal hair is Asian, whereas people of Hispanic and Middle Eastern descent typically have the most. Other ethnicities fall somewhere in between. So what's normal, hair-wise, for you might not be normal for someone of a different ethnic background.”
Like so many things, it comes down to a mixture of genetics and hormones. We know that at least some of the genes for hairiness are carried on the X chromosome – and the way these genes are expressed varies between different men and ethnic groups – but hairiness also correlates with high testosterone levels.
It has been reported that Asian hair is generally straight and is the thickest, while its cross-section is the most round-shaped among these three. Caucasian hair is generally straight or wavy and is the thinnest, while its cross-section is relatively elliptic.
Whites have the most hair. There is a lot of diversity among whites, however, including among specific ethnic groups. And, individuals themselves.
Human hair comes with all sorts of colors, textures and shapes. Notably, African hair is more coiled and dry; Asian hair is straighter and thicker; and Caucasian hair is somewhere in between with around 45% having straight hair, 40% having wavy hair, and 15% having curly hair.
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 is naturally thicker and more coarse than hair that grows on other parts of your body. But like other hair, your pubic hair requires natural oils to stay healthy.
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.
The amount of pubic hair that women generally have is quite variable, and some women are relatively hairless. In many cultures and with different fashions, having minimal pubic and axillary hair is considered 'normal' and hair may be actively removed.
Just like the hair on the head, the hair on the rest of the body, including the pubic area, is subject to graying. As people age, their skin produces less melanin. Melanin is the pigment responsible for giving skin and hair its color. The hair follicles contain melanin.
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.