Even now, however, you have to be careful where you focus your hair removal, because shaving certain parts of your body can cause lasting damage. And there's one body part in particular you should never shave—your eyebrows.
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.
While you absolutely can shave your pubic hair yourself, if you aren't intentional about how you do it, you can increase the risk of irritation, cuts, ingrown hairs, and skin infection. To that end, you absolutely should not grab any old razor and get to work; a dull razor can up the likelihood of all of the above.
Straight up, there is no science to support a reason not to shave above the knee, says Dr Elizabeth Farrell, gynaecologist and medical director at Jean Hailes for Women's Health. Some women don't feel the need to because the hairs on their thighs are finer and thinner than those on the lower half of their leg.
Shave in both directions
Shaving against the grain – i.e. up the leg – supposedly gives a closer shave, but it also increases the risk of nicks, cuts and bumps. It's best to start by shaving down the leg, in the direction of the hair's growth.
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.
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.
“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.”
Start shaving the area gently. Make sure to shave carefully and use short strokes. Rinse well and pat pat pat until dry. Use a gentle body moisturizer to avoid any potential skin irritation.
Remember, people who participate in No-Shave November don't shave anything, letting any and all facial hair (and sometimes body hair) grow out. However, you're welcome to trim and groom if you have a strict dress code at work, the rules say.
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.
Both guys and girls grow hair — pubic hair — around their genitals during puberty. Some people have a lot of pubic hair, and some have less. Some people choose to remove their pubic hair for cosmetic reasons.
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.
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.
Pubic hair plays a very important role in sexual health. It prevents against friction burns during sex. This the reason pubic hair is coarser and thicker than the hair on the rest of our bodies.
It's possible — and normal — to have hair almost anywhere on the body, so a few hairs on your nipples are nothing to worry about. Lots of girls have them.
Electrolysis is your best option for permanent hair removal, but it can be expensive. For more permanent results, laser hair removal can also help you remove pubic hair for a hefty price. You can also opt to do occasional grooming with trimming or tweezing to avoid going completely bare.
If you want to avoid the stubbly look you can get from shaving, you can use depilatories or wax. A depilatory is a cream or liquid that removes hair from the skin's surface. Depilatories work quickly, are available at drugstores and grocery stores, and are painless.