Getting ready for oral sex or 'liking feeling soft' are people's top reasons for shaving or waxing their pubic hair. A study of more than 4,000 men and women delved into reasons behind people's intimate grooming rituals, revealing 60 per cent remove all or part of their hair.
The reasons may include a desired aesthetic, sexual practices, one's sense of personal hygiene, participation in certain sports or exercise, and/or clothing choices and comfort. From the gynecologist's perspective, shaving regularly to eliminate pubic hair has drawbacks.
Women's current preferences for men's pubic hair
Ninety percent of women reported in a survey that they like their male partners groomed down there. Another survey of 300 women found 64 percent preferred their guys trimmed, 16 percent preferred a clean-shaven man and 20 percent found the natural look best.
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trimming will make you feel more confident: Shaving will eliminate odour and sweat and you will feel more confident and fresh. Trimming pubic hair will help you to stay cooler down there: “That extra layer of bush would make you feel hotter. So, trimming will help you to avoid that extra heat and sweat down there.
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.
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.
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.
Turns out, I'm not the only one who's curious—nor am I the only one with strong feelings on the subject. Fifty-three percent of the women who responded to PureWow's questionnaire said they regularly remove at least some of their pubic hair, with another 11 percent saying they only do so for specific occasions.
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.
The research shows that body hair by itself is not a cause of bad body odor. But everyone is unique. Some guys report smelling better after their shave their armpits, body hair, or pubes. They feel that it makes them sweat less and smell better.
According to board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Felice Gersh, MD, there is a “basic normal amount” of female pubic hair. She explains, "Typically it should cover all of the labia majora to the inner surface of the thighs and up to the pubic bone-roughly shaped like a triangle."
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.
Lice eggs (nits) are often easier to see than live lice. They look like tiny yellow or white dots attached to the pubic hair, close to the skin. Nits can look like dandruff. But you can't pick them off with your fingernail or brush them away.
“Never ever put anything with fragrance on or near the vulva,” Lincoln says. “You're just asking for a skin reaction.” Any fragrances, including those marketed as skin-safe or natural, can break down sensitive skin and cause infection.