In general, we recommend shaving every two to three days if you want a clean shave; three to five days if you want to simply style or trim; and if you want to just let your hair grow, then simply stop shaving.
Some girls trim their pubic hair, or go to a salon to have a “bikini wax”; others prefer to shave just about every day, but most just leave it alone. It's not necessary to remove the hair in this area to keep your body clean. In fact, there are no health benefits to removing pubic hair.
It is more hygienic not to shave it (although depilation does make pubic lice homeless). In removing their pubic hair, most women will get cuts or ingrown hairs, and some will develop inflammation of the hair follicles or hyperpigmentation.
A recent study that surveyed a diverse group of women found that more than 80 percent of gals groom their pubes regularly. About 5 percent of ladies groom daily, but a monthly regimen is more common. About 75 percent of women stick to removing hair from the front and the bikini line.
Of the 500 men surveyed by Schick, 79 percent said they like neatened-up bikini areas, while 21 percent either don't care or are turned off by it. (Of course, if guys want it so much, perhaps they should pick up the salon tab…but that's another story!)
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."
If your hair is more than a half-inch long, you should consider shaving it and “starting over.” Then schedule an appointment so that it lands about one full growth cycle out. That is, give the hair 1 to 4 weeks to regrow to about ¼ inch. In most cases, 3 weeks is usually long enough.
Does pubic hair cease growing once it's reached a certain length? All hair grows at a contstant rate, but eventually falls out. With body hair, which typically does not grow as long as head hair, the rate at which it falls out is greater. This results in hair that appears to reach a certain length then stops growing.
And how long is too long? Up to 1/2 inch should be fine. If your hair is any longer you may feel some discomfort when the wax is applied. It will also make it trickier for your therapist to get the job done.
We recommend that for the first few waxes, you return every 4 – 5 weeks. At this stage in proceedings, you want to be trying to get all of your hairs into the same growth cycle, so that they are all breaking through the skin at the same time.
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.
The short answer is no, it is not necessary to do anything to your pubic hair. Shaving your pubic hair is a personal choice. Pubic hair may help protect your genitalia from infection and friction. Removing your pubic hair comes with the risk of getting cuts or ingrown hairs.
Part of the perception that your pubic hair grows much faster than the hair on your head may be due to the growth cycle it follows. With pubic hair—and other body hair—the entire process takes about 30 to 44 days, Dr. Hazen says.
Once you start waxing, the best way to get closer to a permanent result is to continue waxing every 3-6 weeks. If there's a special event that calls for waxing out of your schedule, you and your esthetician can make slight changes to rework your entire wax regime without disrupting your hair's growth cycle too badly.
After the waxing, clients may see slight pinpoint bleeding in the hair follicle and redness that may last a couple of hours. It is completely normal and should cause no reason for concern. Sun exposure should be avoided immediately after waxing, preferably up to 24 hours to avoid sunburn.
The Benefits of Waxing vs. Shaving. “Waxing lasts longer over time because hair is being removed from the follicle whereas shaving just cuts it at the surface,” says Shays. “Waxing will leave you smoother longer as unwanted hairs become thinner and in some cases don't grow back at all.
In a Brazilian wax, pubic hair is groomed and removed from the front of the pubic bone, around the external genitals, between the upper thighs, and around the anus. Depending on your preferences, you can choose to remove all hair in the area or leave a small strip of hair in the front.
Avoid gels, lotions and oils before your wax as it may interfere with hair removal. Avoid tanning 24 hours before your wax. Scan your skin before to ensure it is free from cuts, scrapes, moles, and skin tags.
So while the hair that was just beginning the andogen phase after you get waxed, will be the 1/4 inch needed to get a Brazilian after two weeks, much of your hair will still be resting. Since the dormant period is about 3 months, you can expect about half of your pubic hair to be growing again in 6 weeks.