Shaving. Shaving cuts the hair close to the skin. I'm not a big fan of shaving your pubic hair because it can hurt sensitive skin, leading to rashes, ingrown hairs, and infection. If you choose to shave, use a new, clean razor every time, as used razors can carry bacteria.
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.
While some studies suggest that women feel pressured to remove their pubic hair for a variety of reasons, the overwhelming motivation cited for trimming the hedges is personal: to have better sex, to feel cleaner, and just for overall emotional wellbeing.
Everyone likes to groom differently and how often to shave pubic hair depends on your desired appearance. To stay hair-free everyday, some might opt to shave daily but if you only do so for wearing a bikini, you might simply shave before going on holiday or swimming.
The hair absorbs the liquids containing odors. Slowly it becomes old odors and changes. My experience is that 90% or more of the old stale odors can disappear in a single shave. On both males and females, near the bottom of the vulva flanking, and similar placement on male, people often develop ``chicken skin''.
Normal and natural
As an ob-gyn, I want you to know that pubic hair is normal. Whether to groom or let it grow is your choice—no one else's. And there is no reason to apologize about your pubic hair, to your ob-gyn or anyone else.
Keep your skin clean by taking a daily bath or shower with antibacterial soap. Focus on the areas where you sweat the most, like your armpits and groin area. Removing some of the bacteria on your skin regularly can prevent unpleasant body odor.
Most women (64.3%) and men (62.2%) preferred complete removal of female pubic hair, and this preference was more pronounced in younger women and men.
The Bermuda Triangle
In 2021 this style wasn't as popular, but we are now seeing more growth in the pubic region and more trimming! This is a common options to again keep the sides nice and groomed, while leaving hair in the pubic region.
Seventeen per cent prefer a full bush, 18% prefer the area bare and most prefer a polite “clean-up” of the general genital vicinity. More than 71% of male respondents say they've never been turned off by a partner's pubic or butt hair.
Japan: Women in Japan have preferred to shave only their legs and underarms, leaving the bikini and pubic area untouched. It is also quite common to remove facial hair and peach fuzz for a smooth, glass-like appearance.
According to a 2020 survey of 148 men, 70% prefer women to completely shave or wax their pubic hair, while 27% prefer trimmed or shaped pubic hair, and 3% prefer natural pubic hair. However, only 9% of men would end a date or sex because of a woman's grooming habits.
The Full Moon is a newer style that's been growing in popularity over the past year or two. The look entails removing the hair from the sides, top, and back while grooming and waxing the hair at the front of the pubic mound into a circle using a stencil and high-precision waxing techniques.
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.
To reduce the likelihood of razor burn or irritation we've seen 4mm as the recommended length to trim pubic hair with a bikini trimmer. If you want smooth skin we recommend waxing or sugaring. Exfoliate your bikini line and apply a soothing pubic oil to prevent itch during regrowth.
No surprise there are many methods to get rid of it: you can epilate, tweeze, wax, sugar, thread, burn, shave or bleach; use creams, lasers, IPL, electrolysis or make-up. Surface removal methods like shaving are quick and easy, but stubble grows back fast.
"The more thorough the technique, the higher the risk for injury," Katharine White, MD, MPH, FACOG, an OB-GYN at Boston University School of Medicine, told Health. "Clipping is going to be less risky than shaving, and shaving is less risky than waxing."
Is it better to shave or wax pubic hair? Waxing is often better for pubic hair removal as it results in less razor bumps and lasts longer than shaving or using hair removal cream. So, if you can handle the pain, waxing may be the way to go!
Pubic hair grooming, described as partial or complete removal of pubic hair, is considered a prevalent practice in both men and women [1]. Notably, The prevalence of this practice is reportedly high in groomers with more than 80% of women actively engaging in it, as evidenced by multiple studies [1,2,3,4,5].
Changes to Your Pubic Hair
Because oestrogen hormone production reduces, there is a predominance of male hormone called testosterone. This may result in a loss of pubic hair so that your pubic hair becomes thinner and more sparse.
We get it — it's a common problem, but sometimes it can make you self-conscious (“wait, can other people smell that, too?!”) and affect your confidence. Inner thigh odor is caused by various factors, including excessive sweating, fungal infections, poor hygiene, and hormonal changes.
A person may leave a wet spot when they sit down because they have been sweating. For example, they may notice a wet spot after sitting down at a gym machine. Vaginal discharge may also leave a wet spot when someone sits down.
Does estrogen have a smell? Estrogen doesn't have a scent, but hormonal changes during menopause can alter body odor. As estrogen drops and testosterone becomes more dominant, sweat may attract more bacteria, leading to stronger smells, particularly during hot flashes.