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. This can lead to redness, pain, and tiny bumps in the area. Sometimes people can get skin infections from shaving.
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.
One benefit of shaving pubic hair is that the incidence of pubic lice has decreased, say researchers. However pubic hair removal can also have some pretty negative repercussions. Firstly, because pubic hair is coarse, the regrowth after shaving it off can aggravate the skin.
Since pubic hair is thicker than the hair on your legs or under your armpits, it's important to use a fresh, sharp razor. Then shave in the direction the hair is growing to avoid bumps and irritation.
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
“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.”
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 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.
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.
More likely, it's just that you're getting older. Even though it seems like hair comes in thicker when we shave, the actual number of hairs and thickness stays the same. Whether or not you shave the hair on your legs is up to you. Just don't worry about it spreading further down or getting thicker!
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.
If the skin in your pubic area is especially sensitive, invest in after-shave products made with calming ingredients such as cucumber, oatmeal and aloe vera, all of which are equally effective. Dr. Bolden-Cook also recommends the more affordable Vaseline jelly as a viable after-shave balm.
Because the skin on your vulva is sensitive, prickling and itching after trimming your pubic hair is very common. In fact, pubic hair grows on and around your vulva to protect the vulvar area from irritation and infection.
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.
Swimmers maintain their bikini line and underarms on a weekly basis as they are practically living in a swimsuit 12 months a year. Shaving down is saved for the competitions where athletes are expected to perform their best. Such as the Olympic Games or World Championships. Generally this occurs only 1-2 times a year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
The short answer: going au natural is the healthiest pubic-hair policy. "Your pubic hair is there to protect the skin around your lady parts because that skin is very sensitive," Donnica Moore, MD, a Chester, New Jersey-based gynecologist and president of Sapphire Women's Health Group, tells Health.