The Sixties and Seventies: Embrace the Bush The 1960s and 1970s were a time of sexual liberation, and the concept of letting your body be natural and free also extended into pubic hair. Most everyone, not just hippies, rocked a full bush and even felt confident showing off their underarm hair au naturel.
'60s and '70s pubic hair trends varied. While some women embraced hot pants and waxing strips, others took to the sexual revolution counterculture. That, along with the women's movement, encouraged women to take autonomy over their bodies and fully grow their body hair, from their armpits to pubic bones and beyond.
With the introduction of the bikini in 1946, the stage was set for women to start trimming pubic hair as well. In the 1950s, Hugh Hefner's Playboy magazine introduced clean-shaven, scantily-clad model—sexy, lingerie-draped women who became benchmarks for the ideal look.
Furthermore, throughout the following several thousand years, pubic hair grooming was a woman's decision and removal of it was not widely practiced throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Victorian era all the way until the late 1900s.
In the 80s, pubic hair removal was on the rise. Around this time, the bush went out of style and partially removing your pubic hair became the standard. While women in the 80s weren't going fully bare, grooming or “cleaning up” the bikini area was the new normal.
About 67% of women said they do it because they feel more feminine, 63% said they like to feel soft, and 62% said their partner liked it. Women who didn't shave said they opt out because of the side effects, like itching and bumps, or because their partner prefers them not to.
Since the turn of the century, several pubic hairstyles have entered the mainstream. As a result of quarantine and stay-at-home orders, waxing salons have seen fewer visitors over the past two years. But we are now seeing a return of pubic hair trends as we move into the new year.
In the Australia, shaving has tradition: it is by far the most popular method for removing hair from the intimate area and armpits. It's quick, easy and affordable. While manual razors can cause skin irritation and even cuts, there are electric shavers specifically designed for removing hair from your bikini zone.
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
The primary benefit of pubic hair is its ability to reduce friction during sexual intercourse. The skin in the area around the genitals is very sensitive. Pubic hair can naturally reduce friction associated with the movements during sexual intercourse and other activities wherein chafing may occur.
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.
As for the curliness of pubes, Brian Steixner, M.D., Director of the Institute of Men's Health at Jersey Urology Group in Atlantic City, suspects it's because curly hair does a better job at trapping the pheromones secreted from sweat glands around the groin area.
MYTH: A full bush is a turn-off.
Reality: Technically, it depends on your partner, but there is some evidence that pubic hair could be a turn-on because it's full of pheromones.
A clear majority of women prefer a simple trim. While there will be eternal debate over whether or not the balls and anus should be smooth, most women agree that as long as things are kept in order, the style of trimming isn't a deal-breaker.
Should you shave your pubic hair every day? It might be tempting, but you definitely don't want to shave down there every day — this could lead to increased irritation. “It's best to give the skin some time to recover,” Dr. Garshick explains.
Amongst Muslims, hair removal is part of an impulse towards general purity and cleanliness and includes the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair. Both men and women should remove armpit and pubic hair at least every forty days.
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.
Your pubis is your own business. But pubic hair was put there to protect your genitalia from friction and infection. It is more hygienic not to shave it (although depilation does make pubic lice homeless).
The Longest Pubic Hair In History Was 28 inches
Your pubic hair probably doesn't compare to that of Maoni Vi from Cape Town, South Africa, who has the record for longest pubic hair, coming in at 28 inches.
Friction. On a completely different note, some scientists think that the coarseness of pubic hair serves a biological function. The idea is that coarse hair creates a durable, fluffy layer that helps reduce friction during intercourse.
A slightly musty smell is normal. This is usually caused by sweat, dead skin, heat and is especially present in pubic hair.
Myth 4: Pubic hair never stops growing
Pubic hair stops growing when it reaches a certain point. The length at which it halts varies from person to person, but it stops between 0.5 to two inches. So don't worry ladies, pubic hair is not going to keep growing forever!
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.