Sexclamations: To Shave or Not to Shave? That is the Question for Both the Girls and Guys

By ERIN HILL

Now that the weather is heating up and the sun is almost always shining, people are breaking out their lightest, skimpiest clothes. Naturally this means people are revealing more skin. Exposing more skin usually leads to the possibility of exposing more unwanted hair. Because pants can’t hide those hairy legs any longer, ladies find themselves exchanging their winter shaving habits for spring and summer’s daily shave.

Legs are not the only areas needing a good shave. With bikini season just around the corner, women might begin to ponder shaving their pubes. After all, most women don’t want to be seen with straggling pubic hairs on the outsides of their bathing suit.

Perhaps bikini season doesn’t motivate you enough to consider tackling your pubic hair. That’s perfectly okay. Some women think completely shaving off all of their pubic hair is disgusting. Some say the sight of a bald vagina is unsightly and too similar to that of a little girl. Others like to trim the bikini line to make their pubes less noticeable when wearing a swimsuit.

On the other hand, some women like the smooth, free feeling of a completely shaved vagina. According to gynecologist Jill Gaines, women are equally divided in what they decide to do with their pubic hair. Half of her patients trim or completely shave it, and half of them leave it “au natural.” When it comes to dealing with your pubic hair, always do what you’re comfortable with.

Women aren’t the only people pondering pubic hair matters. Although most guys don’t correlate bikini season with pubic hair, they too can benefit from “man-scaping” the pubic region. Shaving your pubic hair can make your package look larger. Moreover, smoothness around the penis can make sex more pleasurable for both partners. Once again, I want to reiterate that you should do what you find to be most comfortable.

That being said, many people would admit that going down on a partner whose genital region looks like a Chia-pet full of hair that is growing thickly and unwieldy is generally a turn-off.

If you’ve never gone bare down there, I encourage you to try it. Shaving, trimming or waxing is not permanent. Therefore, if you don’t like it, simply grow it back out. Below, I listed some tips and tricks to get you started, in addition to a few extra fun things for those confident enough to try them (most of these things are applicable to both ladies and gentlemen.)

-If you have never shaved your pubes, or have not done so in a good while, I recommend trimming the area with scissors. But be careful. You may want to slip a thin comb in the area between your skin and the scissors in order to prevent accidentally cutting yourself.

– I highly recommend taking a short, warm bath or shower to loosen the hair follicles before you begin to shave the area. This will help you achieve a closer, more effective shave.

– Shave in the direction of hair growth first. Then shave in the reverse direction while holding the skin taut. Try to make each stroke as effective as possible. Continuous swipes over a certain area can cause redness and irritation.

-If you shave in the shower, you may want to try shaving your pubic hair while standing directly under the water. If you’re shaving in the tub, be sure to apply shaving cream. Keeping some sort of moisture, such as water or shaving cream, between the skin and the razor reduces irritation and makes the shave feel more comfortable.
– Frequently rinse your razor with water. Pubic hairs easily and quickly clog razors.

-For those seeking an exciting shaving experience, try creating pubic hair shapes. Landing strips (rectangular strip of hair) and triangles are popular and easy to design. For the more adventurous, you can learn how to use pubic hair stencils online.

– Another wild option is pubic hair dyeing. If you try this, make sure to buy coloring designed for the pubic hair region, because normal hair dyes are too harsh for the sensitive skin of the genital region. “Betty Color for the Hair Down There” is available online and comes in numerous colors, including blue and hot pink.

If you think trimming and shaving requires excessive, continual upkeep but like the feel and appearance of a completely shaved pubic region, try depilatories or waxing. They last longer. If using a depilatory, don’t forget to test it on a small area first to make sure you skin will not react negatively to the chemical.

All in all, do what you’re most comfortable with regarding the removal of pubic hair, or lack thereof. But don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with the region.