Ok fam – we’re getting into it. I’ve been wanting to discuss this topic for a very long time.
Brazilians. Not the people group, the grooming trend.
There are a lot things most people don’t know about their pubic hair or genital pH. You can also imagine there is not a lot of research out there on this issue, especially for women (hello gender gap) but I’m going to present aspects that have been studied, are observations from my many years of experience or have been researched to some degree.
Research has shown that the #1 reason women remove their pubic hair is because of societal expectations. I encourage you to truly ask yourself how you feel and what you want then make sure you understand your body to make the best decision for you.
The vagina/vulva is literally a self-cleaning organ. It has its own pH that is even different from the pH of the anus and rectal canal. Pubic hair plays a role in that as well as several other important functions.
WHY keep your pubic hair:
- Sensitivity – positive friction which can contribute to pleasure as well as protection of sensitive skin
- Protection from particles entering vaginal canal as well as possible protection from UTIs, STIs and other infections
- Reduces sweat production around the vagina
- Helps regulate body temperature
Issues that can be caused from shaving (which is currently the most common form of hair removal:
- Ingrown hairs
- skin abrasions or cuts
However, I did want to show you an example of a trimmer that can help things feel a bit more groomed, visually appealing and yet not cause any of problems we’re discussing.
Issues from waxing:
- Burns on the skin/skin irritation
- Damage to hair follicles which can affect natural oil production for our skin (not vaginal lubrication)
Again, not saying you have to go all natural but cautioning against full removal.
There is one possible scenario though when pubic hair removal could directly make you susceptible to infections. This is the case for infections that happen to the skin on the vulva, such as a Staphylococcus aureus skin infection, HPV, BV (Bacterial vaginosus) or a benign viral skin condition called Molluscum contagiosum.
If you go to a salon that uses tools on multiple people to remove pubic hair, you want to be sure that the salon uses sterile and clean tools, workers wear clean gloves, and do everything they can to minimize your risk of being exposed to an infection.
If you handle grooming yourself, and are dealing with pain in the genital area, bumps on your skin, and inflammation, it’s possible that hair removal is contributing to irritation, and further damaging your skin.
We don’t see clients who are feeling amazing with their pelvic area but I can tell you that there is a definite pattern where some clients, who also have pain from other causes, are having additional difficulty with pain, irritation, sometimes vaginal spasming, painful sex and do better when they leave things more alone down there. I’ve also been polling clients lately as well as looking online and many report that the pain from waxing can be traumatic and while this might be completely tolerable to some, can have a cascading pileup affect to those already suffering with pain and trauma. In no way do I want to cause any more criticism or shame than we already tend to heap on ourselves and not judging those who perform waxing, electrolysis, laser, etc but, as always, our heart is to educate so everyone can make more informed and educated decisions that are truly best for them.
Much love,
Amy
These videos are meant to be educational and instructional. They are not able to diagnose or treat a specific issue and are definitely not a substitute for a professional evaluation.
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