Pubic hair is gold…. and here is why.
Before I begin my pitch for pubic hair, I would like to address the fact that many readers may be turned off by the subject matter of this article. I totally understand- we have been taught that this type of discussion is “gross” or inappropriate. I would like to argue that the term “pubic hair” simply describes the type of hair found on bodies in a specific set of areas- a scientific term that can be discussed objectively if we can decouple the term from the idea of sex or the need to be discrete. In this article, I am going to talk about the benefits nature provides the female body by way of pubic hair. It is actually fascinating and pretty much a miracle.
I’ll kick this off with a story from my past. I used to be an avid waxer. I would go to get my Brazilian and butt strip every 3 weeks. When the vulvar pain I have described in my other articles started, waxing was an absolute no-go. In fact, I was to afraid to really even trim, as you can imagine, my nicely trimmed and kept lawn became a full-on hedge of hair.
In time, I ended up going to see a pelvic floor physical therapist. In case you are wondering, these PTs are Earth Angels and save lives- and yes, they do internal therapy because the PT needs to access deep pelvic muscles and there is only one way the get them…. internal palpation. In any case, I first saw my PT in 2018. She came into the room and was about to peel back the sheet when I stopped her and shyly said, “I am so sorry about my pubic hair. It is disgusting and out of control. Do you want me to shave it off for next time?” I was ashamed.
The PT smiled and said, “Delilah, this is a natural part of your body. Please learn to love it… and by the way, I am a big fan of pubic hair.” It was soothing to hear her talk this way about something I was so disgusted by. She got me thinking…
Here are some interesting facts from leading doctors about female labial pubic hair (again, all scientific terms here… please try to learn to love them, a.k.a. “labia” is not a bad word):
- Pubic hair acts as a buffer – like Mother Nature’s perfect air bags, protecting your lady parts from rubbing, chaffing and irritation or infection when it rubs against fabric. a
- Pubic hair protects you from sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, according to researchers in a 2016 study published in British Medical Journal, any type of [pubic] hair grooming was associated with a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections such ass herpes, HPV, gonorrhea and chlamydia. a
- Reduces friction during sex c
- Maintains an optimal temperature for the genitals c
- Traps dirt and pathogens that may enter the body through the vagina c
If you are wondering what doctors say about the best “do” for your “do”, the answer is au naturel (natural). “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, told Health d.
The benefits I have personally experienced include:
1.) Better sex- vulvodynia can cause sex to be uncomfortable for a number of reasons, like increased sensitivity from rubbing and friction. Pubic hair acts like a little trampoline, adding a little bounce and padding between bodies. In addition, I have noticed pubic hair also acts as Velcro, meshing slightly with my partner’s pubic hair. This extra little tug is pretty pleasurable as it stimulates the Mons Pubis area, which for some women moves the body of the clitoris and heightens stimulation.
2.) My tight pants don’t dig into my crotch quite the same. Again- pubic hair to the rescue as it adds that extra bit of cushion and protection between thick pant seams like jeans and the genitals. Perhaps some of you can relate to this; when I was pubic hair free, my underwear would feel like the thinnest, most non-existent layer between me and my pants. I withstood the discomfort many times, never really considering that pubic hair could completely change the game. By the way, this fact as well as the item listed below are a really big deal for women suffering with various forms of vulvodynia as many cannot tolerate pants or fabric touching the pubic area. Guess what? When you have a nice, bouncy and protective mound of hair covering the vulva, wearing pants comfortably becomes much easier.
3.) No more shaffing.
4.) No more front wedgies (the well-known term is “camel toe”)- whether caused by gym pants, undies that ride or a bikini… I no longer need to dig out material from my vulva.
5.) I now see a beautiful woman in the mirror, hair and all- the way nature intended and there is something very feminine and lovely about it.
6.) I save so much time and money not having to run to the waxing studio ALL THE TIME!
This whole concept took me a long, long time to full adopt and LIKE. The benefits I have noticed on my journey to a better relationship with pubic hair were noticeable enough to catch my attention. I started noticing things were different… in a really good way. My eyes were opened to the idea that perhaps my newfound hair do was more than just the annoying result of vulvodynia causing an inability to wax the hair away. There was a reason my PT wisely said she was “pro pubic hair”. Once I started reading about the pros of pubic hair, my suspicions were confirmed, there IS something great about how Mother Nature made us. There is a reason for literally everything… even pubic hair.
I encourage you to give it a try- worst case scenario, you go back to waxing, shaving, or any other means of removing the hair. Seems pretty worth it to me!
Citations:
a Osterberg EC, Gaither TW, Awad MA, et al. Correlation between pubic hair grooming and STIs: results from a nationally representative probability sample. Sex Transm Infect. 2017;93(3):162-166.
b Donnica Moore, MD, a Chester, New Jersey-based gynecologist and president of Sapphire Women’s Health Group
c Fletcher, Jenna, May 22, 2020. Medically reviewed by Yellayi Sirisha, D.O.”What is the purpose of pubic hair?”, Why do humans have pubic hair? (medicalnewstoday.com)
d Health Magazine, The Healthiest Style of Pubic Hair, Julia Naftulin, Medically reviewed by Susan Bard, MD, Feb. 8th, 2023