Picture this – you don’t plan on going out but your friends manage to manipulate you at 10pm to get ready and join them on their night to Mozza’s, Arena, or wherever else takes their fancy. You start to get in the mood; you’ve successfully consumed an acceptable amount of vodka and you’re finally on your way out. You arrive at your destination, loving life, dancing and drinking some more. Then suddenly, on the opposite end of the dance-floor, you see… him – the man of your dreams and he’s coming straight for you. You flick your hair and give him your most seductive look. All is going well until you remember… Oh God… You haven’t trimmed!!! You’ve not prepared for any form of sexual encounters and down below most definitely resembles an amazon jungle… What do you do?
The issue of how and to what extent we should tame our pubic hair has been around for years, but, according to beauticians, has become far more of a concern in the past couple of decades. How is it possible that pubic hair can have an ‘in style’ guide? What is it that the majority of girls prefer having and using and what do guys really think on the matter? This article aims to explore some of these questions.
There are so many methods of hair removal available for the modern female: shaving, hair removal cream, waxing or maybe even lazar hair removal. So which technique do most university girls go for? Asking around our female friends, Veet hair removal cream seems to be the favoured option; “It’s far cheaper than waxing and when I shave, I worry about ingrown hairs and cutting myself.”
However, another friend said that she prefers to shave as she “hates the smell” of hair removal cream and finds it less affective, also experiencing some pain from the chemicals.
Interestingly, shaving seems to have been around for the longest, linking back to prostitutes in ancient Egypt and Greece (see http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/skin/pubichairremoval.html for more information on shaving and possible health issues).
And then there’s waxing. We won’t beat around the bush (pun fully intended) – waxing down below will probably be the single, most painful experience of your life so far. However the more you get it done, the less painful it becomes as your hairs thin and less grows back. It also lasts for around two weeks before a slow re-growth begins – a lot less hassle than constantly using other methods. Using a gentle exfoliator in the shower also reduces the risk of painful ingrown hairs. Although these benefits are great, waxing is by far the most expensive option generally costing between £20-£30 for a Hollywood. An interesting consideration that seems to be becoming more popular, is the generosity of mothers, offering to pay for monthly waxing treatments due to the belief that it’s “better for you” (both of our mothers do this and a few girls we spoke to also said their mum’s offered to do this). On the other hand, it is probably just because they trust us in the hands of a professional far more than our own. If you can afford to splash out every once in a while, waxing would definitely be the recommended and safer option with the best and longer-lasting results.
And so we move on to the issue of what style to go for: Brazilian, Hollywood, bikini line, landing strip… the list continues – whatever you want, you can do. We found that, during visits to the salon, while awkwardly trying to make conversation with the beautician whilst she views our dignity from every angle, she comments on how appointments are continually and increasingly filling up with girls booking in for Hollywoods and Brazillians. So why is it that girls now seem to think it is so much better having no hair down there?
In speaking to a few girls it would appear as though there is a conflict between what she wants and what the boyfriend prefers. Speaking to one girl she states “I hate being ‘nude’ down there, I feel like a child, but I generally do it anyway as my boyfriend prefers it…” When discussing this idea with girlfriends, one comments on how she thinks it’s a link with porn and the ‘perfect vagina’. Through porn, with the dominant audience being boys our age, they see what the porn stars have and as a result want their girlfriends or ‘fun buddies’ to have the same!
Another girl we spoke to simply says she finds it more hygienic, preferring her nether regions to be smooth. Interestingly enough, this is what ‘Brazilian Rush’ comment on during their guide to Brazilian waxes; “the very sexy feeling a woman gets from touching the smooth, soft part of the body that has had a Brazilian wax” (see http://brazilianrush.com/ for more information). However, she comments on how her boyfriend is always on at her to leave a landing strip, as he feels it is more ‘womanly’.
One second year female even stated that she goes for a Hollywood wax simply because she feels it “looks neater having it all taken off”, and that it makes her feel “more sexy and enticing” in front of her boyfriend.
Asking one of our male friends for his opinion on the subject and whether he had a preference, he responded: “I think it’s like a ’99 ice-cream, flake or no flake, either way you’re getting a lovely treat on a hot summers day, the flake is kind of optional, we all know the real joy is the substance contained in that crunchy cone…” A unique and novel way at looking at the picture but nonetheless one that is rather beneficial for the girl, not having to worry if one morning she simply cannot be bothered with the hassle of shaving.
Another male stated that, for certain sexual activities “obviously the less, the better” but when it comes down to it, he agrees with our man above and doesn’t really mind either way – he would never pressure a girl into doing something she didn’t feel comfortable with. Which is nice, considering how bloody painful it is to get a bikini wax. Honestly, part of us feels that if men even had a taste of how much it hurts to have hair ripped out of the most sensitive part of the body, they’d hold far more respect and appreciation for what we do for them.
All in all it would appear that something between a Brazilian with a landing strip, or a Hollywood are the most sought after styles for female pubic hair, whether this be down to a feeling of hygiene or tidiness or simply a more sexier feeling. However, what does appear to be evident is that the bush is definitely not back…
For a fun and rather good song about pubic hair, check out ‘Map Of Tasmania’ by Amanda Palmer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcoreV10hI8