We are talking about the hair… down there. The vulva also known as the huhu, who-hah, vadge, vajeen, clam, burger box, whatever you want to call it. All of us women have one.

For ages, and definitely since 3000 BCE, we have been thinking about whether to grow or remove the hair from this area. Whether it is the bikini or the Brazilian or the full bush, everyone has a preference. I read once upon a time that men don’t care about the hair down there nor the lack thereof. It’s more of a personal preference of what everyone wants for themselves personally. If anyone knows anything in this day and age, it isn’t telling a woman how to style their lady below the belt though.

I am not sure if full bush came back in anything more than a brief resurgence? The hair removal salons seem to still be bustling. There are a host of salons that will wax, sugar, and pluck your privates clear and bare of any hair. Merkins stayed on snooze, unless used for the movies here and there. Some folks prefer to shave, while others prefer to maintain a full bush. Whatever your preference is, we are going to dig into the different methods of hair removal, the history of them, as well as my thoughts about the varied methods as a vetted nurse.

The au natural

In the 1960’s and 1970’s, with sexual liberation the bush made a full resurgence. In the 1980’s the bush when to bare. In 2013, the bush started to come back once more. Now we sit in a mixed bag of bush vs. no bush.

A full bush is vintage if you will. There are hair oils to soften the pubic hair. I am not sure if they really work though. One must be careful about ingrown hairs with a thick bush. A little exfoliation goes a long way.

Growing a full bush after years of hair removal can be tough though. While maintaining a full bush, there is still some trimming and clean up that needs to happen with wearing shorts or bathing suits: With time pubic hair often grows down your legs too. So that little bikini trim to keep your bush from spilling outside of your swimsuit, turns into a big bikini bonanza trim with an additional inner leg clean up.

We will see if the full bush really comes back with time. So far, I’m not sold that it’s back 100% though.

The Merkin’s of Yesterday

Pubic hair wigs, a long gone past time starting back in 1450. Yes, you read it right, 1450. Women would shave off their pubic hair for hygienic reasons and to combat pubic lice, then place a merkin over the shaved area. Sex workers would also use it as a cover to hide sexually transmitted diseases like syphillis. Which back then… there was no cure for.

In present day, the merkin is still used in film where needed. Most notable in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, to show that her pubic hair was red to match her natural hair color which she had dyed black previously. Lastly in the film, Killer Joe, Gina Gershon wore a merkin. So in artistic performances only these days.

Shaver Saver

Shaving dates all the way back to 3,000 BCE. In Egyptian, Roman, and Eastern Indian cultures the first razors were made from seashells. They would use two shells to pull the hair out. Then some copper tools were invented though not much information was found other than this. In the 1800’s, there is mention of the first straight blade. There were many renditions of the shaver, and in 1915 the disposable shavers came into play.

Some prefer to shave just the bikini area, while others prefer to shave it all off including the labia. I have some thoughts on the use of razors when it comes to this high traffic area. With a history of working in America’s hospital system, and the knowledge of how often people are actually switching out their disposable razors (or lack thereof) this can be a recipe for disaster. I preface this with the fact that this is in no way medical advice. It is only what I have seen that makes me prefer the razors for armpits and legs solely.

Here’s why…

Realistically most people do not change out their razors as often as they should. No shame. It’s just something that isn’t widely talked about. It is common for a lot of people to change out razors when they become dull. But a nick down there with poorly controlled diabetes can turn into something far worse.

Worst case scenario is that an infection from a nick or ingrown hair can turn into Fournier’s gangrene due to a high resting blood sugar with poorly controlled diabetes. Fournier’s gangrene is a flesh eating bacteria of the genitalia which is common with poorly controlled diabetes. I would ten out of ten not recommend.

Most disposable razor companies will recommend to change out your disposable razor after 5-10 uses, or about every 2 weeks as a general rule of thumb.

Waxing + Sugaring

Sugaring goes back to 1150 BC in Egypt, where they still offer sugaring today along with many places all over the world. In the 1700’s in France waxing became popular for aristocratic women. Both methods are usually quick, and pull the hair out by the follicle. There are less ingrown hairs. The results last longer. No fuss, no muss. Waxing and sugaring for no hair down there are great options, but they can be pricey ranging from $60-$100 USD per trip depending on where you live.

Keep in mind…

The hair growth needs to be between about a quarter to a half inch before waxing again. If it’s cold outside, the hair doesn’t grow as fast. If it is hot, then the hair grows back faster. Every 4-6 weeks for this can add up money wise.

Waxing can be more painful if you are dehydrated. Too much caffeine or alcohol consumption can make this process more uncomfortable. Being on your period can also make things more sensitive.

A side note…

I know someone who put out a policy to all clients to put in a new tampon when they are coming in for a hair removal appointment. I understand, there are times when hair removal outside of being on your period is tough due to other life factors. But bleeding all over your cosmagician isn’t cool either. So if you have to go… swap out those tampons for a freshie beforehand.

Self waxing

It is a whole lot easier if someone paid does this for you. But it can’t be done yourself… and you may want to practice some mobility exercises and stretching ahead of time to make it work for you. One must get very creative in your positioning to make this work.

There are a lot of options of wax beads (hard wax and soft wax), melting pots, dry strips, pre-made waxing strips with the wax already on the strip. My favorite self waxing strips are from Nair. They are also less messy than the beads, melting pot, and paper strips for the soft wax.

It can be cumbersome to wax your own bikini or for those more advanced to perform a self Brazilian. But it isn’t impossible, and can save you a lot of money.

One box of Nair strips is under $13 USD.

In end…

There are so many options out there. Best of luck in whatever you choose for yourself personally! Let me know if I should get that Merkin business going? You never know when something will boomerang back.

-Keri

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