Removing pubic hair, and body hair in general, has been the standard of female beauty for a long time. If Renaissance Art and ancient Greece are anything to go by, people with vulvas have been expected to have hairless genitalia for hundreds of years, with a brief embracing of the bush in the 70s. Starting to shave, wax or laser our pubic hair when it starts to appear is often considered a rite of passage — just as our body hair starts to grow as we come into maturity, we’re pressured to sculpt it, trim it down or get rid of it altogether.
But in recent years, keeping our pubic hair has become more popular, with large groups of women choosing to opt out of their old hair removal rituals in an act of defiance against the constraints and rules that have been placed on our bodies for so long. Where we once felt immense societal pressure for our bodies to look a certain way, many women are reclaiming the space to feel comfortable and attractive just the way they are.
Refinery29 spoke to 10 women about why they don’t like to shave their pubic hair anymore, and what letting their natural body hair grow out means to them.
Lola, 28
I shave and trim my pubic hair sometimes, but much less than I used to. I used to laser, but after it started to grow back, I never rebooked. I suppose it felt “right” to remove the hair when I was younger, but nowadays, I might leave it for longer or try my hand at making a cute little porn star strip or something fun!
I used to think removing it made me more desirable, but the older I’ve gotten and having spoken with my boyfriend and past partners, it’s apparent that a lot of people actually find pubic hair sexy! So now I don’t mind growing it out so much.
Kay, 27
I shave sometimes, but mostly not. I have considered laser and waxing before, but the cumulative cost is just wild — I’d much rather waste my money on other things (like overpriced cold brews!).
Pubic hair is natural and changing it is a personal choice. We need to stop acting like removing it is a virtue or indicative of good personal hygiene. Bitches be hairy sometimes.
Ally, 30
I don’t really do much to the hair down there. I’ll trim it occasionally and I might shave my bikini line so it looks tidy, but there’s no way in hell I’m ever going to go through the pain of waxing, the permanency of laser, or the irritation of shaving simply to fit into some weird beauty standard. To be honest, I find the whole hairless thing unnerving and icky.
Stacey, 31
I use laser removal for most of my pubic hair, but leave a bit of a strip of hair at the top. Having some hair left on my vulva makes me feel more womanly, as opposed to childlike. It also helps me feel like it draws attention away from my long labia.
Sarah, 30
I had laser done on my pubic hair years and years ago because everyone else was doing it. I guess you could say it was a beauty trend for people my age at the time. I don’t regret it, but I just don’t care so much anymore. Because of the laser, the hairs on my vulva are patchier and grow a lot slower these days. I usually only shave a little when the hairs there actually start to annoy me or feel uncomfortable.
Juliette, 23
I used to habitually shave the night before I had a date, even if sex wasn’t necessarily on the table, and then trim here and there when I felt like it “needed” it. It was definitely initially driven by my understanding of feminine beauty standards.
Being a woman of colour with dark features, I was particularly insecure about body hair in general for so long. But it was a process of not caring what anyone thought, and then realising that I didn’t actually care about it either. And also my current male partner doesn’t give a fuck about it!
Cait, 30
I trim my pubic hair to keep neat and tidy, but that’s it. I’m too old to be trying to look like a prepubescent doll and frankly, I’m a little freaked out that this is the standard we are supposed to maintain. Why aren’t men held to this standard?
Alex, 24
I mostly stopped shaving and waxing because it hurt. Razor bumps, sharp blades, hot wax, ripping out hairs from the most sensitive part of my body — it sucked! And for what? A feminine ideal of beauty and sex? I don’t think there’s anything very beautiful about self-inflicted pain for the sake of others’ appreciation.
Lara, 27
I used to get full Brazilian waxes fairly regularly, feeling pressured by men and society in general to get rid of all my pubic hair — because having natural pubic hair as a woman was somehow “dirty” or “ugly”.
Eventually I found a partner who taught me that my pubic hair has no bearing on my attractiveness. And if nothing else, why do we sexualise the hairless bodies of young girls? I wish I could’ve figured this out on my own a long time ago, but I’m so glad that I feel free and relaxed now leaving it alone.
Eve, 22
“Let it grow” is my motto! As far as I’m concerned, pubic hair is there for a reason. None of the sexual partners I’ve ever had have ever seen my pubic hair and then got up and left — no one has ever truly cared that much. And if people do point and stare while I’m at the beach in a bathing suit, it’s just one of the many things that you should let roll off your back, because a stranger’s pointless judgments shouldn’t matter. Men are often considered sexy for having hair on their chest, face, everywhere! And so it should be for everyone else.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
I Took Photographs Of 100 Vulvas (NSFW)