Ready to bare it all? If not, no worries! Shaving your pubic hair or not is 100% a personal choice, just like hair removal in other areas. If you do decide to remove body hair from down there, you might want or need some tips on how you should do it, and with what, if any, shaving products or accessories. From preventing ingrown hairs to deciding which shaving cream to use, we’ve got answers.
Do this to Prepare for Shaving Your Pubic Hair
Make sure your skin is healthy. This is the first step to any hair removal attempt anywhere on your body, but especially in your genital area. If your skin is free from injury and infection, you can test out some different hair removal techniques. The sensitivity of your skin should be monitored during whatever process you embark on.
Is Shaving Pubic Hair Necessary?
Whether you’re tired of the constant upkeep or you’ve never shaved your genitals before, you’ve probably asked if it was necessary or not at one point in your life. The answer in this hygiene practice is that it’s totally up to you.
This personal preference can be based on several factors or a combination of them. A person may opt for shaving pubic hair to increase skin to skin contact during sex. They might decide to be clean-shaven for aesthetic purposes. They could also be hairless down there to keep cool. Whatever your reason, shaving or not is completely your choice.
Trimming Before Shaving Pubic Hair
People who shave regularly may be able to skip this preparation step. If you shave less often (or if you experience quick hair regrowth), you might need to trim your hair shorter before going in with your razor. Long hair can clog your razor and prevent you from getting a clean sweep, so to speak.
When trimming your pubic hair, you should aim for one quarter-inch lengths. Can’t see the forest for the trees? If you have thick hair growth, be careful not to blindly snip to prevent injury to your delicate skin in these areas. You can use a comb to help you separate hairs, only trimming a few at a time with scissors pointed away from your body.
Pick the Right Razor
If you’ve browsed the health and beauty section of your local pharmacy or grocery store, you’ve certainly noticed that some products are separated by gender. Unfortunately, razors are one such item that is unnecessarily marketed to men and women differently. We’re here to tell you, when it comes to choosing the perfect razors, your sex or gender doesn’t make a difference. You can use whatever color and brand razor you want. Don’t pay attention to sexist marketing.
What you should pay attention to is the number of blades, any lubrication strips, and whether it is disposable or not. You should note the shape and size of the head or cartridge to see that it will fit into small nooks and crannies. Lastly, you should always use a sharp razor. If yours is getting dull, you should replace it as soon as possible.
Use Your Razor Correctly
Razor bumps and razor burn can be a not-so-great side effect of shaving pubic hair. These red bumps can be from irritation or ingrown hairs. To decrease your odds of experiencing these and other injuries and to prevent ingrown hair, it’s important to learn the correct way to use your razor.
- Pull the skin taut to get a closer shave and prevent cuts.
- Protect your skin by using light and gentle strokes with your razor blade. You should never dig into your skin or brush the razor back and forth.
- Go with the grain of the hair first. You can cautiously go back against the grain of the hair on your second pass to get a closer shave if you prefer.
Don’t Shave Dry
Protecting your skin is super important when shaving pubic your hair. NEVER shave dry. Wet your skin beforehand and use a good shave butter, cream, or gel. You can use a regular shave gel, but try to avoid anything with the word “cooling” on the label. The sensitive skin of your genitals may experience burning with products containing cooling ingredients.
Instead, you can try a specially formulated shave cream. These are usually blended to reduce razor bumps and moisturize your skin for supple aftereffects.
Pubic Hair Designs
You’ve got everything you need and are ready to go. Now what? You can shave as much as you want or as little as you want. If you want to keep some hair, there are a few classic styles, but please feel free to use your imagination!
For People With Penises
- Briefs – remove any hair that would stick out of your underwear. You can leave anything that will be covered while swimming where it is.
- Lion’s mane – remove all hair except a patch above your penis. This style gives the optical allusion of a larger penis.
- Trimmed – don’t shave, but trim down your pubic hair to a reasonable length.
For People With Vaginas
- Bikini – remove any hair that would stick out of your underwear, starting at your bikini line and working your way out. You can leave anything that will be covered while swimming where it is.
- Brazilian – remove all hair from the entire pubic area.
- Landing strip – remove all hair except for a ¼-inch vertical strip of hair extending up from the clitoris.
- Trimmed – don’t shave, but trim down your pubic hair to a reasonable length.
You can experiment with different shapes and styles as you gain experience in shaving pubic hair.
After Shave Skin Care
When you’re finished shaving pubic hair for the time-being, you need to take care of your skin. Tend to any cuts, razor bumps, or razor burn with aloe vera or coconut oil. Remember that you don’t want to use any products internally. To prevent itchiness as your hair grows back, you can exfoliate the skin with a gentle product and use a moisturizer daily.
Razor bumps that are actually ingrown hairs are more likely to appear where we have folds in our body, meaning your genital area is prime for this problem. If you’re noticing them more frequently, it might be time to swap out your razor for a sharper one.
How Often to Shave
How often you shave your pubic hair is up to you. Everyone’s hair grows at different rates. We also have different hair textures and thicknesses that will affect how your hair grows in. Shaving every day might be taxing on your delicate skin, so it’s best to give your body a break every now and then. There are no health benefits to shaving, and pubic hair does not lead to body odor. However, hair can trap bacteria against your skin. Practicing good hygiene habits will keep your hair from being a smelly problem.
How to Remove Pubic Hair Without Shaving
If shaving your pubic hair doesn’t feel right for you, you can try one of the following alternatives:
- Trimming – If you don’t feel like going bare-naked down there, you can trim your pubic hair back to get it out of the way. Trimming rather than shaving reduces your risk for skin infections or irritations. Trimming your pubic hair can keep it from spilling out of your underwear or swimsuit, making it a good option for those who don’t want to shave.
- Hair removal creams – If shaving is out of the question for you but you want hairless skin, try a hair removal cream. These work by creating a chemical reaction that breaks the bonds in hair follicles. Apply a generous layer of cream over the hair in the desired removal area and wait the allotted time noted in the packaging instructions. Then, wipe the skin clean with a damp cloth. This treatment option is not permanent and can be harsh on your skin.
- Threading and plucking – This hair removal process works by pulling the hairs out from the root. With plucking, you use tweezers to pull one or several hairs out at a time. Threading works by using a twisted thread to pluck the hairs out individually. You can learn how to do either of these techniques at home, or you can find a salon that offers threading for your eyebrows in many locations. These methods are not permanent, but they last longer than shaving.
- Waxing and sugaring - Waxing and sugaring work by applying either special wax or sugaring substance to the skin. It sticks to the hairs and pulls them out when the wax or sugar substance is quickly pulled away. You can cover a larger area in one go than you can with threading or plucking, however pain can be more intense. The methods are not permanent, but they last longer than shaving.
- Laser hair removal – This is the only hair removal treatment that is considered permanent. The melanin in the hair follicle absorbs light produced by a laser. The light energy transforms into heat energy that depletes the hair follicles.
Get Smooth Supple Skin with Body Care from PinkCherry
If you’ve decided shaving pubic hair is the way to go for you, follow the tips and steps we’ve outlined to get the best results. For smooth skin, you can try one of our intimate hair care and skin care products that moisturize and prevent razor bumps.
