Every person on this planet naturally has pubic and body hair. It is something we develop during puberty. From an evolutionary perspective, it has a biological function for our bodies in helping to protect against diseases. In our modern day society, with access to better hygiene, undergarments, etc., there isn’t so much of a need for it anymore. And as media has come to dominate our world, it has pushed an agenda where women are expected to remove it whereas men don’t have to.
In fact, there is a real obsession with women being bare. You can trace it back to ancient times where men coveted virginal (pre-pubescent) girls, and you can also trace it back to the 1980s when pornstars went bare so when the camera was on them, you could see more of the action. This also touches on our society’s obsession with youth. Because in reality, a bare vagina, is as youthful and childlike as it gets. I think it’s important to keep this in mind when you make decisions on how you groom down there; if you do or don’t. It is a personal preference and should be yours and only your decision. If you want to shave, wax, sugar, laser that is your choice. And if you want to have a bush or a landing strip, that is your choice, too. It all comes down to this obsession with youth and the hyper-sexualized society in which we live.
I remember back in middle school when my girlfriends and I started growing pubic hair. And it was so nerve-wracking. Girls immediately shaved it, or some girls moms took them to get it waxed. Why are we as a society so scared of our anatomy? And why are we so quick to fit the norm and change it? Pubic hair is not gross, yet we are almost programmed to think that way.
I admit that I laser. It’s a permanent solution which seems extreme or perhaps even hypocritical for someone who thinks that you should do what you want and that it’s natural. I am the first to admit that the society I am apart of and was raised in, probably shaped me into this thought process. I always shaved and waxed. But over time, as I started to get ingrown hairs, I opted to start lasering.
If you think about it, the removal of pubic hair for women is a big industry. There are special soaps to use when shaving to reduce ingrowns. There’re waxing and sugaring. And the most expensive– but also the most effective– is lasering. They are always coming up with new treatments or ways to remove hair and better yet, make it look as if you don’t grow any to begin with. I think what I’m trying to get at in this article is that it is natural, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body. Yet, I personally understand the world we live in, and the pressures us women experience when it comes to our bodies. Never let anyone make you feel bad for what is natural. Never let anyone make you feel bad for your body. If you don’t want to shave, that is perfectly fine! And if you do, that is fine, too. But just make sure you are doing it for you and not for anyone else.
I understand there is an added pressure in high school to fit a certain standard. That it’s easy for boys to call girls gross if they don’t shave. I think it comes down to education and communication on how we can take active steps to change this viewpoint that is detrimental to the self-esteem of women and men. When you’re young, it’s normal to not have had a lot of experience with developed genitals or sex, in general. Genitals come in all shapes and sizes. Pubic hair is the same! Everyone is a different person with different preferences. We should be accepting of this! And everyone’s genitalia is diverse, what we view as normal is really what the media wants us to believe is normal. But remember, this is just part of their agenda to make us go out and buy their products.