What is the rave with HAIRLESS GENITALS ?

[Louise]

Image inserted by AfricaSpeaks.com Reasoning Forum admin

Yes ladies, most of us have been plagued by our pubic hair or rather we have been socialized to believe that the hair that grows on our vagina is practicing bad hygiene. However, through much reasoning and research it appears that shaving or waxing is unsafe and the best way to keep " down there" groomed is through trimming.

What plagues me though is, who said it was okay to shave the Vagina clean. Who is it that advocated that women should engage in Brazilian waxing for the best results - which I might add, is very painful. And why do we pass down these untruths to generations of women- what merit is there to be gained when women vaginas become infected?. Is the sole purpose for pleasing the male population? Or is it because we (as females) do it for our own peace of mind?

Here is an excerpt form the article
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-pros-cons-shaving-pubic-hair-women-1373907.html?cat=69

"Women have pubic hair for a reason. The coarse texture is meant to trap dirt and bacteria, and keep it out of her vagina. Many people believe that because of this, the hair gets dirty and gross and should be removed to maintain personal hygiene. However, consider this: if there's no hair for all that dirt and bacteria to get trapped in, it can get inside her vagina and cause infections. What's worse, hair or an infection?
It has also been said that pubic hair forms an air pocket to keep the area cool. Without that air pocket, that area can get sweaty, a perfect breeding ground for yeast and bacteria.

Shaving the pubic area has its own risks. That area can get dirty and full of bacteria, and if there's a nick or cut, than that cut is likely to get infected. Ingrown hairs are infections on their own, and they're very uncomfortable. The skin down there is very sensitive, and prone to razor burn, which is never pleasant. Neither is stubble, which is worse there than it is on the legs or even armpits. Waxing is safer, but if not done properly can cause an infection. There have also been stories of waxing parlors using unsanitary equipment!"

[Louise]

A Hairless Vag Maybe Hazardous For Your Health by Katie J.M. Baker

The concept of pubic landscaping is ubiquitous at this point — even men are getting (gag) "boyzillians" — but there are also signs that au naturel pubes are coming back in fashion. Maybe that's because the fear that others won't be sexually attracted to you if your vagina doesn't look like a twelve-year-old's kind of dissipated after the Sex and the City finale.

Still, if some douche/Real Housewife gives you shit for choosing not to wax or shave, drop some gross quotes from Dr. Emily Gibson's recent piece about why going hairless is bad for your health. Some excerpts:

Pubic hair removal naturally irritates and inflames the hair follicles left behind, leaving microscopic open wounds. Rather than suffering a comparison to a bristle brush, frequent hair removal is necessary to stay smooth, causing regular irritation of the shaved or waxed area. When that irritation is combined with the warm moist environment of the genitals, it becomes a happy culture media for some of the nastiest of bacterial pathogens, namely group A streptococcus, staphylococcus aureus and its recently mutated cousin methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA). There is an increase in staph boils and abscesses, necessitating incisions to drain the infection, resulting in scarring that can be significant. It is not at all unusual to find pustules and other hair follicle inflammation papules on shaved genitals.
Not traumatizing enough for you? Gibson also notes that she's "seen cellulitis (soft tissue bacterial infection without abscess) of the scrotum, labia and penis from spread of bacteria from shaving or from sexual contact with strep or staph bacteria from a partner's skin." Lovely. Also, "Some clinicians are finding that freshly shaved pubic areas and genitals are also more vulnerable to herpes infections due to the microscopic wounds being exposed to virus carried by mouth or genitals." Hear that, Samantha Jones?

Of course, some women enjoy the feel of being waxed/shaved/whatever. Is that so bad? Nah — but Caitlin Moran brought up some good points on that subject in a recent Hairpin interview. "I feel that anything that's normal that involves pain and costs a lot of money that boys aren't doing is something that I would really urgently want to have some kind of massive f***ing inquest into," she said. When the site asked her about women who use public hair "as a sort of chasity belt," Moran shared some more waxing wisdom:

But would you really not, though?? Any rule I've ever made in my life, if I had two drinks and was quite turned on, I would just - if I had written the word "tit" on my tits in a black mark pen, and by taking my top off that word would be revealed, I would still have sex, because the thing is that men just don't care. You know, as I put in the book, there are men having sex with bicycles. There's American Pie, the highly grossing film about the eternal truth that men would f*** a pie. I don't think we need to worry about doing it for the men. There used to be the idea that women have to be persuaded. The idea that we've kind of flipped this whole thing the other way around so that women feel like they've got to persuade men to have sex with them by enduring incredibly costly cosmetic things is just nuts.
So let's not worry about doing it for the men, or cultural expectations, or thongs, or anything/anyone else. Let's worry about doing it because of abscesses and staph bacteria! Wooo, Friday night!

http://jezebel.com/5933627/a-hairless-vag-may-be-hazardous-for-your-health

[Makini]

Hi Louise,

Aside from going completely hairless and the complications it can cause, general hair removal or manscaping is a good discussion to have.

I saw the article below in January, but didnt think to post it as I thought Cameron Diaz was getting a little too much credit for nothing. Stars always reject the 'system', in the 'twilight' of their careers and pound the revolution drum to get a little more traction in the industry. Nonetheless, the discussion on to shave down there or not to shave down there is becoming more popular.

It's the year of the bush – time to rediscover all female body hair
Emer O'Toole   
Sunday 19 January 2014

 ...Before the first world war, virtually no American woman shaved her legs. By 1964, 98% of women under the age of 44 did so. Before that war, underarm hair was not a cosmetic consideration. Fashions up to that point, while often clingy and form revealing, covered up most of a woman's skin. But female fashions became ostensibly freer, and Gillette's first razor for women came out in 1915, triggering aggressive advertising campaigns on behalf of more than a dozen "beauty" companies. Female body hair was suddenly deemed unsightly.

The capitalist drive to convince us that female body hair is unnatural and unclean has been alarmingly successful. The removal industry is worth millions, and uncountable women are ashamed of and distressed by their post-pubescent hair. But the industry is greedy. It must now convince the world that female pubic hair is dirty too. It must now convince people that male body hair is equally unacceptable...

Full article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/19/year-of-the-bush-female-body-hair-cameron-diaz-pubic

[fierytrini]

When it comes to genitals, my personal opinion for landscaping there is a rule of trimming. Both male and female. I just think its more comfortable.
Before anyone jumps on this wagon, let me add that I am guilty of going hairless. And I'm never going back there again. It was uncomfortable, itchy and painful. Let me repeat, itchy! Further, it pains, it starts to be difficult to walk and you itch!

I've never tried waxing as I find it too painful. I have tried the hair depilation creams, but the chemicals burn off the skin there and cause bumps and ingrown hairs. That is not good at all. I've tried shaving, but that causes itching and more itching and ingrown hairs. So I let it grow out and realised that there was nothing wrong with hair around my genitals. But I do trim, I do wear a bikini to the beach and I'm more comfortable trimming. And it has a bit to do with sexual intercourse as well.

But I don't see the joy of going hairless now. A lot of acquaintances I encounter assert that it makes the area more aesthetically pleasing, but I think it also has a lot to do with our misunderstanding of how hair evolved on our bodies. That is a point for further discussion.

Another reason could be the fascination with pornography as well. Too many of those movies assure women and men that hair is the enemy and needs to taken off.

Well, I've been doing laser hair removal on my face for a year now. I believe I had excess hair growth. This stemmed from taking contraceptive pills when I was younger and therefore sought to have the hair removed. That's also painful. I wouldn't go back again for other procedures now as I believe that I'm satisfied with where it is (vanity most likely).

But looking at hair:
It's also a reason that people who suffer from hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth on the body) are mocked and jeered in the mainstream. There is a fascination with people with more hair on their bodies than is common- look at circuses displaying them for a price. It also carries a sarcastic term too- "werewolf syndrome."

http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/the-werewolf-syndrome-hypertrichosis/

Then there is hirsutism, which is a congenital disorder and common among women with poly cystic ovaries. Hair grows thicker in areas women commonly associate with male hair growth such as beards and sideburns, hair around the nipples.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1072031-overview

Also, certain cultures forbid hair removal, Sikh men and women are not allowed in the name of religion to remove the hair on their bodies. Most recently two public cases of Sikh females with excess hair on the face were subject to online bullying. Both responded to the backlash that they would not remove the hair, if the public is offended , then that's their problem.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560795/Teaching-assistant-Harnaam-Kaur-condition-causing-excessive-hair-grows-beard.html

http://storify.com/cbccommunity/bearded-sikh-woman-teaches-reddit-a-lesson-in-tole

Sikhs do not reject the body that has been given to us. By crying 'mine, mine' and changing this body-tool, we are essentially living in ego and creating a seperateness between ourselves and the divinity within us. By transcending societal views of beauty, I believe that I can focus more on my actions. My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body because I recognize that this body is just going to become ash in the end, so why fuss about it? When I die, no one is going to remember what I looked like, heck, my kids will forget my voice, and slowly, all physical memory will fade away. However, my impact and legacy will remain: and, by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues and hopefully, focus my life on creating change and progress for this world in any way I can

[Ayinde]

fierytrini,

The Sikhs were in the right direction with that quote. If only... but I disagree with laws that ban people from the alternatives.

I believe that shaving has it’s ups and downs and trimming could be an alternative although it still has its discomforts. Coarse pubic hair, for example, can be prickly when trimmed. Also, both parties can get cut if not careful while sexually engaging females who have long and especially coarse hair.  

Pubic hair around the genitals, just  like the hair below the armpits or on the head, can harbor unpleasant odors if not washed regularly --- something that those who engage in oral sex would be familiar with.

While the pubic hair on females may have served the function of preventing or warning females to the dangers of dust and other organisms approaching that area it also retained its attraction for lice. The human body is not a perfect and finished evolutionary product.

While researching pubic hair, I came upon some interesting views:

“An additional theory suggests that the purpose of pubic tresses for women is similar to that of cilia in the nose (a.k.a., nose hair) and eyelashes. In this case, the pubic hair prevents dirt and particles from entering the vagina. However, one problem with this theory is that men don't have similar protective locks around the opening of their urethra.”
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/whats-point-pubic-hair

This theory about preventing dirt and particles seem plausible but the refutation to that theory is funny as males evolved foreskins on their penises which can serve a similar function.  

This quote is also funny:

“Evolutionary scientists suggest that humans may have evolved to have less pubic hair to appeal to the opposite sex, a form of sexual selection. Skin that is clear and smooth may have come to signify health.”

The porn industry’s standard of removing pubic hair is not an evolutionary adaption to appeal to the opposite sex. It is more to show that they are not using fake body parts as the hair can conceal fake attachments and also to heighten what people see during their display. It has become part of mainstream sexual excitement today.

[Zaynab]

The topic on genital shaving is a very interesting one.

Most of us, males and females, do not relate hygiene with growing the hair on our genitals. It is one of the only places on a female’s body that hair growth is not favoured.

Alternatively, I had a friend that just would not shave the hair on her genitals. She was not a fan of trimming either.  She did not believe shaving was an important aspect of grooming, nor did she care if it was.  I could not understand her choice at the time. I had no issue with growing pubic hair for a bit but to twist and corn row the hair seemed absurd. She had explained that her boyfriend was not opposed to her growing her pubic hair or styling it, so she saw no need to start or maintain a hair removal routine. She mentioned on more than one occasions that her pubic hair, was “soft and curly”. This too could have factored greatly into her choice to let it grow.

In Islam, both males and females were required to shave their genitals. However, there were specific guidelines regarding this. Men and women were to shave the area immediately surrounding the vagina for the females and immediately surrounding the penis for the males respectively. All other hair on the genitals was not to be removed but instead trimmed to a quarter of an inch. The reason given for leaving the remainder of hair was that it acts as a cushion and a shock absorber.

Also, females were required to shave immediately following their menstrual period each month.

Some Muslims are believed to have meticulous grooming and hygiene habits. In a book called The Holy Tabernacle: Guide To Better Living used by the Ansaar Allah Islamic Community, hygiene practices for washing each part of the body including the genitals is explained.

It is important to assess in your choice to shave or not, that persons sweat to different degrees on and near their genitals. The idea of shaving the hair nearest to the genitals according to “Guide To Better Living”, was to prevent extra moisture from developing in that area. However, moisture could easily trickle down towards the vagina from the catchment in the hair follicles directly above the clean shaven area. Also, moisture could develop directly on the clean-shaven area through sweating. Therefore, assessing the initial post, the method mentioned above is counter-indicative of the reason mentioned for growing the hair on the genitals. 

The benefits of growing the pubic hair, especially in relation to the hygiene aspects, should be considered further.

[Makini]

It is one of the only places on a female’s body that hair growth is not favoured

Zainab, I disagree, hair on the female body is generally shunned. Females with hair on their chin and chest often get teased or terrorized for having male qualities especially from family members. Females with side burns or a moustache also are pressured to remove them, gel them down or modify them in some other way. I recall Halle Berry’s moustache as something people joked about when viewing throw back 90’s pictures of her. I have also observed many East Indians that hydrogen peroxide blonde out the hair on their face and hands because it’s so long and dominant on fair skin. And of course the hair care industry makes the most money off of legs and arms. I also remember a local white female who shaved the hair on her toes and fingers; she said she always got teased for how hairy her digits were.

I also think the first time I heard of hairless genitals was related to some Muslim custom I read in the National Geographic. In whatever country it was, the female was required to shave every single hair on her body aside from her head (and I guess eye brows). I imagined this as quite odd, I don’t recall them stating or emphasizing the male had to do this, but as Zainab pointed out it's both genders. I wonder if this is also across the board, or if shaving is more expected of females in some cultures than others as it is in western society.

The reasons for full shaving according to the National Geographic article were to do with purity; the female was going through a cleansing ritual in preparation for marriage. She was also shaving to begin anew in a new family…literally like a baby. She couldn’t walk into her new home herself, she had to be carried on her husband’s back and complete submission to her new mother-in-law was highly emphasized. While there are good symbols in such practices I think it also infantilizes the females. And that’s a lot of how I feel about hair removal from genitals.

One of the objectives of total shaving or waxing is to achieve a baby like quality and to a lesser extent adds to ideas of paedophilia to me. For sure, while I appreciate the many perspectives on hygiene - trimming, reducing odours/sweating and cuts/discomfort during sex - I also believe that hair on your genitals is like a ‘rite of passage’ in a way, which is why older females remove it to regain feelings of youth.

I also think waxing and complete shaving increased ‘vagina discrimination’ and popularized the idea of designer vaginas involving the modification of the shape of labia minora. Tucked, tight and tiny … again ‘like a baby’s’.

I think persons in the hair removal industry who promote removal of hair also promote poor ideas and attitudes related to the human’s physical form. There is the automatic annexation of above ‘normal’ hair – like hirsutism which fierytrini highlighted - with hormonal issues and thus a reason to ‘correct it’. No one wants to be considered naturally hairy, that’s kind of ancestral or backward, ‘caveman’, ‘haven’t you evolved’? But the diversity in how and where hair grows is large, outside of what people see as abnormally significant, the hairier are indeed mocked or shunned.

[Louise]

I also think waxing and complete shaving increased ‘vagina discrimination’ and popularized the idea of designer vaginas involving the modification of the shape of labia minora. Tucked, tight and tiny … again ‘like a baby’s’.

Makini, can you expand on this, please

[Makini]

As Ayinde explained, the porn industry promoted hairless genitalia for the audience to be able to see what was taking place in sex scenes and also to convince them it was real sex acts. Once persons started seeing what their vaginas looked like (not necessarily related to the porn industry), there was more exposure of the vagina to physical preferences. Similar to preferences for longer or thicker penises, penises with or without foreskin, or the shape of the head of the penis, there was also more exposure of the vagina to preferences. So while in a number of African cultures, longer labias are considered physically attractive (or repressive depending on the country and method of execution of the practice) or enhance sex in some way or another, in western cultures, for some, longer or fleshier labias are not seen as attractive, allude to an older vagina (assumed to be more sexually active individual but its actually more genetic) or just look physically unappealing because of the large amount of tissue not seen in female babies at birth. Thus surgically removing this tissue is often done. These lips however swell, open and can redden during arousal, so I think they have a biological function.