Pubic hair is necessary for the vaginal flora and the female genitalia. So it’s not necessarily a good idea to remove hair. Let’s take stock.
- Pubic hair is necessary for women’s good health.
- Removing them completely can lead to STIs, mycoses, cystitis, itching and ingrown hairs.
- The trend towards complete bikini waxing has been on the decline in recent years.
According to a survey carried out in 2017 by IFOP22% of French women, including 45% of those under 25, resort to full hair removal, especially in summer. This involves removing all hair from the genitals, including those on the labia… A choice often made for aesthetic reasons, but which is not without consequences for health. Explanations.
STIs, cystitis and mycoses
You should know that nature does things rather well. If women have hair in this area, it is because they protect the vaginal flora from urinary, vaginal and sexual infections.
Therefore, those who completely wax their bikini line are more likely to be contaminated by a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia (STI which is transmitted by a bacteria called Chlamydia) but also to have cystitis (urinary tract infections) or mycoses (infections caused by fungi).
Itching
Pubic hair also forms a protective layer between the genitals and clothing, preventing friction… In their absence, and even more so if clothing is tight, women may experience itching. Sometimes, this can even lead to bacterial infection – or even superinfection.
Ingrown hairs
Another downside to hair removal – and this is especially true when women use a razor – is that as the hair grows back, ingrown hairs, which are hairs growing under the skin, can appear. In addition to being unsightly, they can also become infected and painful.
So, to limit the appearance of ingrown hairs, it is advisable to shave in the direction of the hair and to use a clean razor that has not been used by anyone else. So, even as an exception, do not lend yours!
A downward trend
In recent years, the trend towards full body hair removal seems to be running out of steam in favor of so-called natural hair removal. Thus, according to a survey carried out by Ifop for the sexual health platform Charles.cobetween 2013 and 2021, the number of women waxing decreased by 13 points: 85% in October 2013, compared to 72% in January 2021.
And it is even more striking with the proportion of women who do not remove their pubic hair at all. Over the same period, their number has almost doubled: 15% in October 2013, compared to 28% in January 2021.
