#pubes bodypositive

When I first started to want to sleep with people, I decided to shave all of my pubic hair. It was absolutely the done thing at the time. I remember hearing my male friends laugh about it and talk about finding pubic hair ‘disgusting’. I felt a sort of blind panic at the idea that someone might laugh about my pubes with their friends. The whole experience was horrendous. My pubic hair was quite long at the time and removing it was very tricky, granted if i’d done a bit of research beforehand it could all have gone a lot more smoothly - literally. As it was, there was definitely some blood, a lot of itching and a generally unpleasant aesthetic.

Afterwards I thought I would feel sleek and sexy, but in reality I just felt exposed and uncomfortable. The only real benefit to having no pubic hair was that it eased the anxiety of what someone might say about it. This was enough for me to carry on doing it for quite a while. I did eventually get better at it (thankfully), but even then the itching was unbearable and being honest, I didn’t really trust myself having something so sharp next to something so important.

I can’t lie and say that part of the reason I don’t like shaving isn’t pure laziness. As if I have time to regularly shave my whole vulva? But it is more than that. I can’t help but remember how proud I was when I first grew pubic hair (albeit a little bit embarrassed), and how disappointed young me would have been to see me get rid of it. I like the way it looks but it’s not just aesthetic. It makes me feel comforted in a way that’s really hard to explain; I like the way it feels.

I’ve had partners in the past that have said they prefer shaved pubic hair. And while I respect that they have preferences, they don’t have to live in my body. I won’t be expected to regularly do something that makes me unhappy, just to pander to their ‘preference’. I exist outside of my sex life, and it’s my preference to feel comfortable. In hindsight, I feel that if a partner is pressuring me to change my pubic hair for them, then they’re not the type of person i want to be having sex with.

On the flip side of this I know people who love to shave / wax / remove some or all of their pubic hair. It’s how they feel more comfortable, they might feel more sexy or love the way that it looks. While I shouldn’t be pressured to shave my pubic hair, people who prefer to be bald shouldn’t feel any pressure to grow theirs out.

There are lot’s of benefits to having pubic hair. I’ve linked an article below that lists some of them, but the bottom line is that your pubic hair is yours. Wear it how you want.

•Benefits of pubic hair: http://www.thesexmd.com/your-bush-loves-you-back/

•Pubic hair trends over time: http://www.bustle.com/articles/48042-pubic-hair-trends-over-time-from-tweezer-happy-ancient-greece-to-your-last-painful-wax

•Safe pubic hair removal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RAf0tzDbbA

By Mai