Intimate Grooming: Shaving or Waxing Pubic Hair

Thinking about personal grooming for a very tender spot on your body? Here are the best -- and safest -- ways to protect your private parts if you want to remove pubic hair.

There's no medical reason why you should or shouldn't remove your pubic hair. It's not dirty, and gals who take it off aren't any cleaner.

"I think a lot of it comes down to societal peer pressure," says Jennifer Ashton, MD, author of The Body Scoop for Girls.

But the bottom line is it's really your choice. How much hair you remove is up to you, too.

Grooming “down there” began years ago to tame pubic hair that might peek out from a bathing suit. Now styles vary from just a trim to a skinny rectangle, called a landing strip on TV's Sex and the City. Some women dare to go completely bare with a Brazilian wax.

So which is better when you want to get rid of pubic hair, shaving or waxing? Again, it’s up to you. Many women prefer to wax their pubic area. When you wax, the hair doesn't grow back for a few weeks, although you do have to wait for it to grow in a little to wax again. It can also be pricey.

With shaving, you'll see stubble pop up in a few days. But you can take care of it quickly and easily by shaving again. Shaving is also cheaper that waxing.

For waxing, home setups are available, but that can get messy and awkward. And hot wax may better be left to a professional. When you go to a salon, here’s how it works:

First, talk with your technician (an "esthetician") about what style you want and how much hair to take off.Next, she’ll spread on hot wax, then place small cloth strips on top.When the wax sets, she’ll quickly pull off the strips one at a time and your unwanted hair is ripped away with them.

This is a delicate area of your body! Find a reputable place that keeps it clean.

Look for a salon that belongs to The Salon Association.Choose an esthetician who is licensed in your state.Visit the spa or salon before your big day. Check it out like you would a restaurant before you ate there. The bathroom is a great clue to how clean the place is.

"Be sure they're using fresh wax ... and they're heating it appropriately," says Estherann Grace, MD, of Harvard Medical School.

Part of being clean means no double dipping. It's gross and unsafe!  You don't want to share a bowl of hot wax with other women in the salon. It spreads germs.

The spa worker should use a new applicator just for you -- usually a disposable wooden stick. Expect the white glove treatment -- latex or plastic gloves, that is -- so she doesn't pass on any infections to you.

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