Ah, pubic hair. If you were to say those two words – "pubic" and "hair" – aloud, chances are good that whoever is around you will probably have some sort of opinion on the matter. In fact, when it comes to the types of those bundles of protein filaments that the dermis (colloquially known as "hair"), there might not be any type that is quite so hotly contested as good ol' pubes.
Some swear that you must get monthly waxes, like them. Some refuse to even think about shaving or removing it, and are insulted that you would even as. Others insist that the only way to do it is to let them grow out, but shave them into fancy designs on special occasions.
I'm not here to tell you what to do with your pubes. Obviously, if we are speaking strictly in terms of aesthetics, whatever you choose to do with them is totally up to you. Shave it all off, if you wish. Let it all grow out and nourish it with some luxurious "bush oil" (exactly what it sounds like). Make those two options meet somewhere in the middle and ask you waxer for a full-bush Brazilian (which, like bush oil, is exactly what it sounds like).
But medically speaking, there's some good evidence pointing towards why you shouldn't remove your hair down there at all. Curious? Check out these dangerous things you had no idea could actually happen when you shave your pubes:
Genital Injury
Apparently, the most commonly reported genital injuries in emergency rooms in the United States are a direct result of pubic hair removal.
This makes sense, if you think about it--a slip of the razor here or splash of too-hot wax there probably leads to some issues in areas where you definitely don't want any extra abrasions.
Increased Risk Of Infection
According to a study called Wax On, Wax Off: Pubic Hair Grooming and Potential Complications, removing pubic hair can actually increase your risk of sexually transmitted infections.
How so? Both shaving and waxing often leads to microscopic abrasions on the skin, which, in turn, makes it easier for viral infections to be transmitted -- specifically, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HPV. Pass!
Higher Entry For Germs Overall
Your pubes are there to protect you from all sorts of infection, not just the sexual kind--removing them leads to an increased risk of dust, debris, and particles entering your vegana, which can cause general sickness (a cold is a cold, no matter how it got there) as well as increased irritation.
Insanely Ingrown Hairs
This isn't as bad as STIs and/or genital injuries, obviously, but it's a pretty good deterrent nonetheless. If you've ever shaved your pubes, you've probably experience the agony that is an ingrown hair (or two, or twenty) that happens a few days after the fact.
You're not the only one -- according to AsapSCIENCE, 75% of people who remove pubic hair experience intense itching, and 40% experience rashes.
Abscesses
Both shaving and waxing pubes can lead to abscesses on the genital area.
What, you may ask, is an abscess? Basically, it's like an ingrown hair, but on crack -- it's a confined pocket of pus that builds up within the tissues of the body and takes the form of a hard, red lump beneath the skin. It's often pretty painful, and can either be treated with antibiotics or lancing it.
Less Pubes = Less Lubrication
A big reason of why you've got hair down there is to reduce excess friction during sex -- it creates a barrier between the skin-to-skin contact from sex and prevents any irritation or inflammation.
Because of this, going totally bare down there can make it feel like you've got less lubrication during sex (even if you're producing your usual amount), since you've got increased friction.
Infection From Working Out
The skin around your genital area has a high concentration of sweat glands, meaning that it is already inclined to being pretty moist (pardon my French). This moistness + the general tendency for your vegana to be kept in the dark (unless you, like Shailene Woodley, are a practitioner of vegana sunbathing) +the little cuts that come from shaving and waxing = a breeding ground for bacteria.
Basically, since waxing or shaving your pubes can lead to little cuts, this means that any exercise (or, for that matter, anything that causes you to sweat in general) that you do, makes you more at risk for an infection.
