Pubic hair

Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region. Although fine vellus hair is present in the area in childhood, the term pubic hair is generally restricted to the heavier, longer hair that develops with puberty as an effect of rising levels of androgens on the skin of the genital area

Culture

Attitudes

Varying attitudes can be inferred from the slang terms that are used for pubic hair: bush, bushpie, hairpie, furburger, muff, curlies, pubes, etc.

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In Japanese drawings pubic hair is often omitted for legal reasons (see hentai), as for a long time the display of pubic hair was not legal. The interpretation of the law has since changed.

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In Islamic societies, removing the pubic hair is a religiously endorsed hygiene practice, ranked along with circumcision, clipping the fingernails, brushing the teeth, etc.

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Before the twentieth century, fine-art paintings and sculpture in the Western tradition usually depicted women without either pubic hair or a visible vulva. John Ruskin, the famous author, artist, and art critic, was apparently accustomed to these depictions and unaware of the actual appearance of nude women. On his wedding night, he was allegedly so shocked by his discovery of his wife Effie's pubic hair that he rejected her, and the marriage was legally annulled. Francisco Goya's The Nude Maja was probably the first European painting to show woman's pubic hair, though others had hinted at it.

Related Topics:
Vulva - John Ruskin - Effie - Francisco Goya - ''The Nude Maja''

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Attitudes toward pubic hair are similar to those regarding axillary (armpit) hair in that cultural and personal norms can be reflected in reactions ranging from pleasure to revulsion, both for the presence and absence of such hair. Before shaving became common in Western cultures (particularly North American), the presence of such hair was viewed as a sign of sexual maturity. Now, to the contrary, the social requirement to shave such hair has now become for many a rite of passage. As with any sexually charged matter there are persons of both sexes who have strong points of view toward the culturally related issues associated with presence or lack of body hair.

Related Topics:
Rite of passage - Points of view

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Modification

Trimming or completely removing pubic hair has become a custom in many cultures. The methodology of removing hair is called depilation (when removing only the hair above the skin) or epilation (when removing the entire hair). It is a common practice in the Islamic world for either sex (men usually prefer trimming or shaving, women prefer complete removal by waxing or shaving) and since the 1960s it has become popular to trim or completely remove pubic hair in the Western societies. The fashion designer Mary Quant was famously proud that her husband trimmed hers into a heart shape. In the 1930s the louche Baron Martin Stillman von Brabus shaved the pubic hair of his lover Margaret, Duchess of Argyll into a representation of the Mercedes-Benz 3-pointed star.

Related Topics:
Removing - Islamic world - Shaving - Waxing - 1960s - Mary Quant - Margaret, Duchess of Argyll - Mercedes-Benz

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Different cultures have different shaving habits as well as different reasons for why they modify or remove pubic hair, which include:

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• hygiene, especially during menstruation
• aesthetic
• tradition
• religion
• sexual practice, such as BDSM cultures or for oral sex

Styles, cultures, norms and taboos

Among the more popular styles of trimming and styling the pubic area, include the following:

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• Bikini waxing - trimming the sides of the triangle so that pubic hair cannot be seen while wearing swimwear (either gender)
• Strip - removing hair from both sides of labia majora, leaving a strip (females) sometimes called a "landing strip"
• Brazilian Waxing - removing all pubic hair, or (more commonly) removing all except a small patch, line, or triangle over the clitoris or penis