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. Pubic hair is therefore part of the
androgenic hair.
Before
puberty, the genital area of both boys and girls has very fine vellus hair, referred to as
Tanner stage 1 hair. In response to rising levels of
androgens as puberty begins, the skin of the genital area begins to produce thicker, often curlier, hair with a faster growth rate. The onset of pubic hair development is termed
pubarche. The change for each hair follicle is relatively abrupt, but the extent of skin which grows androgenic hair gradually increases over several years.
In most girls, pubic hair first appears along the edges of the
labia majora (stage 2), and spreads forward to the
mons (stage 3) over the next 2 years. By 3 years into puberty (roughly the time of
menarche for most girls), the
pubic triangle is densely filled. Within another 2 years pubic hair also grows from the near thighs in most young women, and sometimes a small amount up the line of the abdomen toward the
umbilicus.
In boys, the first pubic hair appears as a few sparse hairs on the
scrotum or at the upper base of the
penis (stage 2). Within a year, hairs around the base of the penis are too numerous to count (stage 3), and within 3 to 4 years, hair fills the pubic area (stage 4), and by 5 years extends to the near thighs and upwards on the abdomen toward the umbilicus (stage 5).
Other areas of the skin are similarly, though slightly less, sensitive to androgens and androgenic hair typically appears somewhat later. In rough sequence of sensitivity to androgens and appearance of androgenic hair, are the armpits (
axillae), perianal area, upper lip, preauricular areas (sideburns), periareolar areas (nipples), middle of the chest, neck under the chin, remainder of chest and
beard area, limbs and shoulders, back, and buttocks.
Although generally considered part of the process of puberty, pubarche is distinct and independent of the process of maturation of the gonads that leads to sexual maturation and fertility. Pubic hair can develop from adrenal androgens alone, and can develop even when the
ovaries or
testes are defective and nonfunctional. See
puberty for details.
There is little if any difference in the capacity of male and female bodies to grow hair in response to androgens. The obvious
sex-dimorphic difference in hair distribution in men and women is primarily a result of differences in the levels of androgen reached as maturity occurs.
 |
A woman's pubic hair |
Patterns of pubic hair vary among people. On some people, pubic hair is thick and/or coarse, while on others it may be sparse and/or fine.
Pubic hair and
axillary (armpit) hair can vary in color considerably from the hair of the scalp. In most people it is darker, although it can also be lighter. On many men, pubic hair color is closest to the color of their beards (before their beards start turning white with age), which again can vary from the color of the hair on top of the head. On most women, the pubic patch is triangular and lies over the
mons veneris, or mound of Venus. On many men, the pubic patch tapers upwards to a line of hair pointing towards the
navel (see
abdominal hair). As with axillary (armpit) hair, pubic hair is associated with a concentration of
sebaceous glands in the area.
Like other hair, pubic hair can be infested with lice, specifically
pubic lice.
It is believed that the functions of pubic hair include the dissemination of
pheromones and protection from the
friction of
sexual intercourse. Natural selection may also have sustained it because it can show a potential sexual partner that the other person is sexually mature and can reproduce. Pubic hair and the growth between the tops of the legs and the buttocks, like under arm hair, helps to lubricate the areas, making movement smoother and more comfortable.
=Possible reasons
=There is no definitive theory on the reason for the existence of pubic hair. The prevailing theory relates to
pheromones â€" scents that the body produces that can be sexually stimulating to others. In this theory, the tufts of hair that grow around the genitals, as well as under the arms, capture these erotic scents. Pheromones get trapped in the pubic hair when apocrine glands release an odorless secretion on the surface of the skin that combines with bacteria decomposed by the secretions of the sebaceous glands. Humans have the same number of hair follicles as gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans, but body hair is generally very fine or barely visible in comparison. So, while pubic hair and underarm hair might be considered the primary scent traps, they are not the only ones. For some people, scents from these areas are noticeable and consciously increase sexual arousal. Pheromones might not be obvious but may be detected subconsciously.
Another theory is that the pubic hair keeps the genitals warm. The purpose of women's pubic hair could be similar to that of the
cilia in the nose, in that it prevents small foreign particles from entering the vagina. However, this doesn't explain male pubic hair.
Attitudes
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. 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.
Some common slang includes
bush,
muff,
curlies,
pubes,
fuzz.
Pubic hair in art
|
Hokusai's print The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife', c. 1820 |
|
Francisco Goya, The Nude Maja |
In ancient Egyptian art female pubic hair is straightforwardly indicated in the form of painted black triangles, for example in images of the sky-goddess
Nut.[
1] In classical European art it was very rarely depicted, and male public hair was often, but not always, omitted.[
2] Sometimes it was portrayed in stylised form. The same was true in much
Indian art, and in other Eastern portrayals of the nude. In 16th century Europe
Michelangelo felt able to show the
David with stylized pubic hair, but female bodies remained hairless below the head. Nevertheless, Michelangelo's male nudes on the
Sistine chapel ceiling display no pubic hair.
By the 17th century, suggestions of female pubic hair appear in pornographic engravings, such as those by
Agostino Carracci. By the late 18th century female pubic hair is openly portrayed in Japanese
shunga (erotica), especially in the
ukiyo-e tradition.
Hokusai's picture
The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, depicting a woman having an erotic fantasy, is a well-known example. Despite this
Fine art paintings and
sculpture created before the 20th century in the Western tradition usually depicted
women without pubic hair or a visible
vulva.
It has been argued that
John Ruskin, the famous author, artist, and art critic, was apparently accustomed only to the hairless
nudes portrayed unrealistically in art, never having seen a naked woman before 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 later legally annulled. He is supposed to have thought his wife was freakish and deformed. [
3]
Francisco Goya's
The Nude Maja was probably the first European painting to show woman's pubic hair, though others had hinted at it. The painting was considered quite pornographic at the time.
Gustave Courbet's
L'Origine du monde (1866), was considered scandalous because it showed the female body in its totality with hair.
Examples of
male pubic hair in
contemporary art are harder to find.
In Japanese drawings pubic hair is often omitted for legal reasons, such as the practices in
hentai, as for a long time the display of pubic hair was not legal. The interpretation of the law has since changed.
Ironically, it is also in Japan where pubic hair is seen as something highly attractive. Because Asian people often have thin pubic hair, there even exists a fashion product of artificial hair designed to put on and give the impression of a full bush of pubic hair. However, in many
Middle Eastern and
eastern European cultures, pubic hair is considered unclean, and for matters of both
religion and/or good
hygiene, women in those cultures have removed their pubic hair for centuries. Some examples of regions where this is typical are ancient
Persia,
Turkey,
Albania and ethnic-Albanian portions of
Kosovo, and in many other cultures throughout the
Mediterranean. [
4]
Modification of pubic hair
In Islamic societies, removing the pubic hair is a religiously endorsed practice, ranked along with
circumcision,
clipping the fingernails,
brushing the teeth or other such practices deemed routine.
[Understanding Islam]In Western societies since the 1960s it has become increasingly common to trim or completely
remove pubic hair, although this hadn't really become popular in the mainstream of western society until the late 1990s.
Trimming or completely
removing pubic hair has become a custom in many cultures. A preference for hairless genitals is known as
acomoclitism. The methodology of removing hair is called
depilation (when removing only the hair above the skin) or epilation (when removing the entire hair). The trimming or removal of body hair by men is sometimes referred to as
manscaping.
Reasoning
Some arguments for modification of pubic hair have included:
*
aesthetic*
fashion*
religion *
tradition*
hygiene*sexual practice, such as for
oral sex*tactile sensation
Removal methods
Pubic
hair is removed or reduced usually by
shaving, but often for more long-term removal,
waxing or use of a mechanical device is used to pull the hair out at the root.
Methods to remove pubic hair include:
*
Shaving â€" uses a
razor (
straight razor, safety razor, or electric razor) to cut the hair at the level of the skin (or very close to it)
* Epilators â€" these electric devices use rotating coils to pull the hairs out by the roots
*
Laser epilation and
Intense pulsed light (IPL)
*
Waxing and
Sugaring â€" Some hair salons in France offer what is called "epilé complet" which is the removal of all pubic hair using hot wax; this process is similar to a
Brazilian wax except that it involves the complete removal of pubic hair whereas the Brazilian does not.
* Hair removal creams and lotions
*
Burning â€" this is the most efficient and quick method of removing hair completely and also preventing quick regrowth. However, it requires considerable skill to avoid overburning and scorching the skin.
*
Electrology â€" involves using a current of electricity down the length of the hair to kill the hair root
* Hair Growth Inhibitors - these lotions claim to slow the hair growth and even prevent its growth but they have had limited success
*
Tweezers â€" this is a manual method usually done to remove any remaining hairs after use of the other treatments.
Note that:
* Electrical razors are a little safer and do not shave off skin along with the hair.
* Shaving can cause skin irritation (
pseudofolliculitis barbae, or "razor bumps") and
hair getting locked under the skin area.
* Hair re-growth can sometimes be uncomfortable and itchy, although continued removal reduces this effect.
* Using hair removal creams or lotions in the pubic and chest areas is not advisable, as it may result in serious skin irritations.
Style
The modification of pubic hair can also be considered a statement about one's style or personal lifestyle as can leaving it unmodified. The fashion designer
Mary Quant was famously proud that her husband trimmed hers into a heart shape. In the 1930s the 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.
Some styles include[
5]:
* Natural â€" no trimming or maintenance
* Trimmed â€" hair length is shortened but not removed or shaped
* Triangle â€" hair removed (generally waxed) from the sides to form a triangle so that pubic hair cannot be seen while wearing
swimwear *
Landing strip â€" hair removed except a small, centered, vertical line
* Bare â€" pubic hair completely removed
* Dyed â€" colouring hair to match hair on the head, or to give it a unique look (for example, red--in the shape of a heart)
* Others â€" V-shaped, heart-shaped, arrow, initials, etc.
*
Hair*
Abdominal hair*
Merkin*
Underarm hair*
Hirsute*
Manscaping*
Brazilian*
Pubic Hair Distribution Study categorizes four types of pubic hair patterns and summarizes observed occurrence of each type of pattern.
*
Pudenda Agenda - From artnet.com
*
Pubic Hair Removal*
Smooth Naturist webpage for more advice on pubic shaving
*Kutty, Ahmad (13/Sep/2005)
Islamic Ruling on Waxing Unwanted Hair Retrieved March, 29, 2006.
*
Puberty 101 - Pubic Hair
