SHAVE THE BIKINI LINE - a pubic hair blog

Read Fanny Falkman Grinndals, Swedish manager of VagiVital, personal thoughts on pubic hair, intimate shaving, and the active choice.

During a girls' dinner, the topic of intimate shaving came up, something that I haven't really discussed since the 90s. I, like many of my girlfriends, shaved off most of my hair. We also plucked our eyebrows so hard that what remained was a very thin line that would represent eyebrows. The thong also made its way in the 90s, which also contributed to intimate shaving when it only consisted of a thin thread held together by a tiny, thin and often transparent piece of fabric. We kept all our hair in check with sharp razors, foaming shaving cream and waxing - which was done both at home and in the salon.

After the 90s, we didn't talk much about pubic hair anymore. Perhaps it was because life itself with pregnancies, marriages, divorces and parenthood took over the topics of conversation. It wasn't as important anymore to discuss pubic hair, but we all had a razor in the shower.

During my 15 years as a doula (Greek for support person during childbirth) I have of course seen many women's vaginas. The pubic hair has been of great variety - both completely shaved and straight, a little nicely groomed and flourishing bushes. All vulvas have been equally beautiful to me and whether they had hair or not has been completely immaterial.

PUBIC HAIR THROUGH HISTORY

In ancient Greece and Rome, it was customary to shave all body hair, including pubic hair. This was considered a symbol of purity and elegance. In the 1960s and 70s, however, more natural body hair became popular, which included a substantial bush on the penis. But during the 1980s, the pendulum swung again and it started to become more common to shave the genital area again, with both the bikini fashion and the porn industry being some of the biggest factors behind intimate shaving. In the porn industry, a shaved penis was considered to improve image quality and create a more "aesthetically pleasing visual experience". The trend subsequently spread to mainstream culture where many women embraced it as part of their beauty routine.

A woman's pubic hair has always been a sign of sexual maturity, which throughout history has been described as something shameful and taboo. If you remove all the hair, you also remove all visible signs of her sexuality. A female body without hair was considered a non-sexual body.

HOW MANY PEOPLE SHAVE TODAY?

I can't find any good research on what percentage shave or not, and I also don't think it's worth contacting Statistics Norway on that issue, but instead turn to my gynecologist and midwife friends who actually see women's sex every day. According to them, it seems that a lot of people still shave, and the younger girls shave off all their pubic hair more often than women over 40. It is also not unusual for women nowadays to use lasers to remove pubic hair, which results in the hair can never grow back. Some women devote themselves to trimming a small "hairstyle", with a well-groomed triangle or a straight line over the pubis. Then, of course, there are many women who completely refrain from intimate shaving. So, it seems to be a relatively large variation, but where those who shave the penis are still in the majority.

 

BENEFITS OF INTIMATE SHAVING

There are actually not many advantages to shaving the vulva, apart from the fact that it can feel nicer and that some women feel that it is easier to maintain hygiene without hair. It is simply a matter of taste. In any case, it is perfectly possible to maintain hygiene in the vagina, whether you have hair or not. Shaving is more a matter of fashion but also a matter of habit. Those who grow up and early learn to shave all their pubic hair will probably continue to do so even when they are 50+.

Or?!

DISADVANTAGES OF INTIMATE SHAVING

The disadvantages of shaving are even greater. The pubic hair protects against both fungal infections and bacteria that can establish themselves in the vulva. Small wounds after shaving can also easily cause infections, inflammation, and ingrown hairs. Hair also has an important function as it creates an air gap between the panty and the skin which makes it easier to maintain a favorable environment with a balanced pH value in the vagina, which reduces the risk of vaginal infections. The good lactobacilli in the vagina, which helps keep unwelcome bacteria away, thrive best in that environment. Shaving can also lead to dry vaginal epithelium, which increases the risk of fungal infections. So, the hair has an important function, but still so many women choose to shave?

You can find VagiVital AktivGel for dry vaginal epithelium here

PUBIC HAIR, SEX & FASHION

Is shaving really mainly about sex and fashion trends? Do women shave their vaginas with the main purpose of "making it easier" for men during sex? It is, quite honestly, not entirely unusual with comments such as "You don't want hair in your food".

Intimate shaving is obviously neither fresher nor more hygienic - quite the opposite! But maybe we THINK we are more hygienic? I have engaged in intimate shaving for most of my adult life. But I also realize that I have rarely asked myself why I have done it.

AN ACTIVE CHOICE

Of course, there are also many women who feel much better about themselves and their vagina when they shave it. Somewhere I think that's what intimate shaving should or shouldn't be about. Vulva love! Based on an active choice. Make an active choice based on knowledge of the vulva and what you want. Do you shave for your own sake or because your partner has a desire for a shaved female gender or because the norm considers a gender with hair to be uncool? Don't let anyone else make that choice - it's your vulva and therefore your choice ❤️

MY OWN CHOICE

When it comes to shaving the vulva, I realized relatively recently that I have never made an active choice. Not really. I have only continued my intimate shaving through the years of habit. Something that I learned early on and never really questioned. My intimate shaving has always been an initiative from me alone, but now in retrospect it may never have really felt like a choice. That's just how you do it. So, I did. But now it was time for an active choice!

SILKY PUBIC HAIR

One day I just quit. I no longer felt like simply continuing to tear around with the razor. My knowledge of the disadvantages of intimate shaving hasn't been deficient, but that hasn't stopped me from planning in the past either. But now it had to be enough. I chose to quit. At least for now. Thank you and goodbye!

The decision felt a little fragile, but what I discovered was that at the same rate as the hair started to grow back, a brand-new vulva love also grew in me ❤️ In wavering moments, the memory of bushy 70s sex could fly by, which spontaneously got me to back off. At the same time, it was so incredibly nice not having to hold the razor. Instead, I stood in the shower thinking about how many hours of my life have been spent shaving my vulva and discovered a whole new feature of VagiVital’s V Cleanser for intimate cleansing. I already knew that it cleans both oil-soluble and water-soluble impurities, but I had no idea that it also acts as a balm for pubic hair and makes it silky smooth. It turned out so nice ❤️

VagiVital V Cleanser can be found here

Now the bikini season is slowly approaching, even if it feels surreal to imagine when you look out the window. I actually have a hard time seeing myself so "liberated" that I'll be strutting around the beach this summer with some substantial pubic hair sticking out on either side of the bikini bottom. Somewhere there is a limit as I am simply too vain. But who knows? Maybe I choose to go all out in the summer of 2023 and get a big bush or I go back to the hard intimate shaving option of the 90s or I choose something in between? The most important thing is that the choice is mine!

Which choice do you make ❤️?

Take care and Stay Pussytive!

/Fanny