For women, pubic hair serves a crucial role in safeguarding the genitals and maintaining natural moisture. Despite its protective functions, the hair around this sensitive area can impact aesthetics, leading to discomfort during physical activities and a lack of confidence in swimwear. Consequently, many individuals opt for pubic hair removal. In this article, we’ll explore the harmful effects of pubic hair removal and address the question of whether one should engage in this practice.
Understanding the Vital Role of Pubic Hair:
Before delving into the adverse effects of removing pubic hair and addressing the decision to do so, it’s essential to comprehend the significant function of pubic hair.
Pubic hair, a relatively thick growth around the genital area in adults, plays a protective role, minimizing friction and preventing direct contact between genitals and dirt or soap during showering. Additionally, it contributes to maintaining proper moisture levels in the female genital area. However, excessive growth can lead to certain drawbacks.
Drawbacks of Excessive Pubic Hair:
While pubic hair offers numerous benefits, excessive growth can have both positive and negative impacts, particularly for women.
Abundant pubic hair may contribute to conditions like vaginal infections and increased risk of inflamed hair follicles due to elevated moisture levels in the vaginal area. Managing personal hygiene becomes challenging, affecting the skin’s pH balance and fostering harmful bacteria growth. In hot weather or during menstruation, excess hair provides an environment for bacterial growth, causing discomfort.
Thick and lush pubic hair may lead to feelings of self-consciousness and unattractiveness, particularly when wearing revealing bikinis or swimsuits. Moreover, it can impact sexual relationships, serving as a breeding ground for bacteria and potentially causing various vaginal issues.
In summary, while pubic hair has essential functions, excessive growth can result in adverse effects. The decision to remove pubic hair should be made thoughtfully, considering both the protective roles and potential drawbacks.
Should I Remove Pubic Hair or Not?
Considering the potential beneficial and harmful effects of pubic hair on the body, many women contemplate whether they should undergo pubic hair removal.
The answer to this question is affirmative, especially for women with thick and dense pubic hair. Inadequate care and hygiene of pubic hair can pose health risks, as highlighted earlier. Furthermore, removing pubic hair offers several advantages, including:
- Protecting the bikini area from vaginal diseases, particularly during hot summer days when the humid climate can make the region susceptible to bacteria, fungi, and yeast infections.
- Boosting confidence when wearing tight clothing or bikinis without concerns about affecting aesthetics.
- Enhancing attractiveness to partners and avoiding inconvenience in the daily activities of couples.
Risks of Improper Pubic Hair Removal:
Understanding the risks associated with pubic hair removal and assessing its necessity are common concerns for many women. The skin in the pubic area is delicate and sensitive, featuring a dense network of nerves, making it prone to pain or damage when subjected to force.
Pubic hair acts as a protective layer that helps prevent bacteria from entering the vagina. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider that removing pubic hair is akin to eliminating this protective barrier. Numerous practical surveys have indicated potential risks associated with bikini hair removal, including:
Hair removal in the intimate area can result in skin burns. Many women opt for homemade products, hot wax, or low-quality hair removal products that may contain harmful substances. This can lead to skin burns in the intimate area. Mild burns may cause localized skin peeling, while severe burns can result in blistering, widespread peeling, and the potential for infection, putting women at risk of developing vaginal infections.
Hair removal in the intimate area can cause darkening and soreness of the skin. In the absence of specialized hair removal products, many women resort to traditional methods such as shaving, plucking, or waxing. However, these methods may cause soreness, skin tears, and, over time, darkening of the skin around the intimate area due to repeated abrasions, increasing the risk of ingrown hairs.
Hair removal in the intimate area can lead to vaginal inflammation. Removing hair in the intimate area breaks the protective layer of the skin, making it easier for bacteria to enter and cause infections. This is a primary reason women are susceptible to developing vaginal infections and other uterine diseases. It is crucial to use sterile hair removal tools to prevent bacterial and viral infections.
Hair removal in the vagina can cause ingrown hairs. Inflammation of vaginal hair follicles can result in water- or pus-filled pimples, especially when hairs grow in the opposite direction, causing pain and swelling. Additionally, hair removal in the vagina increases the risk of severe ingrown hairs, leading to aesthetic and health problems, such as inflammatory complications beneath the skin, significantly impacting women’s health and sexual life.
Allergies caused by using hair removal creams in the intimate area. Many women use hair removal creams or gels for removing hair around the vagina, which are widely available in the market. However, these products may contain harmful substances that can cause toxicity and skin-related issues such as allergies, irritation, itching, etc. In some cases, low-quality hair removal in the intimate area can lead to the development of pustules and tumors.
Hair removal in the intimate area can easily make the vagina vulnerable to bacterial attack. As mentioned earlier, the intimate area of women is often moist, and the hair in this area helps regulate moisture and prevent bacterial invasion. Therefore, removing hair in the intimate area exposes the hair follicles around the vagina, making it easier for bacteria to invade.
Does pubic hair removal affect childbirth?
According to experts, pubic hair removal does not impact childbirth or women’s health, as most hair removal techniques are non-invasive and do not rapidly compromise the structure of the hair follicle. Specifically, bikini hair removal methods aid in maintaining cleanliness in the area and reducing the risk of vaginal infections.
However, it’s essential to choose safe and appropriate hair removal methods. This is because certain manual hair removal methods can lead to increased thickness and prominence of the hair, as well as cause pimples and bleeding in the pubic area.
Read more: After Hair Removal: What to Avoid for Smooth Skin
Important notes to remember for safe pubic hair removal
To achieve the best results, pay attention to the following crucial considerations when removing pubic hair to ensure safety:
Avoid shaving during your period
While you can shave your pubic area, it’s advisable to avoid doing so during your period. The vagina is highly sensitive during this time, and shaving can lead to severe inflammation. To avoid potential consequences of pubic hair removal, it’s best to wait until your menstrual cycle is over.
After hair removal, avoid wearing tight underwear and engaging in strenuous exercise
After shaving, it’s recommended to avoid wearing overly tight underwear and engaging in strenuous activities, based on the experiences of those who have undergone pubic hair removal.
During the initial period after hair removal, the skin around the vagina is much more sensitive than before. Wearing tight underwear can lead to increased sweat in the pubic area, making it more prone to infection. Additionally, excessive exercise is not beneficial for the damaged skin. During this time, the skin around the pubic area needs time to rest and recover.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid pubic hair removal
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should refrain from removing pubic hair, as this period is highly sensitive, and undergoing pubic hair removal can have adverse effects on the health of both the mother and the baby.
Choose the appropriate hair removal method
Currently, there are various pubic hair removal methods on the market. Depending on individual needs and differences, it’s essential to choose a safe and appropriate hair removal method to avoid harmful effects.
Traditional shaving method: This popular method is chosen by many women for its simplicity and ease of use at home. However, its drawback is that it cannot completely remove hair follicles deep under the skin, only those on the surface. Pubic hair tends to grow back thicker, darker, and harder within a few days after shaving.
Hair plucking method: As the name suggests, this hair removal method can be painful, making women sensitive, prone to irritation, and susceptible to ingrown hairs.
Using hair removal cream: While hair removal cream quickly eliminates hair, it also leads to faster regrowth, with hair becoming darker and harder. Moreover, using low-quality hair removal cream can cause skin irritation.

Johnny Jacks was born in 1985 in Texas, USA. He is the founder of Good Health Plan and is passionate about helping people improve their health and physical well-being. With over a decade of experience working in the healthcare industry, he currently works at Goodheathplan.com – a blog that shares knowledge on beauty and health.