The Happy Trail

Harry’s take: what’s happening down there

By HARRY SASSCROTCH

Pubic Hair.  It’s one of the few aspects of sex that is ever given really serious thought.  Yet we see it all the time (don’t act like you’ve never seen it in the shower).
Not only do we see our own set of pubes (or even a lack thereof), many are constantly barraged with images from porn or elsewhere.
Jokes are made about shaving it, porn stars have them specifically trimmed or waxed, even celebrities advocate the latest beauty trends about it!
First things first, everyone’s pubes are as different as the hair on their heads.  Some have a lot, some have a little, curly/straight, darker/lighter hair, the list goes on.
For most people, pubic hair comes from the mons pubis, the area of skin below your waist and belly button but directly above your genitals.
The most important thing to note is that your pubic hair is a natural part of your body, and has a purpose for being there.
OB/GYN Dr. Emily Gibson writes that pubic hair’s main purpose is to protect our genitals and genital region. She advocates against its unnecessary removal.
“Pubic hair removal naturally irritates and inflames the hair follicles left behind, leaving microscopic open wounds.
When that irritation is combined with the warm moist environment of the genitals, it becomes a happy culture media for some of the nastiest of bacterial pathogens.”
Now remember, these are problems that may happen when you shave or wax.  These increases do not come with the occasional trimming.
But regardless the mons pubis area is very sensitive tissue, it’s home to a higher concentration of nerve endings than many other areas of skin.
Simply having pubes protects this sensitive area from outside or unwanted irritants.
While keeping your hair might be safer, what’s important is that it’s no one’s decision but their own.  No one should be comanded to have their genitals conform to styles and trends.
Then there’s vajazzling.  And if you think about it critically, it’s actually one of the most ridiculous things ever.
The concept behind it is that a female will wax/shave her pubic hair and then stick adhesive little sequiny rhinestones to her mons pubis.
Omg guys, this is so FETCH!!! LOOK HOW SHINY MY VAJAYJAY IS!!!!!
There are many problems with this.  First off, it’s not necessarily the safest thing you can do.
Far from it, as mentioned above, waxing and shaving can cause irritation, not to mention cuts/sores that can increase your chances of infection.
This is coupled with the outside adhesives that can bring unsafe chemicals into your body.  And even a loose vajazzle can go in all the wrong places.
But what’s even worse is the fact that this practice is glorified and further indicates a standard to which women’s bodies are unwillingly set.
Women are faced with constant images of what society considers “beautiful,” images that they are expected to conform to.
Images of porn and vajazzling set a standard practice of “acceptable” genitals that must “look good” in order to have sex.
I call all the BS.  Not everyone has to conform to a certain standard of societal construction of “beauty.”
Quite simply, if you don’t want to shave your pubic hair, you don’t have to.  If you want to, that’s your perogative.
Hell, you should be able to do whatever you want with your pubic hair or your body without having to be ashamed about it.
As always, the only emotion you should feel towards your body is love.