- Au Naturel
No muss, no fuss...just let nature take its course. Most women choose
this style most of the time, since they understandably don't care to put
sharp or hot things anywhere near their delicate womanly
bits.
- Trim and Comb
Most girls are fine with the natural look at first, but as they get
older, their pubic hair will often keep on growing and spreading, growing
and spreading--and eventually, some women come to feel that it looks
overgrown, unkempt, and flat-out gross. Many of these women adopt the
"trim and comb" method, which just involves snipping longer, thicker patches and brushing out loose hairs. It's quick, easy, and only requires
an occasional few minutes of work while sitting on the toilet (warning:
use safety scissors, which have rounded, not pointed, tips. You can't
really see what you're doing and you don't want to screw up and poke
yourself.) It doesn't particularly itch (unless you cut too much) and it
offers great benefits: lovers have an easier time finding what
they're looking for and don't end up swallowing as much hair in the
process. There's a nonsexual bonus, too--a female friend once told me that
this style can make menstruation a bit less messy. Lots of women opt
for the trim-and-comb, especially if they're sexually active.
- Bikini Shave
The trim-and-comb method is fine throughout fall and winter and spring, but when summertime comes around, it may not be enough. When a
trimmer-and-comber puts on a bathing suit, her pubic hair will peek out
from the edges, which is usually considered gross. To get around this problem, a woman will shave the bikini line, which at least involves
removing any hair on the upper inner thigh. (She may also shave the outer
border of the pubic triangle and the labia depending on the cut of the bathing
suit she wants to wear.) Most women shave their bikini line at some
point, and most of them don't like doing it. (aside: I personally don't
see why we need women to wear these things. It'd make much more sense if
they wore something like a sports bra and Umbros.)
- Half-Shave
As far as I know, most women don't go beyond the bikini shave. Some,
though, do go farther and decide to remove all the hair from their
vulva, leaving the pubic triangle on the mons veneris intact. Now, a lot of women seem to
think that their nether regions look silly, and they're embarrassed to
have them poking out. As a nonhomosexual male, I think this part of a woman's body is as
beautiful as the rest of her, and I'm happy to see it more clearly.
Besides, this method can make sex a bit more comfortable. Pubic hair
sometimes feels rough and traps smelly sweat, and if you're doing some
heavy grinding, it can leave you with uncomfortable friction burns.
After a half-shave, the vulva is much more sensitive (at least for a
while)...and during lovemaking, your own sensitive regions will be
enveloped in an incredibly moist and smooth softness.
Unfortunately, most women end up with shaving rash (I don't even want
to think about waxing that particular area) and dark-haired women
may be unable to avoid constant stubble and five o'clock shadow. Sexy
though it may be, it probably ain't worth it. Trim and comb, take a
shower, and use some lube.
- The Hitler Mustache (or, the Charlie Chaplin)
Some women take the bikini shave even farther and remove the corners of
the pubic triangle. When it's combined with the half-shave, this style
leaves a rectangle of hair just above the vulva. It looks completely
ridiculous and unnatural and bears an uncanny resemblance to Adolf
Hitler's little toothbrush mustache (hence the name). I doubt that most
everyday women ever use this method (unless they're wearing bikini bottoms
that are cut REALLY high), but it's rather common among porn
stars and the like.
- The Brazilian (also known as the Landing Strip or the Mohawk)
Some women take the Charlie Chaplin even farther, and shave off everything except for a thin vertical strip a centimeter or two wide. To my eyes, this looks even sillier and less natural than the Hitler Mustache, and I find it distracting--if you're going to go this far, why not go all the way?
- Bald (or, the Sphinx)
If you're gonna do it, why not go all the way? Some women simply shave
it all off, revealing their secret flower in all its glory.
This technique has a certain appeal (especially to the producers of men's
magazines and adult videos, who want you to see every penetration as
clearly as possible). It has all the benefits and problems of the half-shave, but over a larger area.
Ladies, heed the advice of your everythingian
peers--many women seem to regret taking a razor or depilatory cream to their crotch. Choose what's comfortable...we want you to feel good. We're not going to hate you over a little thing like pubic hair
(and if we do, we damn well don't deserve you). Have fun.