I would hypothesize that men are probably more likely to trim than shave their hair completely, whereas women are perhaps more likely to shave than trim however, the existing research asking about pubic hair “removal” too broadly to address this. On a side note, I should clarify that “pubic hair removal” does not always mean getting rid of all hair-it can also mean trimming. Far fewer opt for waxing, electrolysis, or laser treatments. Whereas most of the women reported removing their pubic hair at least once in the last month, when men were asked how often they do it, most reported that they removed their pubic hair only rarely or occasionally.īoth of these studies revealed that the most common method of pubic hair removal is the same for men and women: shaving. That said, women appear to be removing their pubic hair a bit more frequently than men. “Have you done it in the last month?”), but they do suggest that pubic hair removal is something men and women are both very likely to have tried. These numbers aren’t completely comparable to the female numbers because the survey questions were a little different (i.e., “Have you ever done it?” vs. This study revealed that 82% of gay men and 66% of heterosexual men reported removing their pubic hair at least once before. In general, rates of pubic hair removal were pretty similar for heterosexual and lesbian women in this study.Īs for the men, let’s consider a separate online survey of 334 men (68% heterosexual) aged 18-50. If we consider the ladies first, a recent internet survey of 2,451 women (87% heterosexual) found that about 68% of women aged 18-40 reported removing at least some of their pubic hair in the last month. So is pubic hair removal “just as common” for men as it is for women? Let’s take a look at the data. As men increasingly conformed to this new norm and started shaving their chests, backs, and shoulders, they eventually started taking the razor lower and lower and, hence, “manscaping” was born. It has only been in the last few decades that we’ve seen a shift in the “ideal” male body image presented in the media to one that has relatively little hair.
At least in the Western world, male body hair in general has traditionally been seen as a sign of masculinity. In contrast, pubic hair removal among men appears to be a fairly recent phenomenon. Believe it or not, female pubic hair grooming actually dates back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks ! However, it is important to note that there has been significant variability across different historical periods and cultures in the extent to which women have practiced this. In fact, this is something that women appear to have been doing for a very long time.
You’re right that pubic hair removal started with the ladies. “When did it become common for each gender to begin shaving their pubic hair? I think it started with women, but now it seems just as common among men.” This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know more about male and female pubic hair removal practices: Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships.