The "Nether Region"...

I also shave most of it off. I've tried making little designs (the heart is the easiest), but always screw them up. Just end up with the little strip. Now that's it's been a while (few years), it never really itches anymore and it really does feel cleaner, especially in the summertime. I just cannot bring myself to get it waxed. The pain looks so intense, not to mention the positions you need to get into are, well, not one this 56 year old grandmother wants to find herself in with someone other than her husband. HAHA!

I don't shave it all off. I like to leave a little Hitler strip going on down there. Neither my husband nor I like the idea of me looking like (as you said) a pre-pubescent girl. It makes me feel too naked and makes him feel like a pervert.

Do what feels good to you and if he doesn't like it, then tell him to shove it. Or he can shave all his too...

I would love to leave a little, but for me, it's just easier to take it alllll off. I personally get uncomfortable (physically, not self consciously) when it starts getting longish. I don't know, I guess I've been doing it for no reason for so long, that this is how I'm comfortable now! But it doesn't bother me whether my guy shaves or not, whatever he's comfortable with is okay with me! I think it's nice to keep it neat, but honestly, it doesn't matter, I have no preference and I don't think he does either :) Great question though!

(TMI warning, right here and now)

I prefer Brazillian waxing (but oy! the expense!)... but have them leave either a small triangle on top or a strip depending on my mood. Then I personally trim the remaining hair on the triangle with scissors to keep it around 1/2 inch long. Women's pubic hair comes in all different types. Some is very long, some is very short... some curls, some is straight... it all depends. My personal preference is short, so I keep mine that way. It's my V, I keep it how I like it. Everyone else be durned ;)

When I can't wax, I trim 90% of the time (the other 10% I shave). I use (don't laugh) an electric beard and mustaches shaper I stole from my husband. The kind that's not "trimmers" that you cut hair with, but the kind you can put on your hand and not cut yourself with. (I've made the mistake of using trimmers/clippers and those cut...oweeeee... too many curves!!) Same token, I leave a strip or triangle on top. If I'm feeling perky I might try another shape (hearts are easy...it's just a triangle with a V on the top of it, lightening bolts look weird... thanks SintheS :P). The only time I've ever gone completely bare was on accident. (Hey! It's hard getting things "even" working upside down or in a mirror!). But aesthetically I prefer a triangle.

I used to shave smooth (not on the top)... and for those who do... Secret Unscented Solid Deodorant/Antiperspirant. Just swipe it on any shaved area as soon as you've finished shaving, including any and all shave girlie parts as well as your inner thigh/ bikini line. For some reason, it's consensus that THAT is the brand to use (Ph balanced for a woman, maybe?)... because it, hands down, works the best to prevent chafing, razor burn, bumps and ingrown hairs. Just be warned... you do NOT want deodorant/antiperspirant on your tongue. So if you're getting oral regularly, waxing or trimming is recommended over shaving+Secret.

I agree though... Our V's are OURS. Mine, mine, mine, mine. While I have and would experiment for a partner, when you get to the bottom line, it's our body. Keep it how you like. I've seen thousands of women naked (for me job). As usual in the hair dept. blondes and redheads seem to have it the "easiest", as in whatever they do looks grand, and brunettes have it harder. But it's YOUR body. Do what makes YOU happy.

It's fun to have this conversation with nurses who work in offices that perform annual exams - it's very generational, and it's very much what the trends are. The 1970's were much more about au naturale, 80's/90's trimmed, and 21st century is bare minimum generally speaking.

I lost almost all of mine during chemo - no one ever thinks about that when you see someone bald from treatment. I cracked a joke with my OB/GYN at an exam because I was embarrassed that I did look like a 10 year-old girl. I said, "I know it looks like I got a brazilian wax.....", he responded "Yes, but this was much more expensive and painful".

Interestingly, this was a topic of conversation during a lecture in college (Bio major) as to why the human body still has it. It's to reduce friction during sex believe it or not to make the experience more enjoyable. So, what we do for aesthetics actually contradicts what nature intends it for.

Personally, I take the middle ground.

I'm with you. I think it's sick that any man would prefer the pre-pubescent look:( I shave my bikini line and trim my hair so that when he goes down it's not a forest. But I get enough itchy, ingrown bumps just shaving the bikini line, I can't imagine what it would feel like to do everything:(
Tell him the day he shaves off all his, you'll do yours :)

This whole post is cracking me up :)

I am lazy. I used to keep fairly trim, but now even that is hit or miss. I trim it up occasionally. I have had various levels of bareness, but only once or twice completely bare and it just itched and annoyed me so much I didn't stick with that. I did have laser removal a few years ago which cleaned it up and thinned it so that I don't really have to bother with it much now. After getting pregnant it started growing back so it isn't groomed looking anymore by itself, but it doesn't annoy me like it used to to leave it alone for a while. I don't shave my legs as much as I used to either. Awful, I know! My hubby is out of town a lot, so I usually only bother when he is coming home. :)

Oh, I used to wax regularly (not bare but quite a bit of cleanup) and waxing doesn't hurt as much as you'd think. No where near as much as the couple days of itch after shaving. You just have to make sure you hold the skin taut. My waxing person used to have me help hold the skin at the top of the waxing strip tight while she pulled, and it didn't hurt much at all.

Been shaving completely bare for about 15 yrs. It started as just a lark and it felt so comfortable that it became habit. As for the worry over looking like a pre-pubescent girl never crossed my mind to be honest. An adult shaved vulva really doesn't look anything like a pre-pubescent one. Or I should say mine sure as heck don't look like it did before .
I know quite a few other women who prefer no hair. I also even know guys who shave as well.

Most women that I have seen (and I was on swim team for years, lol!) just shave the bikini line and leave it at that. I know nowadays many women will save most of it and leave just a "landing strip", which also sounds ok.

I agree with you about looking like a pre-pubescent girl. I would NEVER shave the whole thing (again...meaning I tried it once and HATED it). The sides and then trim the rest, yeah sure, but never shave the whole thing.

It's also possible that it's not really healthy to do so. Shaving causes microscopic nicks in the skin, no matter how careful you are and they can be a pathway for infection to your body. I don't think this would be an issue at the bikini line, but closer to the mucous membranes down there and it could cause some issues.

Your boyfriend needs to realize that variety is the spice of life. He's with you now for a reason. Does he really want you to morph into all of his exes?

Yes, I totally shave the whole "nether" region, gotta be careful of nicks though. My choice. I got tired of the guys choking on the pubs during oral intercourse. I also got tired of just shaving the bikini area and just started to gradually shave it all. I've been totally shaving for several years now and like it so much better. Hope this helps your curiosity.
V.

I completely shave about twice a month.. Why? I'm not sure, just a preference I guess. I'd rather not have a forest! I do got through a couple days of itch but it's not that bad and I think my skin is used to it. I think some guys find it more visually appealing too, not for the prepubescent look, but just to see what's underneath all that hair! But I think its a personal decision either way.

I have to say I was interested to read your responses, lol what does that say about me =) I will be honest in my answer!

In the past I always shaved down to the landing strip or a small triangle. Tried going bare a few times, but also felt like I looked like a little girl or something and that skeeved me a bit (no offense to anyone else), so went back to the landing strip. Well....along came pregnancy. Towards the end I got so big I couldn't even see my lady parts, lol and I stopped shaving for a couple months completely. Then two weeks before DD was due we decided to go to the beach and I knew I at least needed to shave my bikini line for a suit (nothing is worse than the old ladies with pubes hanging out of their suits at the beach!). Well I got myself a little hand mirror and went to work. It was fine until about two days later when I got the worst itching ever! Probably was extra sensitive due to the pregnancy. Well, I ended up delivering my daughter vaginally 2 days later with the worst rashing, razor burn and it was not pleasant!

Anyway, after that trauma I got a little gun-shy and lazy about shaving and the last couple years I just tidy up for the most part--bikini line and all that. Occasionally i will go back to the landing strip, times when I want to wear some really sexy panties or spice it up for DH. (he shaves his--although I have never asked him to, its just his preference). My DH says he doesn't care either way, but I know he likes at at least trimmed, especially if he is gonna be paying it a close visit ;-) I am 29 and I have to say that all my girlfriends shave all of it or very close to all of it, I definitely think it is a generational thing. Hope this wasn't TMI....

I personally will completely shave. It, for me, just feels more comfortable. Because I shave it is just quicker and easier to get rid of all the hair. I think it is all preference but I do know alot of women who completely shave. Either way, it is better than "au naturale" in my opinion.

Oh the itching! Where the heck did he live, Brazil?? I try to tidy up a bit but can range anywhere from natural to landing strip. Sheesh, the effort it would take to maintain THAT would not be worth it to me. BUT I am a brunette and I think we brunettes got a raw deal in the pubic hair department.

I shave most of it, but sometimes leave some in front to avoid having to deal with razor bumps and ingrown hairs. If anyone has a solution for that, send me a message :) Does he have an issue with the hair? Is he clean shaven?

NO! And not all women do that, believe me! Me, and many other women I've known over the years, believe it's very odd for a man to like bald privates like a little girl who hasn't hit puberty yet. Pretty disgusting when you think about it, cuz only prepubecent girls are bald, so ewwww! Most women will try the bikini area, and may trim the overall length if it lengthens, like due to pregnancy or hormones in general.

Trim it the way you want! It's your body, for crying out loud!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat
events and chat within 2 hour radius

Well my husband and I agree that no one should have hair from the neck down. So if you get my drift, neither one of us do. Now he does buzz his legs and doesn't shave them completely, but very very short. I don't like hairy men, but that is my preference. Some of my friends love hairy men and the sound of rubbing my hands across a hairy chest or other area grosses the heck out of me. Good luck with your choice. Oh and it does feel a lot cleaner down there in my opinion. No more toliet paper sticking HAHA!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/183248/three_rea...

wow I am in the minority, I am pretty much natural, if I wear a bathing suit I will trim the sides and the length a little, I have shaved it off a couple of times, but it itches so horribly!
my hubby likes the natural look, so i am lucky!

I do believe thought that it is there for a reason, so why get rid of it?, but maybe I am a prude?

I'm not COMPLETELY shaved, but I've got he bare minimal down there ie: a landing strip. I've been au naturale for years with just shaving the sides, but it itched, so a little over a year ago, I started getting waxed. It's the best thing that I ever did! I feel so much cleaner and appealing if you will, at least my husband is thrilled with it too! All of my friends are groomed pretty much the same way from what they've said. I don't hear of very many women around my age that aren't groomed or waxed bare and I'm 32!

I don't believe him either. He is just trying to tell you that he wants you to do it!

I usually just trim because I'm a single mom and no one sees anything down there ever [yeah it's been a while... a long while!]. When the hair starts to get sort of long I feel uncomfortable and trim again.
I completely shave once in a while, but I always regret it! It feels good for one day, and then I start to get red bumps, then there's itching, ingrown hairs, etc...it's a whole lot of trouble and recovery for one day of smoothness, and totally not something I would do very often, even if I had a man in my life.
I have had a full wax done one time, and it hurt like heck! There were still little tiny hairs left that weren't removed with the wax, so I felt like it was a waste of money. I still got red bumps after the waxing too. It did delay the itching and ingrown hairs for a little longer at least.
Anyway, it's up to you, but I would say try it and surprise your husband, and then maybe do it every once in a while just to spice things up

Like you, I don't like the hairless look for the same reasons. I'm a grown woman, I should have pubic hair! That being said, I do shave (bikini line) and trim so it's all neat and tidy. My husband has never complained. :D

I do have friends that have told me they've gone Brazillian. They rave about it, but it's their preference.

I shave completely below leaving a trimmed upside down triangle up top. I've been shaving like this for about 15 yrs. I prefer it this way so does my husband (he shaves too only leaving a bit of trimmed hair). It just feels sexier and even hightens the sexual experience.

I must say that it did feel weird to be bare when I first started shaving but now it feels weird to have more than a few days of growth.

Shaving everything would remind me too much of being in the hospital for surgery which has happened far too many times. I hated it and I hated the itchiness that accompanied things growing back.
I'm not very hairy so just keeping things tidy is enough for me.
It's all a personal preference, but I've never known a man who wanted the whole thing shaved let alone say every woman he's been with does it.

I personally wouldn't believe your fiance and tend to think he wants you to try it and by saying ALL the other women he's been with will make you more apt to do it for him.

No offense, but how soon does that really start? "All my other girlfriends would go all the way........"
If it doesn't bother you, try it. But if you don't like it, then don't feel like you have to because of what he says other women have done.
My ex husband used to try to pull that stuff with me regarding numerous things. "All the other women I've been with did it...."
I would just say, "Really? Interestingly enough, after all that, you're not married to any of them."

Just do what makes you comfortable.

Usually I am Au Natural, but if I do take a bit o' hair it's just off the sides. My husband has never had an issue with it. And, the one time I did "take it all off" it was so WIERD!! When everything started growing back I itched forever. I see women all the time at the gym and have yet to see ONE woman nude down there. (not like I'm checking it out, but you know what I mean). Personally I think it's wierd that a grown man wants a woman to look like a girl. Besides, the hair is there for a reason!
L.

Hi, L.:

It is about your preference. Not his.
If it is cause for discussion/conflict I would wonder
about what will be up next for a discussion.
Do what your higher knowing tells you to do.
Good luck. D.

I just watched yesterday the show "The Doctors" and that was one of their topics. They said hygiene wise it is cleaner to groom that area. They said the best way is to get it waxed because shaving can lead to ingrown hairs and cuts that can get infected and makes it easier to get an STD. I personally shave using conditioner to soften the area. But like you, I don't shave it all because I too feel like a little girl. There are many different styles like the landing strip and different time consuming styles. So to answer your question, you don't have to shave or remove hair down there. It's all on preference.

I can't believe I am writing this on the internet but here goes. I do shave, for me it's about being clean. I don't care how close I am shaved I do both close and completely. Call me paranoid I just don't like feeling dirty.

I don't get rid of it all , I don't like that. I use cream to do my bikini line and have a general tidy up down there but that's it.

I use cream to "trim down" the area and scissors to keep my lady parts looking neat. I hate waxing and shaving gives me blisters.

i don't believe in hair except on my head.
so yeah, i wouldn't have it otherwise.

I started having "custom waxing" about 3 years ago. Although I have never taken it ALL off (I have the same issue as you about it looking like a pre-pubescent girl), I usually just leave the "landing strip" and have everything else from pubic bone to tail bone removed. I don't do it for someone else, but rather because I like to wear teeny tiny bikinis when I go to Mexico. In between, I use a small Wahl clippers with no guard on it to shave it close to the skin rather than a razor (ouch!).

I do think that it is a personal preference and shouldn't be "forced" on you by someone else. However, I wouldn't mind trying it (if I hadn't done it before) once if my boyfriend/husband asked me - it isn't permanent or anything :) If you are not up to having a wax done, try the clipper with no guard or the guard pushed really low. Less itching than a razor and less chance of ingrown hairs or itching on regrowth (especially if you leave the guard on). Also, to help with the ingrown hairs, use a loofa and exfoliate the area each time you shower to stimulate the skin over the area of regrowth to keep the skin from growing over so tough it cannot break through. Also, places that do brazilian/custom waxing sell special lotions to help with irritation, itching, etc that you can buy without having the wax done (Aveda will sell this to you).

Good luck!

I'm 43 and when I was in college nobody shaved anything off except what would stick out from a bathing suit. Men NEVER shaved anything.

I am told that college girls these days all shave everything. And that many young men do too. Probably this has been true for a while, but I'm not sure how long, say up to 10 years? That's a guess.

Removing all the hair can be expensive (laser) ... painful, I've had a few nearly-Brazilian waxes and that's approaching labor.... or just a lot of work. My legs and pits present enough acreage as it is.

Shaving is difficult because if you go against the direction of growth you get razor bumps and ingrowns, and if you are like me, the hair grows in every direction in the exact places where it's most likely to show. (By the way, there is a product called Tend Skin that works miracles on razor bumps, and if you can't find that, products targeting african american men for shaving are similar, but I don't want to be dousing myself with salycilic acid every other day near my mucous membranes.)

Even if it were very easy, I like having some pubic hair. I don't think it's dirty, I wash it. My daughters are little girls, they don't have any. I am a grown up, I've got plenty and my husband has never said a word about it one way or the other. If he didn't like it, I would listen to his opinion, but I don't think he thinks about it either. It certainly isn't effective birth control!

Do what pleases YOU, my furry friend!

I trim but I don't shave. I tried that once and the itching and stubble was horrible as it grew back, not to mention the ingrown hair problems. I think a lot depends upon how much hair you have to deal with down there. It's going to be different for everyone.
It's something you and your fiance are going to have to work out (hopefully before the honeymoon). How would he like to shave his nether region? Some guys do, and others are hairy beasts. He might be stating his preference or maybe he prefers that you are different from the women in his past.

I shave it all of a few times a month (too lazy to keep it up everyday). I FEEL cleaner (not that having hair makes it unclean--I just feel that way) and my husband loves it. He completely shaves too (his own preference). Most of the women I know shave completely.

Updated

I shave it all of a few times a month (too lazy to keep it up everyday). I FEEL cleaner (not that having hair makes it unclean--I just feel that way) and my husband loves it. He completely shaves too (his own preference). Most of the women I know shave completely.

I know you got your responses here, but this made me smile. My husband has asked me to shave there, even though I have told him that, to my knowledge, most women do not completely shave, and that our bodies need a little bit of protection there. If he complains abour razor burn and grows his mountain man beard in the winter, I can only imagine what having that area full of red bumps would feel like. Yuck. :)

I keep things tidy (trimmed) and keep the shape clean, but have never shaved the whole area (except once when I was about 10 or so and freaked out when I saw hair growing). He keeps saying it would be a really nice treat some year for his birthday and I tell him I'll think about it but not to get his hopes up. I can't get over how much I do NOT want to do that. :) That said, he has one female friend who does shave there (he/I/we asked her--rather candid friend), and apparently her boyfriend at the time used Nair on himself there as well. Now THAT would freak me out! :D

I just trim. I have a huge problem with ingrown hairs so shaving is out of the question. I do want to try waxing (ugh!) but for now i trim it up. I don't want a jungle down there!!

Nope, other than the occasional trim, I am going au natural.
My hubby prefers it that way, too. He says shaved women weird him out since he's not interested in being with someone that looks like an 11 year old.

I know it's up yo personal preference, but I do have to say I agree with him, growing women imitating prepubescent girls does have a touch of perversion in my eyes... but that's just a personal feeling - no judgment passed...

I get rid of all of it because it always ends up lopsided if I don't.