Men have shaved down under for centuries, and “manscaping” has been considered an important part of hygiene for several reasons. But, most people want to know how often should you shave your pubes?
We all remember the first time we tried to do it when we were little boys and it most likely didn’t go so well, but the more we live and the more that bush grows, the more we learn and do it better. Shaving pubes is essential for every man’s grooming routine, but how often should you do it? Let’s find out!
When Did Men Start Shaving Their Pubes?
Like most things related to style or hygiene, the first honor goes to the Egyptians around 3000 BC. Shaving was a big thing for ancient Egyptians, which is why so many of the dudes in the paintings and statues are completely clean-shaven: hair, face, body, everything.
Shaving down there continued to be a big part of middle eastern culture, especially in the Arab region after the emergence of Islam.
It wasn’t just the east, however, manscaping spread all throughout the globe and it became even more common after the invention of the razor in the 18th century.
Is It Better To Keep Or Shave Pubic Hair?
While some will argue that it’s not completely necessary to shave your pubic hair, there’s a reason we’ve been shaving it for such a long time, and here are some reasons why:
It’s Cleaner: Like anything, shaving your pubes leads to an all-around cleaner area. If you keep too much hair down there, you risk getting more dust, debris, sweat, and even lice (ew). Sweat is the biggest offender here, and nobody likes the feeling of sweaty underwear.
Your Spouse Will Thank You: Pretty much most women prefer their husbands to have it clean shaven down there. Think about it, it just looks and feels uncomfortable and downright revolting sometimes when it grows way past its okay zone. If you want to keep your spouse happy, grab the razor.
It Can Make Things Better: Shaving your pubic hair may make you more sensitive and overall make things more pleasurable. This goes for both men and women.
How Often Should You Shave Your Pubes?
How Often Should Pubic Hair Be Shaved? If you’re thinking “Can I shave my pubic hair every day?” The answer is no, you really don’t need to. A good rule of thumb is to shave it once a week or once every two weeks.
With ball hair, the growth rate is actually slower so you can go from one to four weeks. Anything more than that and you’re just going overkill and may cut or nick yourself more often when you don’t need to.
You can even go longer periods if you prefer to keep a little bit, or if you’re simply trimming it with trimmers instead of razor shaving.
The only reason to shave more often is if you can’t stand the itchy feeling your stubble gives off, but even then, you can use moisturizers to lessen the blow.
Some men think that you need to do it daily to have things cleaner or more organized down under, but it doesn’t work that way. Shaving every day could really damage the skin, especially in the testicles area. Plus, it adds too much unnecessary time to your daily routine.
Shave, Wax, or Trim?
That’s an important question, but it’s really up to you. With waxing, that’s just unnecessarily painful and more commonly done for women. Just imagine the pain that comes with it, is it worth it? Absolutely not.
However, there is some evidence that may suggest that waxing can slow down the growth rate but it’s not going to be much.
Shaving is the classical method and the one that takes the most time, precision, and anxiety, especially when you get to the testicles.
The skin in the pubic area is quite sensitive, and taking a razor to it could be catastrophic if you’re not careful. Some of the possible negative outcomes include cuts, nicks, ingrown hairs, and irritation or redness.
If you still prefer to shave, however, then it’s best to find high-quality razors with good shaving cream or butter for sensitive skin. Also, you better perfect your technique by shaving on some other sensitive body parts first like the armpits, and then move on to the pubic area as the final level.
With trimming, you run far fewer risks. It’s not painful like waxing, and it’s not risky like shaving. The worst thing that can come out of it is some pulling or tugging from the trimmer blades if they need to be oiled.
With trimmers, you need the highest quality precision trimmers to avoid any problems. Here are some recommendations for the best ball shavers.
Another option becoming more and more popular is using hair removal creams, called depilatories, like Nair. Depilatories simply remove the hair when you apply them after a few minutes, and they’re proven to be safe and effective on the pubic area.
Depilatories are mostly used by women for their legs and private parts, but more and more men are also trying it out. For more about depilatories and Nair, click here.
How Many Men Manscape?
Studies have shown that around 50% of men manscape downstairs, for various reasons. It’s also still intrinsic in a lot of cultures that it’s preferred.
Some good news though, as you age the growth rate of your pubic hair slows down and you end up needing to shave it less and less.
How Fast Does Pubic Hair Grow?
Obviously, there are no one-size-fits-all answers with any kind of growth rate for any body part as different people grow hair at different rates. However, there’s still a ballpark.
Hair grows in three main stages: Anagen, when your hair starts growing, Catagen, where the hair kind of takes some downtime as it’s growing, and Telogen, when the hair completely stops growing.
So, will my pubic hair just continue growing forever? Thankfully, no. It gets to the Telogen stage and just stops. So, if you stop shaving your armpits or pubes for a long time, they will just stop at a point and not continue to grow until you’re Pubic Gandalf.
Your diet, genetics, overall well-being contribute to how fast your hair grows. For example, higher levels of testosterone and biotin make hair grow faster. Can you slow down your pubic hair growing?
As we’ve established, waxing is your go-to if you want to slow it down but again, is it really worth the pain for like a week or so of slower growth?
Will Shaving Your Pubes Make It Grow Faster?
Absolutely not. The myth of shaving, in general, making any of your hair, be it scalp, face, or body hair grow faster is just that: a myth.
When you shave, the hair grows back pointier, which gives off the illusion that it’s thicker or darker but it doesn’t actually grow back thicker or faster. Sorry for all the guys trying to grow beards that way out there.
Why many men choose not to manscape is for three reasons: It takes time, but that’s easily solvable with trimmers where you only need to go over it quickly. If you do it once every 2 weeks, on a weekend, for example, you don’t really have the time excuse.
Another reason is injury, as there is over 40% occurrence of cuts, nicks, bumps, and ingrown hairs. Again, with the proper tools and techniques and some extra stuff like moisturizing, using creams, and exfoliating the region, you’re good to go. As for itching, again, if you moisturize or use depilatories, it reduces the itching severely.
When Shouldn’t You Shave?
Sure, you don’t need to shave more than once every two weeks, but you also shouldn’t shave if you have any wounds, rashes, or sore skin. Shaving over injuries can lead to bigger wounds and infections. Just wait a little bit, and then get back to your pube-slashing.
How Can I Shave Without Getting Any Cuts?
There are simple tips for the smoothest shave possible. First of all, do not shave your pubes against the grain. You don’t need it baby smooth and hairless down there like your face. Shaving against the grain is too harsh, unnecessary, and could lead to irritation and redness.
Before you shave, wash the area with some warm water. This will make the hairs softer and easier to remove. Exfoliating is another good trick to have your skin cleared, primed, and ready.
Avoid alcohol at all costs, and that includes shaving foam. Use sensitive cream, butter, or gel for the best results, and make sure to moisturize afterward. Finally, your razor needs to be sharp. Dull blades will cause all sorts of problems.
Summary
In the end, shaving your pubes is good, comfortable, and hygienic. If you prefer to go natural, give it a try and see how it feels. By following some of the tips and tricks we’ve outlined, your pubic hair grooming game will surely be easier.