When it comes to personal hygiene, one major aspect that has
been trailed by diverse reactions is the issue of keeping or doing away
with pubic hair, the hair that grows in the frontal genital area of
humans, located on and around the sex organs of both male and female.
To
some, nothing else nauseates like seeing hair in their partner’s
private part, while some people are delighted by it as the sight of it
is even a major turn-on for them, and to some others, it really does not
matter whether the hair is kept intact or not.
To Mr. Johnson
Agbede, a lecturer in his mid 50s, there are a few other things that are
as disgusting
as seeing a hairy private part. “You know how it feels
when you see thick (sometimes coloured) hair in someone’s armpit? That
is the way I feel when I imagine anyone keeping his or her pubic hair.
My wife knows and she dares not keep it. I don’t keep mine too and I
make sure I shave every Saturday,” he added.
Agbede, who is a
father of three, said he believes the hair should never be allowed to
grow because, according to him, it tends to harbour dirt and cause body
odour over time. “Keeping it just does not make sense. For what
purpose?” he queried.
But just as much as Agbede despises pubic
hair, Mrs. Taiwo Peters, a business woman and mother of two, says she
sees nothing wrong with keeping the hair in that region “as long as it
is kept clean.” Perhaps, her stance is also informed by her husband’s
preference for keeping it intact.
“My husband tells me that
seeing it turns him on and that the moment I shave it, I would be on my
own. I could trim it mildly but not absolute removal. For him too, he
doesn’t shave but he could trim it when it is becoming too bushy.”
Interestingly,
those who support it say getting rid of the hair makes them feel clean
and fresh while those against it say it does not allow for friction
during sex and that leaving it is not harmful in any way. Thus, the
argument keeps going back and forth. Findings however revealed that most
people shave their pubic hair and their reasons differ.
Notably,
the methods people use to get rid of the pubic hair include shaving
(with the use of razor, clipper or scissors), creaming and waxing, which
is a form of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from
the root before new hair starts to grow back in the area between four
and six weeks.
But according to some experts, pubic hair should
not be shaved; rather, it should be left as it grows because of the
roles it plays as a cover that shields the organs from avoidable
infections and friction. They noted that shaving could open up the skin
for pathogens bacteria and viruses, thereby increasing the spread of
sexually transmitted infections, skin irritation and other skin
infections, like Molluscum contagiosum.
In addition, they said
the removal of the hair could increase the risk of genital skin
infections because small cuts or scratches occasioned by the removal of
the hair could open the door for viruses to cause infections.
Even
though the situation applies to both men and women, a study published
on the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that about
60 per cent of women who shave their pubic hair were found to have at
least one health complication, and the most common health challenges
found were epidermal abrasion (a wound caused by superficial damage to
the skin) and ingrown hairs.
The study revealed further that
women who are obese are almost twice as likely to report a complication
and almost three times as likely if they have total hair removal.
A
consultant gynaecologist, Hugh Byrne, told United Kingdom Telegraph
that the removal of pubic hair could lead to abscess, a swollen area
within body tissue containing an accumulation of pus. He explained that
an increase in abscesses as reported had been caused by bacteria that
enter the body through the hair follicle that was left open. He however
said the solution to such infection could be through the use of
antibiotics or an operation.
According to a review of some
studies on Journal of American Medical Association, published on Mail
Online, the act of removing pubic hair could cause a deficit in the
mucous membrane of the skin, which could allow viruses or bacteria to
enter the body.
“Waxing causes deficit in the mucocutaneous
barrier that may be sufficient for viral entry and transmission,
potentially increasing the risk of acquiring STIs,” the report said.
The
report added that waxing as a form of removing pubic hair does not only
increase the risk of contracting STI, it also causes small injuries to
the skin, the underlying structures, micro tearing of muscle fibres, the
sheath around the muscle and the connective tissue. This in turn could
lead to spread of infection, burns, bumps that form under the surface of
the skin and folliculitis, which is an inflammation of the hair
follicles.
It noted, “Pubic hair waxing can also cause burns,
with most being superficial or partial-thickness burns, while bacteria
including staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pyogenes and pseudomonas
aeruginosa were found to be among the infections people are at risk of
contracting. They can be transmitted via contaminated waxing tools or
from the person performing the procedure.
“Individuals who wax
their pubic hair should be informed of this possible risk and perhaps be
advised to abstain from sexual activity for a certain period of time
after waxing.”
A gynaecologist, Dr. Olanrewaju Ekujumi, told
Saturday PUNCH that when one shaves newly, the risk of transmitting skin
infections to each other is high during sexual intercourse.
He
said, “When you shave, there tends to be opening where the hair has been
removed, it could be an avenue for organisms to penetrate and cause
infections. So, when you shave, maybe you should avoid sex, even though
it has also not been medically proven, theoretically, it is a
possibility.”
Ekujumi explained further that even though some
people feel very happy and comfortable when everything is nicely shaved,
leaving the pubic hair unshaved has no negative effect on the body. He
noted that the hair itself is a protective covering, such that before
anything gets into the body through those areas, it would have overcome
the hair first.
“In gynaecology, shaving has no medical
implication, apart from the bumps and other things that could come with
shaving or waxing. However, when someone shaves and the partner does
not, if the person who shaves has coarse hair, it could irritate the
person who does not shave,” he said.
When asked whether it is
advisable to shave or not, he said it depends on what individuals want,
but that instead of shaving, people could use scissors to trim the hair
so as not to open up the skin.
According to a dermatologist, Dr.
Funmilayo Ajose, there is no problem shaving or not shaving, but she
suggested that those who wish to shave should do it correctly to avoid
infections. However, she said people who have rashes when they shave
their beards or legs should not venture into shaving pubic hair. Reason?
She said rashes also tend to come up there and that it could be
multiplied in the pubic area because the place is warm and germs and
bacteria could rapidly multiply there.
She continued, “Some
people’s pubic hair can be so strong that it can cause friction for
their partner. So, it should be done in a way that it would not be prone
to infection or irritation and ensure it does not have a sharp end that
could make it a problem instead of being a solution. If in the process
of shaving, the hair curls back and pricks the skin, it could introduce
the germs that are outside the skin into the skin.
“However,
there are non-irritant shaving chemicals that can remove the hair
smoothly, but there is no harm leaving it and there is no harm shaving
it.”
She explained that leaving the pubic hair does not lead to
odour and shaving it does not reduce it, saying it depends on people’s
personal hygiene.
Source: Punch
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