# Pubic hair's higher purpose. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 10, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325 "2002-06-10T22:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/1 "2002-06-10T22:56:28Z")
My ex’s physician told her to stop shaving her mons because the hair there acted as a cushion against impact during intercourse and at the time my ex was complaining of pain in her pubis. Evolutionarily speaking perhaps females with a thick pubic “bush” could engage in more frequent sex and therefore concieve more often? Also it seems that there is often hair in areas where the might be chafing if there were no hair there, armpits and between the legs in particular. I do notice that when I shave my groi8n in the summer (or when I used to anyhow) I would get a heat rash like effect which I have not gotten since i ceased shaving in the warmer months. ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/2 "2002-06-11T01:56:09Z")
hmmm, I don’t have a cite, but I have always refused my boyfriend’s requests to shave my nether regions because it “wards of infections” (and it itches really bad when it grows back). I don’t remember where I learned the infections theory, anyone else heard this? ---
**Author:** ![gove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/0ea827/32.png) [@gove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gove)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/3 "2002-06-11T02:30:32Z")
My off-color mexican roommate, when presented with the idea that pubic hair was for friction, raised his shirt to show off his hairy chest. “See this hair. It’s for friction, too.” ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/4 "2002-06-11T02:34:51Z")
I’m assuming they must be running the column on pubic hair… [checks Home Page] Ah… [What’s the purpose of pubic hair?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_064a.html). ---
**Author:** ![fgarriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c6cbf5/32.png) [@fgarriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fgarriel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/5 "2002-06-11T10:47:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gove \* > \*\*My off-color mexican roommate, when presented with the idea that pubic hair was for friction, raised his shirt to show off his hairy chest. “See this hair. It’s for friction, too.” \*\* The first time I read through this, I subconciously read all the “his” as “hers”… ---
**Author:** ![Arrowzona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Arrowzona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrowzona)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/6 "2002-06-11T16:32:30Z")
The function of pubic hair is to prevent friction when we walk – it reduces skin-on-skin chafing both by providing oils and by acting as a bearings (I’d say “ball bearings”, but you guys would lose all composure). That was a big evolutionary advantage when we were running away from lions. Pit hair serves the same purpose. ---
**Author:** ![akreventlov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@akreventlov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akreventlov)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/7 "2002-06-11T16:33:22Z")
Sorry, but I was watching this, and I can’t believe that no one has thought of this yet…think as to where you grow hair, you grow hair on your head, your torso (for men), armpits and your pubic regions. Basically anywhere you have a heat source in your body. The hair is used for insulation to keep the heat in. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/8 "2002-06-11T17:08:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by akreventlov \* > \*\*Sorry, but I was watching this, and I can’t believe that no one has thought of this yet…think as to where you grow hair, you grow hair on your head, your torso (for men), armpits and your pubic regions. Basically anywhere you have a heat source in your body. The hair is used for insulation to keep the heat in. \*\* Unlikely. Hominids tend to move about with their arms at their sides and their legs joined at the crotch. Both provide plenty of insulation, and in fact if there were no hair at either crotch or pit I would state that the insulation level would be greater with smooth skin-to-skin contact sealed even moreso by body oils and sweat. Maybe if we went about with our arms constantly raised up in the air and all walked bowlegged like Popeye, but as it stands your theory does not hold up. ---
**Author:** ![akreventlov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@akreventlov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akreventlov)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/9 "2002-06-11T17:38:00Z")
I respectfully disagree. If you look through a heat-detecting scanner at a human body, you will see that the places on the body that produce the most heat also produce the most hair. Secondly, if you think where the major arteries and veins flow through the body, it makes sense that you would need further insulation there. ---
**Author:** ![Arrowzona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Arrowzona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrowzona)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/10 "2002-06-11T17:49:58Z")
I don’t think it could be to keep the public area warm, because in men keeping it warm reduces fertility. That’s why they’re on the outside to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/11 "2002-06-11T18:00:46Z")
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in thy post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by our friend Duck Duck Goose. * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/12 "2002-06-11T19:07:28Z")
I’m going with the OP’s “lubrication” hypothesis. We grow body hair in thick patches in the precise locations where ordinary movement would result in chafing. I support this by noting that “sweat” glands are more abuntant in these areas than elsewhere on the body. Fur+sweat=no chafing. Give yourself an “Indian Burn” on the arm and think about what you would get after just one day of walking around normally. I’m inclinded to place things like chest hair in the “vestigal” category. Of course, this explanation breaks down if I have to consider head and facial hair. ---
**Author:** ![akreventlov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@akreventlov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akreventlov)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/13 "2002-06-11T19:56:04Z")
Well, after doing a google search, I found this link that says that ALL our explanations are good… [http://www.puberty101.com/p\_pubichair.shtml](http://www.puberty101.com/p_pubichair.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/14 "2002-06-12T12:09:58Z")
Having recently trimmed the bush and shaved the old funflaps and inner thighs for the first time ever, I can say that chafing/itching due to walking is a small, but noticeable difference between the fully haired up and no hair states. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/15 "2002-06-12T19:30:29Z")
Upon further review, my initial post in this thread looks fundamentally stupid. Please disregard my completely ignorant speculation. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Arrowzona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Arrowzona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrowzona)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/16 "2002-06-12T22:36:40Z")
You’re certainly right about head hair. And you were right about chest hair being vestigial – facial hair is, too. That’s why women have neither. ---
**Author:** ![akreventlov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@akreventlov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akreventlov)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/17 "2002-06-13T16:02:21Z")
My facial hair is far from vestigal…its multipurpose! Not only does it keep my chin warm, but it makes me look damn sexy. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubic-hairs-higher-purpose/113325/18 "2002-06-14T16:54:36Z")
I was watching the Vagina Monologues, thats on VHS & dvd now, & the lady said that pubic hair reduces friction & protects her vagina during sex. She shaved it off once & this tested her theory. I don’t know if Cecil does any hands on experience with these sorts of things 🙂