# Total elimination of body hair??
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 6, 2006, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711 "2006-01-06T05:53:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/1 "2006-01-06T05:53:07Z")
Since becoming single again about a year ago, I keep meeting men who are obsessed with women being clean shaven/waxed down below. When did this happen? How many of you prefer this too? It’s not just their women they prefer clean shaven, they clean shave their balls too - is it because we have more oral sex than ever before and it prevents fur balls or what?
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/2 "2006-01-06T05:57:34Z")
I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced having sex with a shaved woman. But I’ve seen pictures, of course. Aesthetically, anyway, I like some hair. (Not that I’m in a position to be choosy.)
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### Author:  [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/3 "2006-01-06T06:06:53Z")
Your guess is right, IMO. I’m not a fan of pubes in my teeth.
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### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/4 "2006-01-06T06:09:41Z")
I don’t mind trimmed and it’s nice to see she puts some effort into it, but I’m not a fan of the clean-shaven thing. As for me personally, the ladyfriend likes it trimmed and so trimmed it is. I won’t shave totally because it itches like a mo-fo unless I put way more work into maintaining than I’m really willing to do.
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### Author:  [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/5 "2006-01-06T07:46:35Z")
I’m not a big fan of body hair myself. Even dark or somewhat thick eyebrows is kind of a turn off for me. I prefer well trimmed or shaved. Of course, I enjoy going downtown to eat _wink-wink_ and I don’t feel I need to floss after EVERY meal.
Oddly, I like long hair on my lady friends.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/6 "2006-01-06T07:57:07Z")
Porn.
Which doesn’t really answer the question…why changed between the noteable furry '70’s and now? I dunno, I think when they started going in for the…close-ups…they wanted everything else out of the way.
And once guys got used to seeing it, they got used to seeing it.
Beyond that though I think it became a preference for the noted reason. Better oral sex. In both directions though, not just less pubes in the teeth, but also more available exposed skin…plenty of good nerve endings on the mons venus (and the hairless balls). Why cover them up?
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### Author:  [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/7 "2006-01-06T08:19:15Z")
Thanks guys - the change of porn is interesting too - I guess this would have escaped my notice, not having viewed much.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/8 "2006-01-06T10:21:11Z")
I understand (from some unremembered source) that female pubes were considered odd or dirty or some-such during the 1800s when young men first saw female nakedness in marble statues.
No cite, no attestation of accuracy.
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### Author:  [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/9 "2006-01-06T10:41:19Z")
This is one time I am relieved to be a (married) old hippie over 50.
My husband and I are just not into that kind of maintenance; I don’t mind a little hair; I know it’s clean.
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### Author:  [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/10 "2006-01-06T10:54:58Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#):
>
> I understand (from some unremembered source) that female pubes were considered odd or dirty or some-such during the 1800s when young men first saw female nakedness in marble statues.
>
> No cite, no attestation of accuracy.
Many marble statues have (marble) pubic hair (ex. Michelangelo’s David). But isn’t it so, that it has been custom for a long time for Saudi women to prefer bald pussies?
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### Author:  [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/11 "2006-01-06T11:18:08Z")
Crikey!
This is obviously where my real ignorance lies! It would never have even occurred to my to shave/trim down there, except maybe so that it doesn’t stick out of a swimsuit.
Genuinely curious. Any woman that comes in here that does shave those bits. Do you do that yourself or have it done? If you do it yourself, do you do it with wax or a razor or something else?
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### Author:  [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/12 "2006-01-06T11:46:43Z")
I don’t think it’s just porn that’s behind the change. I think there is a lot more clothing for women that shows off more of the perigenital area, so women are already doing a lot more depilitating there.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/13 "2006-01-06T13:18:11Z")
Have oral sex just before you shave and just after. (After you clean up, of course!) The difference is astronomical.
Wax! _screams_ No, my skin is fairly sensitive, so wax isn’t going to work. I use a razor, it’s called the intuition. It hangs right inside the shower and has a little soap strip attached to it. Every so often I have to actually sit down and do it thoroughly, but I can maintain it right in the shower.
And have it done? Er…I’m fairly progressive and modern but still no one is getting down there but myself, my boyfriend, and my gyno.
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/14 "2006-01-06T15:18:31Z")
Much like facial hair, and the hair on your head, I see no reason why people shouldn’t feel the need to control the more private areas of interest.
I’m all for hairless bodies on women. I just find the fairer sex… fairer that way.
As for men, well, a little grooming and shaving is not out of the realm of possibilities.
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### Author:  [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/15 "2006-01-06T15:48:40Z")
I do a fair amount of landscaping, but I find removing \*all \* of it to be more trouble than it’s worth. There are places that I simply do not want stubble, ever.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/16 "2006-01-06T15:54:29Z")
A related essay that I found amusing…(registration required). “I have seen the future and it is denuded.”
> **[Our Vaginas, Ourselves (Published 2006)](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/magazine/our-vaginas-ourselves.html)**
>
> It was bad enough that women had to scrutinize every other inch of their bodies -- now this too?
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### Author:  [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/17 "2006-01-06T16:14:49Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#):
>
> A related essay that I found amusing…(registration required). “I have seen the future and it is denuded.”
>
> [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/magazine/01wwln\_lead.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/magazine/01wwln_lead.html)
Whatta whiner. Like shaving my chin every morning isn’t a pain in the ass, but looking like Grizzly Adams is not the in thing at the moment.
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### Author:  [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/18 "2006-01-06T16:39:43Z")
My boyfriend loves me in my _natural state,_ thank goodness. He said he was relieved to find out for the first time that I didn’t shave down there. He thinks it’s completely sexy. 😉 It has no negative impact on oral sex at all.
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### Author:  [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/19 "2006-01-06T16:55:22Z")
I’ve tried shaving down there a couple of times. However, I have very sensitive skin and the resulting razor bumps were incredibly unattractive. Plus, I do _not_ want stubble there.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-elimination-of-body-hair/338711/20 "2006-01-06T17:08:18Z")
Yes, it is a requirement for all observant Muslims to shave their arm pits and leg pit. Both genders.
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