# why are they curly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727 "2000-02-20T02:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_XIII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@Jim\_XIII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_XIII)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/1 "2000-02-20T02:36:00Z")
Ok, call me crazy or whatever, but I have been pondering this question for too long and I need a logical answer. Since this is where questions find answers I will ask. Why the hell are pubic hairs curly even if someone is genitically predisposed to have straight hair?? Makes no sense to me please help. * * * Jim has spoken ---
**Author:** ![meara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@meara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meara)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/2 "2000-02-20T02:45:00Z")
I would guess it has something to do with: A) Short hair is generally curlier than long hair since it’s not as heavy B) Pubic hair is usually constricted, so tends to curl instead of growing in a straight line (since your underwear is in the way) C) It also tends to be more wiry, which better holds a curl Just my WAGs ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/3 "2000-02-20T02:51:00Z")
A documentary on either The Discovery or Learning channels a year or two ago speculated that the curly hairs tended to trap juices and hence scents better. That doesn’t have a whole lot of relevance in these times of daily showering and Feminine Deodorant Spray, but back in the Cave Man days, it was helpful in detecting/attracting mates and passing along your little bundles of genes. * * * “You should tell the truth, expose the lies and live in the moment.” - Bill Hicks ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/4 "2000-02-20T03:26:00Z")
Despite tradition, mine are neither short, nor curly. TMI? * * * **-PIGEONMAN-** [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Shadow of the Pigeon** - Weirdo of the Night ---
**Author:** ![Salieri2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Salieri2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salieri2)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/5 "2000-02-20T03:40:00Z")
TMI. ---
**Author:** ![jaydabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@jaydabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaydabee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/6 "2000-02-20T04:05:00Z")
Because if they were straight they would poke you in the eyes! ---
**Author:** ![splu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@splu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splu)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/7 "2000-02-20T04:59:00Z")
The hair folicles in that region are for some reason shaped differently than in other places. Thus curly hair. That is why some people have curly hair on their head too. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/8 "2000-02-20T09:19:00Z")
No doubt GuanoLad then has curly hair on his head. Somebody apparently really believed that “Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.” Ray (Now let’s get back to the right-hand rule. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/9 "2000-02-20T14:06:00Z")
My girlfriend’s pubic hairs are straight and silky, not wiry or curly. I rather like it. Softer. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/10 "2000-02-20T16:21:00Z")
Jim\_XIII, you mean why are yours curly? Who knows. It’s one of those questions that arent ever going to have a set answer. Not everyone has curly pubic hair. * * * “Men are like parking spaces, the available ones are handicapped.” ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/11 "2000-02-20T16:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by jaydabee: > **Because if they were straight they would poke you in the eyes!** dammit. I’d hoped to be the first to reply with that joke. ☹ * * * Mayor of [Snerdville](http://fathom.org/snerdville), the home of Mortimer Snerd “I’m just too much for human existence – I should be animated.” –Wayne Knight ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/12 "2000-02-20T23:21:00Z")
if they were straight they would get caught in your zipper. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/13 "2000-02-21T00:08:00Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s one of those questions that arent ever going to have a set answer. You mean, if you put them in an uncurler, you can’t set them. . .straight, that is? Certainly East Asian ones aren’t curly. Ray (. . .and when she was bad, she was horrid. Sorry, wrong end.) ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/14 "2000-02-21T02:30:00Z")
Better shock absorption??? ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/15 "2000-02-24T00:34:00Z")
I actually know this!! I saw it on the Learning Channel–pubic hairs are flatter than regular hairs and curl because of that. ---
**Author:** ![siva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@siva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siva)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/16 "2000-02-26T04:00:00Z")
I think it has to do with ethnicity. my pubes arent curly ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/17 "2000-02-26T06:29:00Z")
and how come they don’t grow long like your head hair? so you don’t have to go to the barber? * * * and the stars o’erhead were dancing heel to toe ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/18 "2000-02-26T06:36:00Z")
The hair on my head is curly. If God was fair my pubes would be straight. Alas,I can only conclude that God is not fair, as my pubes are just as curly if not curlier than my head hair. * * * I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-curly/7727/19 "2000-02-26T13:59:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by handy: > \*\*Not everyone has curly pubic hair. > \*\* Really! All this time I thought I was a freak. Well no more curling iron and plastic rolls at night for me. Fitting in can be such a pain!