Tips for Going Bare
I’ve talked about hair removal before here and here but I have been getting so many questions about it lately that I’ve decided to publish a comprehensive post about the three main ways to get rid of pubic hair (as painlessly as possible).
For all of these methods, it works best if your trim your pubic hair first with sissors. That way it will be easier to see what you’re doing and things will be less messy. You want the hairs to be around a quarter to half an inch long (that’s 6 mm – 13mm).
Shaving :
It’s a myth that shaving makes the hair grow back thicker, so don’t let that stop you.
Personally, this is my least preferred form of hair removal because I find that we’re more likely to get ingrown hairs this way, but if you’re set on shaving (or it’s your only option), here are some tips.
Shave with the grain of your hair as much as possible, I know it seems like you won’t get as close a shave this way, but you still can get quite close and you’ll decrease your chances of getting ingrown hairs.
If you’re going to leave a patch of hair for decoration/direction, try not to be too much of a perfectionist. It’s far too easy to worry too much about making things even and ending up with no hair at all!
Both men and women may want to shower before shaving. Showering makes your hair softer and easier to shave, which means less irritation, and the hot water will open your pores. You’ll also want to work in that shave gel to soften the hair. Use a new, sharp razor and rinse it often to prevent it from getting clogged or stuck.
And splash on some cold water when you are done to close the pores up again.
To recap from my previous post for men – personally I think that trimming is enough to show off your length. Guys often have darker and more profuse body hair so it can look odd if they shave off all of their pubic hair.
That said, you still might want to shave off any of the stray hairs that are creeping up your shaft, closer to the base and you could consider shaving your balls.
For these two jobs, the razor you use on your face is probably good enough (esp if you use a fancy razor with more blades, you’ll be less likely the cut yourself). As I said before, the most important thing is to hold the skin taut – wrinkled skin = cuts – you’ll want to shave your balls slowly and carefully.
Waxing (or using body sugar – a thick sticky syrupy product):
Overall I would recommend having your waxing done by an experienced professional. You’re less likely to end up bruised or injured (or only half waxed) and it’s easier to have it done by someone else who can see those nooks and crannies from a different angle.
If you must do your waxing/sugaring at home, for whatever reason, here are some tips.
Usually, if men are going to wax they are going to wax their back, chest, or ass (PLEASE be EXTREMELY careful when trying to wax your balls yourself!), so guys, feel free to follow along.
Before you wax you’ll want to exfoliate the skin to help raise the hairs, making them easier to extract. Some people also recommend applying some baby oil the day before to help soften the follicles (but make sure the area isn’t oily when you are waxing).
You should also consider taking some ibuprofen or advil (which contains ibuprofen) before and a few hours after, because this will help keep the swelling down.
MAKE SURE YOU STRETCH THE SKIN TIGHT – loose skin = bad waxing and pain.
Apply the wax/sugar in thin strips (1 inch or half inch strips), this will help you make sure that the skin is tight and will reduce the pain.
Rip the strips off against the grain, in one quick motion. Make sure you keep your hand close to your body – if you rip straight up you risk bruising or injuring your skin.
Afterwards you’ll want to make sure that you get rid of all the residual wax/sugar left on your skin. This is why I prefer the body sugar – it’s water soluble.
Apply a cool cloth and/or any lotion that came with your kit. It’s also recommended to apply an antibiotic lotion/gel like neosporin.
Depilatory Cream (like Nair or Veet):
This method is great for people who don’t like pain or ingrown hairs and whose skin can handle the chemicals. This method is not for everyone – some people have sensitive skin that will get very irritated by depilatory creams.
Still, even people with sturdy skin need to make sure that they don’t get the cream on their most sensitive areas, like close to your anus or vaginal opening. If you’re using this method it’s a good idea to wet your finger(s) after applying the cream to clean it away from the inner labia, the perineum, and anus.
This method is pretty simple – trim the hair, apply the cream where you want the hair to go away, wash your hands, set the timer (DO NOT go over the recommended time), and rinse. If your skin feels a bit “funny” after using the cream, try rubbing on some aloe cream/gel.
Disclaimer:
Now, I’m not saying that you have to get rid of all your pubic hair – how much or how little you take off as you prepare for the hot weather and bikini/Speedo season (or for whatever occasion) is up to you and your own preferences. As I’ve said, sometimes just giving things a good trim is enough to make you feel fresh and sexy and let the beauty of your naughty bits shine.
Now I expect you all to go clean yourselves up and send in pictures for me to use on Wednesdays. ^_~
cock, shaving, grooming, pubic hair, shaving pussy, waxing, waxing tips, shaving tips, pubic shaving, pubic waxing, bare, pussy
Posted: March 7th, 2006 under pubic hair.
Comments
Comment from Lord & Ms C
Time March 6, 2006 at 10:37 pm
I agree with you Pornster…I shave my cock with little problem. I find applying a cold flannel after shaving – not for the fainthearted…closes the pores down there and prevents spots etc.
In fact I’ve just finished shaving Miss C…more than a pleasent experience {bliss!} though come the summer I have no doubt she’ll go to a salon for the occasional wax – ouch!
Lord C x
Comment from Madame X
Time March 7, 2006 at 12:28 am
Ladies bite the bullet and have a professional wax job!
Sure it hurts but the results are AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Comment from Goose and Gander
Time March 7, 2006 at 3:38 am
I’d rather the wax for 5 minutes than the icky itch of the shave growing back in. But waxing is costly….
that being said, I like the smoothness regardless.
Comment from Aragorn
Time March 7, 2006 at 4:09 am
Lol, great idea ! I prefer the electric shave, fast and easy, leaving a trail … And, yes, the hairs on the shaft are so easily overlooked ! Cute ! – A
Comment from Dielo
Time March 7, 2006 at 11:20 am
What the dealio with not waxing balls? Isn’t that part of the “back, sac & crack” waxing procedure at salons?
Never waxed myself or anything, just wondering what the problems might be.
Comment from Shay
Time March 7, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Pornster – thanks for the input! ^_^ I guess some guys are just afraid to have sharp things by their “delicate” bits. But you’re right – razors are pretty safe to use down there (esp if you already know how to shave your face).
LordC – Great tip! Also, thanks for the hot visual of you shaving Ms C ^_~
X – and it hurts less thank doing it yourself!
G&G – oh I hate that point when it’s growing back and the stubble catches on your panties ick!
Aragorn – what kind of electric shaver?
Dielo – well your balls (as you may have noticed) are covered in loose skin which can be tricky to pull tight enough to wax properly. If the skin isn’t pulled tight, the waxing won’t work very well and it’s going to hurt A LOT – trust me, you don’t want to put your balls through that.
Comment from Dielo
Time March 7, 2006 at 6:15 pm
trust me, you don’t want to put your balls through that.
Well, that’s where you’re WRONG… no, actually, you’re right. But there’s no fear of me doing that anyhoo, so…
But it is do-able. They do it in salons all the time.
Comment from Camilla
Time March 7, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Thanks for the article. Especially debunking the myth. I don’t want to be hairier after shaving.
Comment from figleaf
Time March 7, 2006 at 9:27 pm
I’ve shaved almost my entire adult life. There’ve been a couple of times where I’ve let it really grow out but I keep going back to the razor. (I know some men use depilatory creams and powders. I don’t know any men who’ve tried waxing.) But yeah, I shave pretty much every day even though it’s really tricky navigating the razor around all the bumps and curves (chin, jawline) and especially near those nerve-rich mucous membranes (lips, nose) but hey, I’m willing to sacrifice for convention’s sake. :-)
Your advice is great, Shay.
My (shave-and-a-haircut) two bits additions from a everyday shaving perspective would be:
- Use a (duh!) shaving mirror. Get the no-fog kind they have in shower and bath stores, the ones with the little suction cups on the back for the shower wall work great.
- Don’t do it the night before you’re going to do whatever you were going to shave for. Trying to shave yourself completely bare in one go when you haven’t done it for a while can be rough. Hair protects the skin underneath so it gets pretty tender. The standard rule of thumb is no more than three strokes of the razor over a single patch of skin. Since that’s rarely enough to get yourself smooth you have two choices: Keep scraping till you’re smooth (and scraped) or put up with a little stubble for a day and get the rest in a day or two. Trust me, you’re better off picking the latter which means you’ll want to start a couple of days before the big event (hitting the beach in your skimpy bikini, the big date, your partner’s birthday surprise, etc.)
- You recommend trimming your hair down to about a quarter inch. If all you have are scissors that’s probably the best you can do but I’d really suggest using a trimmer to get it as close as you can first. More hair means more hair pulling, more clogged razors, and more hassle.
- Once the hair’s gone (and assuming you didn’t irritate it by trying to hard the first time) your skin will get used to contact with the outside world. Once it does you’ll be able to shave every day without problems.
- The first time is by far the worst, especially if you haven’t done it before or if it’s been a long time. Once you get the hang of shaving it’s actually less hassle to just shave the stubble off in the shower every day than it is to let it grow back and put up with the prickles.
Thanks for the good advice, Shay.
figleaf
Comment from :P fuzzbox
Time March 8, 2006 at 12:00 am
My wife prefers to have it trimmed rather than shaved. Even the closest shave leavea a bit of stubble.
Comment from DZER
Time March 8, 2006 at 12:06 am
so … this isn’t something I should ask my barber to take care of me … LOL
Comment from Aragorn
Time March 8, 2006 at 2:55 am
Euh, I trim with a bear trimmer, to model the treasure trail and cut long hairs so they shave off better. Shaving itself with one of those folded-blade shavers, works perfectly fine for me (and Orchid actually) – A
Comment from SexxySmilez
Time March 8, 2006 at 3:12 am
I tried to do the brazilian wax at home! Yowzers!!! Never again! From now on I will have it done professionally or just use the good ol’ razor!
Comment from Momentarily_Distracted
Time March 8, 2006 at 4:23 am
Thank you for the post!
This is great information.
:o)
Comment from Shay
Time March 8, 2006 at 4:35 am
Dielo – Haha I will have to check out my local salons to see if they really wax ball there. I just can’t see a lot of guys being comfortable with that!
Cam – No problem! It almost didn’t occur to me to mention that about shaving – but I’m glad I did. ^_^
For your sake if anything.
Fig – Fig thanks so much for your input! Great tips indeed!
Dzer – Well, you could ask. But make sure you tell me how he reacts ^_~
Aragorn – Ah! Thank you.
SS – Gah! Me too! It was a disaster.
M_D – You’re so welcome sweety. See! I didn’t forget that you’d asked. ^_~
Comment from Strumpet
Time March 8, 2006 at 4:43 am
This is the first time that I’ve been here, Shay…and I must say…this blog is awesome!
And on that note…
Bring back hairy pussies!
Comment from Big Ed
Time March 8, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Well…as you can tell…I do this quite often, however, I have found a fourth way to do it…I use my beard trimmer, and just take off the guard attachments and go straight to town with an electric razor…less chance of a cut, quicker, and less mess overall in my opinion…now, not every electric razor will work…but trimmers and the like that have removable guards can work quite well and quite satisfactorily…especially if you would rather be using your bits instead of taking the time to shave them constantly…
Cheers!
Comment from Anonymous
Time March 26, 2006 at 2:59 am
Have any of you girls asked your barber/beautician for a pussy trim/shave? I have been going to the same guy for years for haircuts(head) and perms. Somehow we got onto to the topic of body hair removal and well to make a long story short, I had a complete pube trim and shave around the edges. No more trying to look into a mirror while avoiding cutting yourself. I can now just lay back comfortably and have it done professionally…and the pampering felt great!
Comment from Anonymous
Time June 1, 2006 at 4:04 pm
I totally agree with the barber/salon concept! I have gotten trims and full shaves from my ‘head-hair barber’ during the last few years and have never regretted it. Ladies, you must try it, you’ll love the pampering. Search out a good one, they`re out there and will do a good job for you. I always look forward to my next ‘hair’ appointment.
Comment from Anonymous
Time September 3, 2006 at 11:57 pm
I just returned from my long time ‘head’ barber and finally got up the nerve to ask him if he has done any pube styling/trimming/shaving on other females, mentioning what I had read on this sight. He said that he was questioned about these ’services’ nearly two years ago and continues to offer them through satisfied womens’ word of mouth! He showed me the private area and talked me through the process, depending on how much or how little I wanted removed. I liked what I saw(clean surroundings and equipment) and no pressure into doing what I had never done before. I was convinced, and said I’d give it a try!He asked if I was on my period, no problem there. He left me to remove my shorts and panties and instructed me to have a seat on the barber chair while he went back to the main shop to inform the front desk that he had other obligations. He also said that I could drape the large white sheet across my lap. Upon his return, he brought the sheet right up to my neck and across my shoulders.He told me to just lie back as he reclined the chair to a flat position and pumped the chair up to a better working height. The sheet was pulled back to just about my navel area.Yes,at this point I was feeling a bit embarassed as here I was presenting him with a full bush that hadn’t been shaved let alone trimmed in probably at least a year.( I have only scissor clipped and occasionly bikini-line shaved in the past) He asked me what I wanted done for the new ’styling’. All along I was thinking along the lines of just downsizing it and asked his thoughts. I wasn’t ready to go the full shave route just yet. He suggested a complete clip and narrowing it up by shaving the outer edges into a smaller V-formation. He used the electric clippers to shorten the length of it all followed by a soothing application of warm shaving cream along each side. He asked me to gently roll my knees outward and began shaving my inner thighs towards what was left of the once large ‘FRO’. He then asked if I wanted any ‘removal’ between the cheeks.( Yes, we as girls/women do grow hair back there also). I didn’t want any shaving back there and said a trim would do. He requested that I pull my knees chestwards and in seconds the electric clippers were nibbling away at my under-growth.I must say that throughout the whole experience, he was extremely professional in his work. At this point he cloth-talc-dusted the entire region ,replacing my legs back onto the lower portion of the chair. He asked that I take a peek at the new style by handing me a mirror , for my satisfaction. I told him that it looked fine indeed. He sat the chair back up and lowered it down, replacing the sheet across my lap. He said that he would see me up front in the shop, leaving me to redress in private. I had not asked him previous to having this done as to the cost,(probably due to nervousness).He said that what I had done was his standard $25.00 fee. A complete shave would have been $65.00. I love my new ‘DO’! Eventually, I probably will have a little more taken off on future visits. I loved the pampering!!
Comment from Edinburgh Erotica
Time September 25, 2006 at 2:54 pm
I’ve been shaving shaft and balls for a couple of years now and have recently shaved off the rest. I’d noticed that my ass was very hairy as well and decided to do something about that. Unfortunatly, I choose Veet for this. In retrospect, nor one of my better decisions. While not exactly a painful experience, I was “tender” for a few days afterwards. However, I do now have a silky smooth bum and ass.
I’ve also started to shave my legs, not something that a lot of (straight) men go for. I wish I’d done it years ago.
L&K
EE
Comment from Shay
Time November 2, 2006 at 8:03 pm
To that last anonymous commenter – please see the following post: http://shayssexcolumn.blogspot.com/2006/03/more-on-pampering-your-pelvis.html
Comment from Chris
Time August 5, 2007 at 1:27 am
Hi Shay,
I personally like to shave myself bare, though I only do it every now and then because I’m a little overweight and can’t see down that well (wouldn’t you know, all the mirrors are affixed at about shoulder-height). I don’t have a girlfriend or anyone to help me out, so it’s a bummer for both shaving and horniness.
I usually just do the best I can by first using a hair trimmer to take care of most of the growth, and then using my Mach 3 razor and either hand soap or shaving foam to get rid of the rest.
Unfortunately, while I get a really smooth result which makes my cock look bigger and feels GREAT when I masturbate, after a couple of days I do get the ingrown hair situation which bugs me for about a week.
Anyway, I’ll definitely try to employ some of these techniques. Thanks Shay, and everyone. :)
Comment from Anonymous
Time November 21, 2007 at 6:45 am
I just found this blog, and I have to say I am impressed. Lately, I have gone in search of some answers and this looks like the place to ask. I haven’t been shaving my pussy long, but I have been looking around trying to find a way to get exactly what I want. I originally started with a manual razor (using conditioner as a shave cream which made it closer and softer), soon to switch to an electric one. I tried waxing once (ouch! is right) and it definitely made the hair growth slower and finer. I don’t have to shave quite as often to get that wonderful, smooth feeling. The main thing that I have difficulty with is not what I though it would be before I started this. I do great with the lower region. . . its the smooth part right above my pussy that bothers me. I got rid of all the dark hair when I first started, and over time the flat part has become somewhat less smooth–thus beginning my search anew. There are those little bumpies, the hairs that haven’t quite made it to the surface of my skin. You guys seem to know what you’re talking about, so I thought maybe somebody would have a nice solution that will give me back that irresistable feeling that I first had. P.S.-I had no idea there were no-fog mirrors :)
Comment from Shay
Time November 30, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Anon, sounds like a case of ingrown hairs. Try taking break from shaving for a little while to let the hairs grow out (also, you could try dabbing a little tea tree oil on the spots too to help them heal).
Comment from Pornster
Time March 6, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Some guys are terribly frightened to shave their cocks. I think it’s overrated. I shave from time to time with a razor and have never cut myself. I actually don’t even have to look what I’m doing. (I do it in the bathtub under water).
So, guys, just try it out.
And never use an electric razor to shave down there. That will hurt.