Is pubic hair a feminist issue?

Gosh! No, it isn't. It is beautiful though, his painting of skin is just perfect.

Originally, shaving would have been done to reduce places where lice could live. So I suppose that could be partly where the idea of hygiene comes from, although I'd have thought it would have been linked to prostitution, too. I don't know.

But yes... I'm not sure I would be keen on doing it with a cut-throat style razor, let alone any issues to do with aesthetics or social pressure or anything. Just a good sense of self-preservation there.

I was at an art exhibition today, and there was a Courbet of a female nude, and she had armpit hair, though I have to say my attention was mostly focussed on the painting of the waves (she was waist-deep in the sea), and I'm not sure I'd have really noticed it at all, were it not for this thread. This photo just doesn't show how the waves really looked, and her armpits are more noticeable, because the colour reproduction isn't quite right - I'd have said the hair was lighter, and you don't really see the luminosity of the skin here. The Woman in the Waves.

Of course, Courbet's most famous work is arguably L'Origine du Monde, which definitely depicts pubic hair. (If you don't know it, be aware it's not safe for work or children, even if it's art.)

I was asked to shave mine about 20 years ago by a Swedish partner. I can remember being quite surprised by it and have had it short ever since.

I did it as soon as I got my first pubic hair because I didn't like it being there.
^^ exactly the same for me
And at the risk of way TMI, I was masturbating before I got pubic hair. When it started growing, I found it irritating, it got in the way and I didn't like it.
At first it grew back really itchy and I swore I wouldn't do it again, but it annoyed me again so I persevered until I got the hang of it and there was no more itching.

Why do I think it is now so common?
Maybe more women have tried it since razors and waxing have improved so it is now possible to get a really smooth finish that doesn't itch and lasts a long time. It started with bikini waxing, then I remember there was a fashion of love hearts, then the landing strip, and it just progressed from there because it felt good.

I worry far more about the influence of skinny photoshopped models than I do about shaved pubes.

Re time and effort at the moment due to experiencing recent head hair loss (which seems to have stopped and I can feel fuzzy regrowth which my hairdresser told me I would ) I am using a product which has to be left on my scalp for 3 minutes. Counting one elephant, two elephant etc gave me enough time to shave my armpits and below knees before I reached 180 elephant.

And before any tells me off for believing the hype about the hair product it really does makes a huge,noticeable difference.

Sorry Pilchard, yes, it is a strong inference from every single facet of media. From hairless models, through hairless actresses in unlikely scenarios, to 'feminine washes' and scented bloody tampons. Every single bit of it saying "This is how you must look to be acceptable in society". Same thing happens with the lack of larger women, disabled anyone, older women, woc in media. In order to be acceptable it seems it's best to be young, white, slim, perfect hair and teeth, groomed, plucked and waxed if you're a woman, or male.

The MandW sketch is pretty much perfect.

I've also given up arguing with the type of person who states that having body hair is unhygienic.

Have the media actually said "pubic hair is unhygienic on women"?

Or is it, like, a strong suggestion, from hairless models, to pantliners all being full of horrible perfume, and so on. That women are dirty and smell and need to work hard and spend lots of money to make their bodies acceptable, as in their natural state they aren't?

Thinking about that mitchell and webb sketch now

I would think that if you are going to do something which takes time and effort you need to think of a reason for it?

I'm sure there's stuff I do that I don't really do for any good reason that I give myself good reasons for.

I have seen a couple of women on here on other threads state categorically "it is unhygienic" which obviously has caused a ruckus where the less accusational "I feel for me that it's unhygienic" might be a bit less confrontational.

Either way clearly some women and girls DO feel that pubic hair on women is dirty, and that is obviously really depressing. Women have been fighting for years not to have their natural states considered dirty, disgusting, out of control etc (attitude to menstruation in many major religions being one example) and it just feels like going backwards. It's bad enough when you're a teenage girl getting periods having subsumed the message that (even if not dirty) they are something to be hidden, embarrassed about. And to add on top of that an idea that when your first pubes start sprouting that makes you unhygienic (dirty) is just really depressing to me. I don't know how widespread that attitude is, obviously.

We're looking in to solar, purely so I can ensure I can wash my disgusting furry body without breaking the bank!

I have a solar water heater, which means free hot water, Puffins! I have also been known to use the facilities more than once a day!

It's because they've been told it is by the media.

And yes, house is fully equipped with all the latest bathroom equipment, soap, truly wonderful loofah-type exfoliator, reasonable collection of not tested on animals showergels/shampoos/soaps/face degungers. It's all so lovely, I sometimes avail myself of the facilities more than once a day, when the weather demands it.

I smell divine!

Just as a small note: I don't understand why some people consider it unhygienic not to shave, or make comments about BO.

My house has a fully equipped working bathroom, and I make use of the shower facilities regularly. I assume Puffins does similarly. Why would it be unhygienic??

I think the last time I saw pubic hair on a model was Lucian Freud's portrait of Kate Moss in the 90s!

Well quite. You and I are letting the side down terribly

Even cave women on screen had the foresight to put a flint to their unsightly pubes, Puffins...

You would think a hairy zombie might make for more scary viewing, given the aversion to body hair!

Aww Alex, you and I could start our own hairy legged revolution!

It is also through pictures of other things, pictures of totally hairless celebrities, the fact that we never see (for example) armpit hair on TV or in newspapers except in order to ridicule. And so on.

Tiny example, Lost, The Walking Dead etc horrible things happening all around, but women still taking the time to do underarm topiary, really??? Women in historical bonkbusters similar, in films where they're supposed to have been kept prisoner by psychopaths who just happened to have provided them with a bic and some shaving gel, but not a hairbrush.

It strikes me as something of a coincidence that the gender that earns the least, that suffers the most discrimination is the one that generally speaking invests so much time and money on meeting a beauty standard.

I say that as someone who spends a small fortune on skincare and makeup.

If all women decided not to shave their legs in the summer at the same time then we could all go hairy. But no one wants to be the one to take the first step

Well, I have taken the step. Come and stand next to me in summer if you like I am dark haired, and my body hair is quite obvious.

I agree with lots of what Tondelayo has said. We are all affected by advertising. It doesn't just appear in women's magazines. It's on television, on billboards, on buses, at train stations, it is everywhere. And it is not just in the form of "Buy X hair removing product". It is also through pictures of other things, pictures of totally hairless celebrities, the fact that we never see (for example) armpit hair on TV or in newspapers except in order to ridicule. And so on.

StillLost - brands spend millions of pounds advertising their products in women's magazines and millions more on PR - celebrity endorsements, press junkets, stunts etc. They analyse the readership demographics, market research their ads, measure sales uplift and brand awareness and have to show return on investment to their board and shareholders. These are all intelligent people who have lots of tools and data showing whether what they do influences consumer behaviour. And makes money.

Everyone thinks advertising and PR doesn't influence them, that they make their own decisions in their own bubble with true independence of thought. But it's nonsense really - nobody woke up one morning and thought they really ought to be drinking vitamin water, using a serum, and knowing who Kim Kardashian is.

Women's magazines are probably the least relevant media versus product placement, social media and celebrity ambassadors but there are still hundreds of them, still profitable and still influential.

I did it as soon as I got my first pubic hair because I didn't like it being there.

Sorry TMI but there you go

Several people have said that women shouldn't be questioned on their decisions- but surely a thread like this is one place where they can be? Or if they don't to be, then maybe not come on the thread?

Because I really, really want to know why people think that removing your pubic hair became "normal" in such a short time. Yes, there will be some women presumably, who have decided to do it entirely in a vacuum, with no external influences at all. But that doesn't explain why, in the space of a few years it went from a niche thing to normal. Why suddenly you have people worrying about what their midwife will think of them if they are hairy in the delivery room, and men wrinkling their noses and talking about it being "unhygienic".

It's fine to say " I do it because I like it". But what made you do it in the first place?

Post - your last is the key thing that causes my indignance with DP.

Since having (well, a bit before) DS2 I've stopped shaving anywhere - I just don't have any time to do so (my washing is all done with company, and the last thing I want is either child managing to get hold of a razor and shaving random bits of themselves). DP has mentioned this, with a wrinkled nose, and made noises about being unhygienic. Reader, there is probably only about a square foot of hairless skin on his entire body, the shedding is unbelievable, and yet I deal without the slightest tut.

Have shaved legs and armpits since my teens . I have very dark hair -still dark there, but not on my head. How odd . I freely admit to preferring the look of them that way . I suspect DH does too . Will ask him . Have tidied up my bikini line in the past , before foreign holidays, but it would never have occured to me to shave my pubic hair. Because no one but me and DH (nearly 35 year relationship) really sees it ? Too uncomfortable when it grows back? And the thought of waxing-eew . Or being waxed-even worse. I'd be mortified . I was once shaved for a gynaecological op (years ago) and remember it being horrible when it grew back.
I am going to survey my age 55+ friends to see if any them do/have in the past.Oddly enough, it's never come up in conversation....
And might ask my DDs(29 and 25 ) if they and their friends do .I think probably not, though they do their legs and pits . And DD1 has POCS and has had laser treatment on her face, so is 'conscious' of hair. She would definitely describe herself as a feminist. Wonder if she sees it as an issue .
Wasn't it how men knew a girl's hair was its natural colour-that they matched ? (Collar and cuffs it used to be called) Suppose no one cares about that now .
Must admit I've never liked hairy backs on men . But wouldnt expect it to be removed .

I'm a bit sceptical about exactly how much pressure magazines really exert.

I love clothes and dressing up. I've had some very patronising comments made on here if I mention that but despite being a complete airhead I never buy women's magazines. I only see them occasionally at the hairdressers and I'm stunned by how silly and irrelevant and repetitive and interchangeable they are. Despite my being someone who puts a lot of stock in external appearance and has cash to spend they don't interest me at all. If even I'm not influenced does any woman take them seriously?