Full Bush or Shaven Haven?

[Lardychops]

Been on a work training /away day today.
Largely female dominated professional (children’s social care)
As usual in the down time amidst all the doom n gloom of the days agenda me and colleagues get into the really important, off the record team bonding stuff - OLD, step kids, menopause, weightloss jabs, difficult teens , GcSEs, holidays, moaning about the management etc etc .
Two colleagues got into the subject of pubic hair removal (as you do in market town village hall on a Friday afternoon) as one felt strongly that the act of removing pubic hair is deeply anti- feminist. Fair point I guess.

She got lots of push back from the shaven havens, landing strippers, and trim triangle havers. Only one other person said they are au natural but caveated that with not currently in a relationship nor looking.
She went onto suggest that while for young males this is probably a natural expectation in a partner due to socialisation via pornograpgy, any man of ‘our age’ ( 40s/50s) who wouldn’t be averse to a hairless minge is virtually paedophile adjacent!!
I thought that was a bit strong to be honest.
Did get me thinking though.
I’m completely in the shaven haven camp, personally - Much prefer it. I believe I’m still a feminist though.
I go swimming most mornings and in the open changing room it occurred to me that not seen a full bush in years.

It’s bit late at night to be asking MN ladies if they shave their vulvas.

I trim mine, but as a bisexual woman I must say I dislike fully shaven on other women and am a fan of a full bush.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this honestly. Why is shaving hair anti- feminist? How bizarre.🤦‍♀️

Maybe the full bushes aren't the types to parade themselves in the changing room?

I can't be bothered with more than a trim, and a wax round the edges for holidays.

Generally can't be arsed and call the council once a year when it gets out of control 😉

I prefer mine looking like Phil Mitchell’s head tbh each to their own though

I think looking like a prepubescent is a bit fucked up and it comes from porn. Shaving meant that the genitals were more easily visible and of course it was a bit 'naughty' before it became mainstream.

To paraphrase Peter Kay: “I can’t even see mine, let alone get the topiary shears out”.

None of your fucking business (or
anyone elses for that matter)

does anyone expect men to carry out topiary on their bodies?!

If I was single I’d just leave it.

boyfriend likes it shaved so I shave if I know we are gonna be having sex. I don’t have an issue with doing it for him as I like when he trims.

i have pcos and have to shave everywhere, one more body part isn’t much difference

Urrrgh!

Haven't heard the pervy expression 'shaven haven' since the 90s.

<< Shudders >>

I do hope women won't be queuing up to tell the OP what they do/don't do with their own pubic hair.

I don’t think shaving body hair is a feminist issue , are we seriously suggesting that all feminists have bushy pits and hairy legs or is only pubic hair that’s a feminist issue ?

Short, back and sides for me.

Full Hollywood here - totally personal choice.

I’m a bisexual woman who’s not in a relationship with a woman, but yeah, I agree. Hairless vulvas make me flash back to changing my daughters’ diapers. 😱

With the amount of body hair my husband has, I sure as hell do! Also, I think everyone who grows armpit hair should shave it at least once a month.

Yes! Neat and tidy, always. I got him one of those Manscaped kits with the trimmer and ball deodorant for Christmas a while back, he's all over it.

Although we did have a bit of an incident when he first tried to use it and got overenthusiastic with the trimmer on the lowest setting. Tried evening it out with one of my Gillette razors for reasons only known to himself, and ended up having to shave the lot off.

At first he refused to show me because it "looked like the Christmas turkey". Finally convinced him to stop being a wuss and get it over with... apparently my response of "Gobble gobble" was 'unkind' 🤷🏻‍♂️

Never looked at a Christmas turkey the same way 😭

And in answer to OPs question, I can't abide mine being anything other than smooth as Kojak's head.

She went onto suggest that while for young males this is probably a natural expectation in a partner due to socialisation via pornograpgy, any man of ‘our age’ ( 40s/50s) who wouldn’t be averse to a hairless minge is virtually paedophile adjacent!!

It is a feminist issue if you are doing it only for the benefit of men, or if it is an expectation through socialisation or porn.

I have never shaved my legs, though I have waxed them a few times, but usually I can't be bothered. I have sometimes wondered how my feminist principles would hold up in this matter if I weren't naturally pretty sparse of hair. No one has yet run screaming from the swimming pool as a result.

I have shaved sometimes, with a strip left, because I like how it feels, particularly if they're going down on me. But quite often, I can't be bothered. I am early 50s and have dated a few men in the last few years. Some have strong preferences, others don't. Whether I pander to those preferences depends more on me than them. I prefer them to be trimmed, but it's not essential.

Girls at school talked about shaving their legs, but I don't think I'd heard of shaving public hair till I was an adult, and I think thr first time was in the context of thr risk of HIV if you cut yourself (it was the time of the AIDS epidemic.) I don't know if I'd have ever thought about it without porn, even if it's not an overt influence.

Still, if it does come up, I do like to mention how originally people did it to get rid of lice. And that public luce are becoming endangered because of the lack of habitat these days. It's just the sort of conversation to get someone in the mood.

@Velmybeilliant 😭😭

i shave mine with a grade 0 trimmer. i dont like completely bald as i always feel sweaty and itchy but full on bush during the time of the month is grim. i dont do it for aesthetic reasons as my husband couldn’t care less if i looked like a yeti, its more hygiene and general comfort for me

yeh both myself and husband shave under arms. again hygiene reasons. living in middle east in 50 degree heat, hair will just trap sweat and stink.

Proud feminist in my 40s here. I have a full Hollywood wax every 4 weeks. Looking at myself in a mirror l can’t remember what l looked like with pubic hair (with the exception of a little regrowth), it’s less sweaty and l think looks better. For the same reason l remove my underarm hair. Feminist can go for what they think looks better too.

As for the usual arguments.

1. Pre-pubescent look. The same could be said for leg and underarm hair removal. And men who shave their faces.
2. All porn inspired. Epilation was a feature offered in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greek bathhouses, it’s nothing new.
3. Panders to men. I know lesbians who sport a Hollywood. I’ve also been asked by some men over the years to grow it.
4. It is there for a reason. The human body was not designed, it evolved. In some instances very badly.

Finally it’s an individual choice which has no impact on anyone else, but whether l sport a bush or not does not make me any more or any less a feminist.

Full bush, if only that wasn't just a distant memory

I don't think anyone should care, or be criticised for their choice. whatever their choice is.

Young people seem very anti full bush, which I'm not entirely comfortable with either, saying a full bush is cringe, is sad when that's the natural body state, and one has to question if porn plays a big part in that view.

I'm personally not that keen on no hair at all either, but that's just personal, I think it may be because it seems wrong for no hair, eg a similar to pre pubescent child to be sexually active. Hmm I wonder 🤔 Because a child hair free seems natural, so is it the child sex link that seems to make it wrong, and I mean only for me, I'm just thinking out loud?

I'm quite hair lazy, and only give mine a quick trim at the sides with a clipper when I can be bothered, rarely. I used to use Dh's old one for years.