Why Shave Your Pubic Hair?

To shave or not to shave, that is the question. It's all so complicated!

Things get even hairier "down there."

Pubic relations are no cut-and-dry matter. Are there some unwritten rules people should know, or is it entirely a matter of personal preference?

I talked to the experts.

"Shaving, waxing or trimming your pubic hair is becoming more of a norm," says Mary MacKenzie of Mary's Place Esthetic Inc. in Edmonton.

"It follows fashion. Today, girls wear more thongs and low-rise bikinis. Men want to look like buff body builders. We go to great lengths, even inflicting pain on ourselves, to appeal to others."

Twenty years ago, women didn't ask for Brazilians -- an all-off wax job -- but today, it's a common request at the salon, says MacKenzie.

The Brazilian wax was popularized in the 1990s by Brazilian women in the Rio Carnival who wore G-string thongs for the whole world to see.

"Some women do it because they feel cleaner. Others do it because it makes them feel sexy or turns on their partner. But many doctors will argue it's not healthy or natural to remove all of your hair," says MacKenzie.

Pubic hair does serve a purpose. It provides warmth and padding, and traps dirt and germs that can get inside the body and cause infection.

The flip side, though -- for both men and women -- is that tending to your garden regularly can keep the genital area clean -- wise, both from the standpoint of personal hygiene, and of enticing your lover below the belt.

"It's fun to have attention down there," says an Edmonton man, who has tried everything from beard trimmers to waxing and shaving over the years.

"You have to be careful with trimmers, though. It works for getting out the bulk but it can be dangerous. I've cut my penis before, and it hurt like mad," says Ben, 36.

Keeping yourself well-groomed down there can help spice things up in a long-term committed relationship, says MacKenzie.

"When you make the effort to be clean, and don't let yourself go, it tells your partner you're aware of yourself when you're making love. That's sexy," says the veteran esthetician. "It's a great compliment to your lover."

Whether you choose to tend to a manicured lawn or wild English garden is your choice and nobody else's.

If you're in a sexual relationship, it's a good idea to discuss the pubic hair status quo with your significant other. But don't do anything to please your partner if you're uncomfortable with it. After all, it's your body.

Some women like to shave or wax-all because they act out sexual roles like the naughty schoolgirl, the submissive slave or the seductive flasher.

Some feminists and psychologists have argued that women shouldn't try to make their mature bodies resemble little girls', because it suggests there's something wrong with natural signs of femininity, like hair. Why reinforce negative stereotypes?

Others maintain it's just a common-sense practice if you're getting, giving or wanting oral sex regularly.

Why obscure the target or lessen the sensation with a fortress of fur?

It really comes down to a matter of personal choice.

However, a man or woman who trims or shaves regularly is likely to develop more of an intimate relationship with their genitals, which can help build self-acceptance and sexual self-confidence: two great libido-boosters.

In the end, whether you opt for zero-maintenance, a landing-strip, Bermuda Triangle or Hollywood bare is between you and your follicles.

Being happy, healthy and comfortable is the best aphrodisiac there is.