Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Pubic hair removal is increasingly common among U.S. women but carries risk for injury. To assess the prevalence of and reasons for this practice, investigators surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3316 U.S. women.

Some 84% of respondents said they had removed some or all pubic hair at least once in their lives; such women were more likely to be younger, white, and better educated. Specific grooming habits varied, with 62% reporting having removed all pubic hair at least once. The most commonly cited reasons for hair removal were hygiene (59%) and appearance (32%); 56% removed hair in preparation for sex, and 40% before visits with their clinicians. Almost half of women who pursued this activity stated that their partner also did s…