And then somehow the bikini line just changed, it decreased all the time ...: About female genital shaving

Abstract

In the early 20th century women started removing hair from under their arms and their legs and recently the removal of all pubic hair has become a growing trend among them. Very little research has been carried out on women's removal of pubic hair, which in itself is an indication of how conventionalized the idea of the incomaptibility of body hair and femininity has become. In this study women's removal of pubic hair is examined from a number of angles, but the main aim is to reach an understanding of why increasing numbers of women choose to remove all their pubic hair. A qualitative approach is used, based on open -ended interviews with eight 20-36 year old women, all of whom have experience of completely removing their pubic hair. The results of the study support the claim that the full removal of pubic hair has become the norm among younger women, but the informants mainly stated that they did this for sanitary reasons or for increased sexual pleasure. All the informants adamantly claimed that their decision to fully remove their pubic hair had been reached on their own terms. However, their accounts clearly indicated that external pressure and societal values also played its part.