This story kind of blew my mind for a moment, which isn’t hard to do this week. Cameron Diaz has already talked about adult acne and gone makeup free to promote The Body Book. Now Cam’s talking all about down-there hair as she continues to promote her lifestyle guide which sounds hella cooler than anything Goop could write.
I’ve lost track of what stories we’ve covered about celebrities and their preferences for pubic hair. There have been a lot of them. Oh wait. My memory has kicked in, and I think Walton Goggins is perhaps the best example in my opinion. The man waxed rhapsodic about how much he misses pubic hair (“so beautiful, so feminine“). Janeane Garofalo and Daniel Radcliffe are also big fans of pubic hair, and even Goop has admitted to rocking a ’70s vibe. Cameron now discusses in great detail why one shouldn’t necessarily dare to bare:
Cameron Diaz has never been shy about going below the belt when it comes to discussing personal grooming habits. Earlier this year, she publicly described a friend “who is obsessed with having a 70s bush” during Britain’s Graham Norton Show. The mystery friend was widely assumed to be Gwyneth Paltrow, but could Diaz have been talking about herself? The actress-turned-author waxes poetic (no pun intended) in a section of her new health guide The Body Book titled “In Praise of Pubes.”
“I hear that there’s a big fad these days of young women undergoing laser hair removal on all of their lady bits,” Diaz writes. “… Personally, I think permanent laser hair removal sounds like a crazy idea. Forever? I know you may think you’ll be wearing the same style of shoes forever and the same style of jeans forever, but you won’t. The idea that vaginas are preferable in a hairless state is a pretty recent phenomenon, and all fads change, people.”
Then — fair warning — Diaz gets a little graphic. “Pubic hair also serves as a pretty draping that makes it a little mysterious to the one who might be courting your sexiness,” Diaz intones. “Pubes keep the goods private, which can entice a lover to come and take a closer look at what you have to offer. Also, let’s be honest: just like every other part of your body, your labia major is not immune to gravity. Do you really want a hairless vagina for the rest of your life?”
She continues, “It’s a personal decision, but I’m just putting it out there: Consider leaving your vagina fully dressed, ladies. Twenty years from now, you will still want to be presenting it to someone special, and it would be nice to let him or her unwrap it like the gift that it is.”
[From Radar Online]
The funny thing isn’t what Cameron is talking about but that I can hear her saying these words in my head. I really didn’t need to hear her thoughts on “gravity,” but she does have a point. Didn’t Kim Kardashian remove all of her body hair by laser? She’s going to regret that one day. Ugh.
Here’s more of Cameron as Miss Hannigan in the Annie remake. She needs to do some pap walks to promote this crazy ass book.
Photos courtesy of HarperCollins, Fame/Flynet & WENN
Does she mean “vulva”?
God, I hope so!
Hah. Yeah. I think a lot of people, at least with the younger people I talk to, use vagina to mean the entire genital area now.
How about “mons veneris”?
My neighbour lives on a little hill so he shave mowed his lawn in the shape of a vulva and put a sing that said “mons veneris” in our language.
OMG, Bubbles, hahahahhahaha.
Does anyone remember that movie Teeth in which the girl has teeth in her vagina?
That was my first thought. Who has hair on their vagina?
But we all know what she meant right ? I don’t feel the need to snark and correct people unless I say I broke my arm and meant my LEG but when people say vag I get what they are saying.
Relax.
I think she meant labia major. No 2 bits are the same ladies. Some hang low and some aren’t as visible. Hers and yours are likely not built the same.
Jesus, now I can’t get that “do your ears hang low” song out of my head. A most unfortunate association.
@Skye – Oh GOD I’m glad I’m not the only one!!! I saw ‘hang low’ & it immediately started in my head. I *really* don’t want to know if they ‘wobble to & fro’. -_-
bowers, I am virtually high-fiving you right now. I can honestly say that my vagina is not hairy, and if it was I would be seeing a doctor, not a beautician.
UP WITH VULVA!!!
(Wait, that sounded wrong)
It sounded beautiful!
*Wraps buckles in the table*
Here, here! UP WITH VULVA!
It’s high time people were more familiar with their bits.
I agree with her–why do anything like that permanently? I mean, sure it’s annoying to keep waxing or shaving, but like she said–in a few years, maybe you’ll want hair down there.
I’m not a prude but this really is TMI. Do we really need to know that? Can you imagine actresses from the past talking about this? Audrey Hepburn anyone? Grace Kelly? Nothing is sacred anymore. No privacy anymore. And then they complain when paparazzi get snaps of their private lives?
Nope. Can’t imagine it. Even Elizabeth Taylor, whose private life was all over the tabloids, didn’t share stuff like this. Mind you, if they HAD confided this to Hedda Hopper, there’s no way it would have been published. Propriety, dignity, and decency, you know.
This. Privacy, discretion and dignity all seem to have disappeared, and there is no line that people wont cross anymore. Why put it all out there? Isn’t a little mystery more appealing? I would love for a celeb to come along that actually gets that.
I agree 100% with @Paola. I’m no prude either, but there’s something about the way Cameron expresses herself when she talks/writes about women and sex. She just sounds … dirty. She comes across part crass and part silly (“unwrap it like the gift that it is”, good grief, she sounds like one of those born-again Christian women who give abstinence talks to teen girls). This is, after all the, the same woman who infamously stated she “travels for c*ck”. It’s not prudishness to be turned off by this silly woman with the mouth of a 14 year old boy.
I don’t know, I kind of liked it. She’s a star who thrives on a measure of male-driven, conventional Hollywood sex appeal and she is going against the status quo in a very sensitive area. She may get ragged on for speaking so frankly instead of being quiet and going along with the media’s idea of what women should look like and do with their bodies. I think she has some nerve.
@ we are all made of stars
‘She may get ragged on for speaking so frankly instead of being quiet and going along with the media’s idea of what women should look like and do with their bodies.’
She had breast implants because her man liked bigger breasts. so much for going against the clichè of what women should look like or do with their bodies.
The worst I ever hear from a ‘celebrity’ was the Kardashian clan sniffing their table napkins after wiping with them to see if their urine was aromatic. Cameron seems mild compared to that.
Lady D,
Um…..What???
It’s a “body book,” and there is nothing at all wrong about discussing women’s bodies, including grooming. It’s not like she’s saying this in an interview – she’s writing it in a book about women’s bodies. Heaven forbid we discuss this nasty trend of making grown women look like 12 year olds.
Is not about the discussion of the topic, the point is why would I want to know her opinion on how to trim my ladyparts? this is just ridicolous. To each their own but please don’t tell me it’s an important topic to talk about. It’s just trashy and very much famewhore seeking.
+1
She’s so daft that she used the wrong terminology for “lady parts” and had these errors PUBLISHED. Why should I take seriously a woman who is so dumb and ignorant of the names of her own body parts that she LOVES to talk about?
Paola
“Why would I want to know her opinion about how to trim my ladyparts”
You did click on this link and the caption was very specific so you can’t claim you had no idea what this article was going to be about. Seems like you did want to know her opinion and wanted to state how you didn’t want to know it. This is your right of course. Just saying.
Maureen
What is the wrong terminology she used? Vulva vs. labia? or something else? Ladyparts coveres a lot.
@Josephine – “Heaven forbid we discuss this nasty trend of making grown women look like 12 year olds.”
(I know I’m late to this party, so you may not see his, but I’ll comment anyway.) I do understand where you’re coming from, but I think your comment a bit judgmental. Women should be free to groom themselves in any way they see fit, this includes their lady-bits.
Some women simply *prefer* to not have pubic hair, for any number of reasons (comfort, hygiene, dealing with one’s monthly cycle, ect). Not everyone’s so-called ‘short & curlies’ are in-fact either ‘short’ or ‘curly’, which is a whole other texture, that creates it’s own discomfort & challenges.
I’m sure this will come off as major TMI, but I’m one of those who prefers to have none (as the description of not short, not curly, different texture from what I’ve come to find is ‘average’, applies to me personally). Monthly cycles are unpleasant enough, without having to deal with that too, but I digress.
This does *not* mean I want to look like a prepubecent girl, & I always get frustrated when people imply that anyone who dislikes pubic hair (a very *personal* thing) & decides to shave/wax/whatever, wants to (or automatically does) look like a little girl. Also, not all men who prefer either less or no pubic hair, do so because they want their partners to look like a little girl. Some just prefer being able to *see* the action (visual creatures that they are) during the deed (which sometimes the hair can interfere with) and there’s nothing wrong with that eiher.
*Deep breath*. Sorry for the rant, I’ve just always dealt with this opinion from others, & find it close-minded & offensive.
Hmm, I had a full set of pubes when I was 12. Maybe I’m weird.
If you want all your pubes, good for you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But don’t tell me there’s something wrong with me because I prefer to be bare down there. Both choices are valid for grown, empowered women.
I don’t know whether it is TMI, but as a 40 something year old woman, she comes across with the wisdom and depth of a puddle. I never thought her to be an intellectual giant, based on interviews I’ve seen on talk shows, but I hope there is more inside the book than a guide to appearance, which I am doubtful of, at this point. For whatever reason, and maybe I am wrong, she seems fun loving, which is nice, but stunted in emotional growth at the same time.
“she comes across with the wisdom and depth of a puddle.” – Kiddo
Yep. I mean, who here remembers Jennifer Love Hewitt’s vajazzling? The same needy shallowness is strong in this one. It’s sad when you’ve lived such a big life that your first published book is all about your temporary corporeal being and precious little about your ideas and philosophy.
As others have so adroitly observed, there’s also a strong whiff of hypocrisy with Cammy’s earnest preaching about keeping your body ‘natural’.
True Sloane, nicely put.
I don’t really want to talk about it either, BUT, right now the media is portraying women as hairless children being normal and desirable. That’s not okay. I’m glad celebrities are getting out there and spreading a message of a more normal and natural state. I mean, it’s just a body part. I thought it was a pretty positive message.
Agreed!
Shall you stop shaving your legs and underarms then too so you can be all natural? Stop makeup and hair colouring? No more eyebrow plucking or face washing or teeth brushing?
All natural isn’t so favourable. It’s a preference. Get over it.
If you prefer to be hairy then stop preaching at people who prefer to be hairless. It is stupid and pointless!
@Lucinda – I just replied a few posts up to Josephine (who replied under post #4) regarding this issue in detail, so I won’t take up space repeating it here. But I’ll say this: Personal grooming is just the same as any other grooming choices we make. They’re based on both personal preference (which can be based on many things) &/or necessity (such as preferred hygiene due to health concerns or monthly cycles).
It’s really offensive to suggest any women who shave their nether regions are doing so out of some twisted desire to ‘look like a little girl instead of a grown woman’ (or that anyone who does shave/wax automatically *looks like* a prepubecent child. I agree with Lex.
Firstly, discussing issues that are pertinent to womens’ body image is NOT an open invitation for harassment from the paps or anybody else. I think many people will appreciate that a beautiful celebrity is willing to speak openly and frankly about these things and call BS on the media’s perception of beauty. Also, Audrey and Grace had their problems. They were not perfect- one had an eating disorder and depression, and the other was apparently driven to drink b/c of the atmosphere in Monaco. They shouldn’t be held up as a standard of womanly perfection-that was an illusion.
Agree with you too! We tend to idolize the “golden days”.
I agree too. & one has to keep in mind the ‘time’ they lived in. *Of course* they didn’t talk about those things! Society wouldn’t have allowed it, even if they ever *did* say something like that. So you can’t put them on a pedestal of dignity & perfection, knowing that just like celebs today, their PR image/identity is carefully crafted based on what will appeal most to the masses.
Well, this breaks down to if you don’t like it, don’t read it. the book is promoting self love. Not going full on Miley.
And I appreciate the place these books have. We do need these books around so women aren’t ashamed of their bodies. So they can seek and easily find information they’re too shy to ask about. Not to pretend this is TMI and being over exposed. It has its valid and noble purpose.
I agree….I’m thankful that someone is putting it out there that a natural woman’s body is beautiful without making us all feel like we have to spend hours getting rid of every hair on our bodies.
Thank you thank you thank you. Just another reason to loathe Cami.
Why would you loathe someone you don’t know? Very odd
Can celebrities puhleeeeeeeze stop oversharing information about their lady bits? I, for one, don’t need to know what is going on down there from my besties, much less from women I do not know or care about. Have some mystery in life for God’s sake. Jeez!
I’m sick of her and her book promotion tour already.
If I could, I’d get most of my body hair permanently removed–mainly because I’m the type of person that has to shave EVERYTHING, because where the hair might be little peach fuzz, barely noticeable on you, it’s thick hairs on me 🙁
Which isn’t very good for my self esteem to begin with……
But I wouldn’t ever permanently remove my pubic hair, ever. First off, that sounds extremely painful, on an especially sensitive area–doesn’t sound like a good idea. I think bare vulvas look weird….plus the discoloration is off too (I’ve shaved all my hair off), and you get weird bumps, etc. Not worth it.
But keep that sh-t trim.
I agree that it is probably not a good thing to laser everything off down there, but I will say that I’ve had laser hair removal on my underarms and I LOVE IT! I’ve always been self-conscious about my body hair too and decided I wanted to do something about it already besides endless shaving and waxing. I hope one day to get my legs and bikini line done too. It’s just too bad the cost of it adds up over time :(.
Edit: I really do like that there’s a celebrity out there who is publicly saying there is nothing wrong with having pubic hair. I really admire that. Other celebrities and pr0n have made it seem that bald is “normal” and anything else is not.
(My internet was out all day (I hate you Charter!!!), so I’m just getting to this now.)
I would LOVE to do my underarms–I used Naire on them ONE TIME…never again. I broke out in a rash, and got zits on my armpits. Haven’t touched them since. But I would like to laser off my legs, at least. I grow leg hair like a dude.
Agreed, Virginia.
“Keep that sh-t trim” – Virgilia Coriolanus LOL!
I can’t help but think of that viral video urging ladies to “Mow the Lawn!” – http://www.dailystab.com/quattro-bikini-razor-commercial-says-mow-the-lawn/
There was a video on Gillette about manscaping. They said something like, “remember fellas…the trees look taller when you trim the bushes”. I found it QUITE hysterical. My boyfriend couldn’t believe Gillette would actually have that on their website, so I had to show it to him.
Thanks for the link. Too funny.
I’ve been lasered and I love it! After suffering for years with heinous ingrown hairs and the horrific scars they cause, I am a huge advocate for laser hair removal.
One size doesn’t fit them all. If only everyone could see that.
I like being hairless and because my hair is curly (and curlier down there!) i’m prone to ingrown hairs and scarring. I will definitely consider lasering if and when I come into enough money…
Amen, Virgilia Coriolanus!!!!
I joke that I’m part Sasquatch because I too grow leg hair “like a man”. Even when I’m freshly shaven, you can still see black dots. My friend Danielle called the phenomenon “Dorito Leg”, LOL. And while I would LOVE to have permanent hair removal pretty much everywhere, I would never laser my cookie. Pubic hair is there to protect us from bacteria – women are basically unprotected without it! Some women prefer their vulvas clean-shaven, and that is their right, but I always say it’s called “trim” for a reason!
Protect you from what? We aren’t cave people any more… we wear underpants!
It’s brilliant never having to think about it – I can derobe anytime without worrying.
Also, people remember that laser hair removal doesn’t have to be TOTAL hair removal. You can stop once you’ve had the reduction you prefer. You can still be left with a light covering as opposed to a giant bush. People don’t usually understand what laser entails before trashing it!
Always having just done a basic trim, when chemo resulted in several months long alopecia, I saw firsthand why it exists. It was problematic not having anything at all. Not to go into specifics but there are damn good reasons why we humans need hair down there.
Congrats on getting through the chemo! You, my friend, are a WARRIOR.
The different phases of pubic hair is possibly a generational thing brought about by the p0rn industry who wanted a clean money shot. P0rn became more prolific and acceptable to watch due to the internet seething with it. Guys and girls thought it was sexy/the norm and then it went bonkers with de-hairing everything.
I like that there is a push back on the hairless ladyflower and I like that man fur is coming back. I thought it so strange that my dates shaved their chests and trimmed their pits very short. What a colossal pain in the keister that must have been.
Thank you very much ::high five::
And not everybody’s woo-woo looks wonderful completely bare. 😉
@gg, continued good health in 2014!
I find it extremely unattractive if a dude shaves his chest or armpits—unless he’s like Sasquatch–NO. My aunt’s boyfriend shaves his chest—it’s not like he grows a ton of hair either. I just find it weird when people think hair is gross. Everyone has hair.
A to the men. I find excessive manscaping weird as well. Appreciate the thought, guys, but nothing wrong with hair.
I saw a men’s razor commercial where the woman was saying she doesn’t date a man with back hair. I thought, well, I hope you’re helping him shave. It struck me as so shallow.
gg, I had some problems like what I think you’re referring to with the hairlessness down there. Not because of any medical issues, PS Hope your feeling better now, but because I was young and wanted to “cute”. Finally my doctor said to me straight up “This isn’t in a medical journal but in my experience,… the hair is there for a reason.”
Yes. There is friction. Hair helps it be less … frict. 🙂
JanieJ haha, yes, exactly. Exercising and sweating and hairless nethers can create probs.
I am well these day, thanks for the kind words.
Early detection is the best cure for any cancer so get regular mamms and checkups.
That’s awful you went through that but I have never found ‘hairless’ to be a problem AT ALL.
Being fair haired, the laser got rid of any dark pubic hair but left the light, fine blonde hairs. So while I appear hairless, there is a fine patch left there which does me perfectly.
Also might depend on exactly how one’s set up down there. I don’t have any problems being hairless or near-hairless either, but others may experience discomfort. I guess everyone needs to figure out what works for them!
I’ve never had a total wax because it scares the hell out of me.
For me it was far more terrifying in my head than in life, but still painful.
I’ve done it several times and the absolute worst was when I was pregnant. The increased blood flow makes the area much MORE sensitive than usual.
Oh Mort!
I had the same reaction reading your comment as men do to seeing another take a shot to the plums.
I felt like Steve Carrell getting his chest waxed in the 40 year old virgin. Aaahhhhh! Kelly Clarkson
I LOVE the phrase “a shot to the plums”. It is so cute!
Tiffany
It is so cute! And better than saying the alternatives.
Thanks UK!
I have a full Hollywood each month using the hot wax method and it doesn’t hurt me at all. I barely flinch.
It is a bit of a joke at the spa how I can sleep through a bikini wax!
I like having some there, but I can’t leave it at a jungle.
Yup, me too. That’s what trimming scissors are for.
THIS. Cameron, you’re my new hero. I’ve always thought of taking everything off in the same vein as getting giant implants-what happens when they’re no longer in style? Everything comes and goes. And maybe this is just me since I can’t kiss someone with a beard without it itching my face, but doesn’t it itch in the sack if you have hair rubbing against you and you’re bare? Sorry to make squeamish people envision that. 🙂
I don’t enjoy kissing my husband when he has a mustache, but the feeling of being bare against him is a really nice feeling.
It’s a preference either way. I’m agreeing with Mort on this. Not to mention my husband grows facial hair that feels like kissing a cactus! That hair won’t bend!
On the other part regarding the carpet. As long as it’s not a jungle and is well kept it doesn’t make much difference imo.
Okay….I must be out of the loop! The “in” thing is going completely bald down there? I mean, I keep the rug trimmed, and looking decent, but completely bare seems odd to me. Why would anyone prefer a grown woman to look like a pre puberty child?? Be truthful ladies, am I the only one on here that is sporting pubic hair???
Nope, here I am!
@Danni, I agree with everything you said. I’m guessing this “bald” trend comes from women copying waxed shiny porn stars, a trend that started in the late 80s early 90s, because you’re able to see the action if there’s no hair in the way.
I’m surprised that Cameron’s editor didn’t catch the wrong terminology and corrected it.
Me too! My motto: keep the hut thatched!
for the win!
There are other things than your pubic hair to make the difference between a grown woman and a child you know :p
You wouldn’t say that everyone who shaves his armpits looks like a pre puberty child,would you? It’s the same with your pubic hair. Your shape makes you look like a grown woman, in my oppinion. Not the amount of hair.
It’s just personal style.
Thank you, Ella! I hate that argument. A woman looks like a woman, and child looks like a child, period.
I agree, Ella! It really annoys me when grown women say that shaving everything off down there makes you look like a little girl. Um, if the rest of your body doesn’t look like a “little girl” what makes you think a grown woman’s vagina is somehow going to look like a little girl’s?! I’ve shaved it off down there many times and I definitely do NOT look like a little girl down there.
This! The point of shaving isn’t about the look, anyway… it’s about the feel… Certain cultures have always had women with shaved pubic areas. I honestly don’t see the big deal – hair, no hair, whatever you want. But let’s stop comparing adult sexual and/or grooming preferences to children. Ugh.
Thank you! I was just about to make this comment upthread and decided to scroll down and see if anyone already made it. I hate that argument and find it rather anti-man, if that makes sense (as in there’s something sick and perverted about men who prefer a hairless, um, area). It just comes down to personal preference. I’ve had boyfriends who prefer it in its natural state, and some who like it completely smooth. The latter weren’t perverts with a child fetish, they just preferred the feel. To each his/her own!!
Again with this crappy argument. Some things are infact about personal taste, you know? I don’t shave it all to look like a porn star or to look like a little girl ( which is a false statement). I do it because for me it feels better. Why assume others motives to do it?
It’s this message what Diaz is promoting.
It’s not about going bare. It’s about being comfortable. Hair makes her comfortable for reasons listed by her.
She’s taking a shot at the KK’s out there. (Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and the rest) who have treatments to get it perminitely removed. No going back.
Although, On their show Kim or another said how being Armanian they were very hairy down there. To each their own.
Danni
Waving my Neatly trimmed banner with the other ladies here!
Gigi which cultures have shaved pubic areas? (I would search that one myself but I’m not up for sorting out the porn sites from the others).
Laser hair removal isn’t actually permanent… they say it’ll last maybe 10 years but going through hormonal changes like pregnancy can bring it all back.
Thank you! I am sick of people saying that we’re trying to look like children.
It is a personal grooming decision. It is starting to come the ‘in’ debate now for people to wail on about. A bit like the bottle v breast melodrama you see.
So I like being hairless, deal with it!
Not alone, Danni! I think it’s completely to weird have no hair down there.
Nope, me too. Neatly trimmed though. Keep trimmed and clean and you won’t have a problem. It looks nicer in my opinion, too.
This may be TMI but I had waxing done once recently to a “landing strip” pattern. I liked it and when it grew back, it was not so dense. But to each her own. And I agree with Cami that lasering is a bit permanent when you might want to grow it back later. I mean, what if you move somewhere cold??
Nope, I got laser, but not everything. Still have quite a bit. I’m the type that gets stubble within *hours* of shaving, so it just made sense to get some laser done and shave up the rest the way you like it. But seriously, bare has been in at least since the 90s, you can’t possibly just be hearing about this right now, can you?!
Count me in as a fan of bare down there! I prefer the feeling, just like I like my legs smooth, underarms smooth, etc. I’ve had laser hair removal on my under arms and legs and let me tell you, it saves so much time and feels great! I don’t think I’ll regret being hairless when I’m older if it “goes out of style,” I make these decisions based on my preferences, not the preferences of the masses.
No waxing ever and shaving itches too much when the hair starts to grow back! But I keep that sucka trimmed on the regular and I use a depilatory cream on my bikini line.
ETA. I totally agree that it comes down to personal preference. No one should be judging anyone for how they like to groom or not groom down there.
I’m liking all the diverse opinions on to muff or not to muff.
As for me, I’m a fan of ‘tulips on the mound’! – http://www.dailystab.com/quattro-bikini-razor-commercial-says-mow-the-lawn/ This video is a hoot and totally apropos of this discussion.
I get it all waxed off on a monthly basis – everything, the full Brazilian (they even do your butt crack, I know it’s TMI but a lot of people don’t realize what they’re asking for when they say “Brazilian” so it’s important to know). It is certainly NOT for a man, as I’m single by choice and have been for the past 6 months. I don’t think it’s right to judge either way. If you want to rock the full natural look, more power to you. But don’t knock those of us who prefer the opposite. I like feeling smooth, and I get way fewer ingrown hairs and irritation than with shaving. NO ONE would mistake me for a pre-pubescent little girl, I assure you. I really don’t get the cattiness and assumptions over this.
I get everything waxed off too (front and back) but we call it the ‘Hollywood’. The brazillian is where you have a landing strip at the front here.
I also have my arms, legs and armpits done. I can not stand hairiness. A personal decision and I agree people should stop judging personal choices.
I’m a older woman (47) and I’ve done the waxing /shaving thing for a few years finally I got sick of the mantience and pain so I let it grow (like a Chia Pet) lol! It’s way better with a bit of fur and I like men with a bit of fur too! 😉
Shaving and waxing is a personal preference, but I am glad that there has been pushback against this recent trend of going bare. I believe it was porn that has fuelled the Brazilian trend and it has pressured and even forced young women to consider spending money and going through the pain of waxing it all off to be considered attractive to men with this preference. I hate the memes that having a full bush is unhygienic and gross. As long as one bathes regularly, they shouldn’t have to worry about germs and stench. I know those who wax it all off hate this opinion, but I really do think being bare looks pre-pubescent. Maybe that is a turn on for some men, but I want a man who won’t feel grossed out being with a fully mature woman with a bush. I feel sorry for young girls who are going through puberty and at the same time being told that their new hair growth is something to be ashamed of.
going bald is unhygienic and gross. i can’t help but laugh when people who shave/wax completely think they’re being more hygienic and clean when it’s the complete opposite. i have to give you them this though that bare looks much more attractive looking.
Not on me it isn’t!
Yes! I’m glad someone said this. I remember a friend of mine trying to tell me that BS when I told her I didn’t shave. It’s like–you know they grow there for a reason right? In fact, there are many infections you can get when you *do* shave or wax, so I always roll my eyes when people somehow get it in their heads that shaving is more “hygienic”. It’s so absurdly ignorant, and most of the people I’ve met who throw out that line sound so haughty when they do. Ugh.
@pretty & Side-Eye – Re: Having no ‘rug’ in the basement is “unhygienic & gross”, & that those who think otherwise are “absurdly ignorant”.
I suppose you’re familiar with the health/circumstances & bodily functions of every woman in the world? It’s pretty arrogant to assume you do.
This is personal, but WTH. Since I was 11, I’ve had permanent, heavy ‘discharge’, which (while a doctor assured me it was not a health problem in my case), is very unpleasant & messy. Combine that with very heavy periods & pubic hair, & you have an ‘unhygienic’ *mess* that is not only gross, but actually sometimes painful to try cleaning up without a shower.
There are also cases for others where health issues like ‘accidents’ are common, & dealing with hair in those cases is also totally uncomfortable. Then as others have shared above, many suffer with painful ingrown hairs that cause scarring & just continue to happen unless the hair is removed. I’m not denying that it serves a purpose, It wouldn’t be there if it didn’t. That just doesn’t mean there aren’t equally valid reasons why it does more harm than good for some. Everyone is different, has different chemistry & experiences.
Exactly what Kibbles said!
I have a real question and sorry in advance for the TMI – I keep a little bush up top but everything else clean because I enjoy when my man goes down town. How could he be doing that with a full 70s bush getting in his way? That’s the only reason I keep it trim underneath lol.
He pulls the branches aside and goes in. Simple as that.
Even those branches can get in the way when they are too thick and needs a trim. When men are playing hide the tongue in the bush but then peek out for a second, they’re not just coming up for air. They are also spitting parts of that branch out of their mouth.
hahahaha. I just spit my drink through my nose. That was great.
“He pulls the branches aside and goes in” I just died. LMAO
Hahahahaha. It’s even funnier with the visual I’ve got going on.
“but then peek out for a second, they’re not just coming up for air.” LOL! Oh Lord, V4real, that’s not just a username for you is it?
I concur with V4real’s real talk because I don’t like to ‘floss’ either when I’m up on (or down on as the case may be) DH’s major attraction!
Most women on the world have that 70s bush and think they are having sex just fine. Its been around for thousands of years and guess what, people kept having sex and lots of it. Sex isn’t limited by the bush, only if they don’t what they’re doing.
I guess I’m in the minority here, but I totally prefer bare for myself, but think everyone should do what makes them feel best.
The thing that I don’t get is the pro-hair argument that when “gravity takes it’s toll” that it’ll somehow look better hairy. I mean is saggy and hairy better than saggy and smooth?
Whatever. Anyway, it’s weird that people on either side are so evangelical about their opinions on it.
ITA @dhalia.
I went Kojak down there when I started racing bicycles out doors-so much more comfortable to ride 50-80 miles on a training ride when there’s no hair chafing or ingrown hairs. But, it’s totally personal preference, people judge way too much.
Another ‘bare’ here, too.
I really wish women (and men!) would stop telling other women what to do with their pubic hair. 🙁
Thank you.
Yep.
Me, too. To each her own.
She wasn’t telling you to go bare or not – she was cautioning against permanent removal.
Yeah I didn’t get her saying to do what she says. She’s telling us to consider it, but ultimately it’s an individual choice.
Right on.
Yeah, technically Cammy isn’t telling anyone what to, but there’s more than a strong implication of “I know what’s best for your snatch, ladies – I’m a celebrity!”
I prefer bare and I get lasered every two months. Hair chafes me on long runs and 40+ miles of cycling.
Also, my husband is more agreeable to some oral lovin’ if I’m smooth.
It’s all personal preference.
To go bare or not to go bare, it’s a personal choice. But we need to stop saying it’s because of porn that women are choosing to wax/shave or whatever. It’s a preference. Also stop saying women who takes it all off looks pubescent. If I don’t want hair in my pubic area it’s not because I want to resemble a pre-teen. Shame on the poster who said that.
BTW laser hair removal is not permanent. The only way to permanently remove hair is through electrolysis. I’m also willing to bet Diaz still shave or wax. Have you seen some of the barely there bikinis she’s worn. If she had a bush the branches would definitely be pushing through. Now she might have gone days where she let the hair grow in for a bit but the woman still takes it off. Who she’s trying to fool.
Shame on whom has a different opinion????
We all have reasons to choose a certain way and nobody else has to be shamed so we could feel secure about our own choice.
My God, some people..
Um, I think V4Real was shaming people for telling her what to do with her foliage, not shaming them for choosing to do something different. You’re on the same side. Bushes and glass coffee tables of the world, unite. 😉
Bare? I had that when I gave birth and afterwards it was rough and stubbly until it envolved into some spiky thing that looked like it should be hunting rodents in the forest. To top it off I got an ingrown hair that became infected. So a little length for me is much more preferable. I think it’s there for a reason. I should google it.
@taz, I always go completely bare before I give birth. It’s easier to stitch a hairless area than it is a furry one. Plus, I could not see my lady parts, so I would have been shaving blindly! Anyway, a good aesthetician will go in with a magnifying glass and tweezers and pluck out any stray hairs. I have very sensitive skin and am prone to ingrown hairs when I shave, but I’ve never gotten them from waxing.
Thanks for the warning. I tend toward ingrown hairs elsewhere and that’s what’s always terrified me about shaving the bush completely. Ain’t gonna happen.
Avoiding ingrown hairs is all about exfoliation! Even so, I had to stop shaving and opted for waxing. I use a glycolic acid exfoliant designed for that area after I shower until the hairs have all popped out of the skin and I get zero ingrown hairs.
2 things to add. Baby oil applied to shaven area has always stopped ingrown hair from forming me.
And tweezing is time consuming, but a great alternatie to shaving and waxing.
Thank you, V!
I *loathe* that argument about looking like a child. Way to bring the creepy, folks. Can we just leave the children out of the sex talk?
Because seriously.
Also – if you are a frequent receiver of oral pleasure, bare is nice. I know I don’t enjoy a mouthful of hair, personally. But it’s totally personal preference. I don’t think going au natural OR totally bare are weird. Whatever floats your boat.
@Mia I was saying shame on the person upthread who said women who choose to go bare wants to look like a pubescent child. That’s not an opinion that’s an accusation.
@Tazina I believe everything is in its place for a reason but that doesn’t mean you can’t change it. Your underarm hair is there for a reason but I bet most women shave those hairs off.
Too the posters who said being bare looks weird, I wonder how you feel about women who shave their heads or bald. I’m also thinking you must think a bald underarm is weird as well and God forbid a hairless leg. Damn all you pubescent wanna be women because you take pride in grooming.
@V4real. I do not understand the wish to shame someone. Ok so one woman has a different view than yours, she thinks it looks wierd and childish. Let her think that way! Why can’t you just say like practically all posters: this is my choice, based on this reason, I do not understand your pedophile angle.
Instead you choose to shame people. It’s simply aggressive, mean and uncalled for.
@Mia Don’t try to twist my responses into what you want them to mean. I’m not the one who is shaming, it’s the ones who are saying that women who goes bare resembles a pubescent child or has been pursuaded by the porn industry to do so. How am I using a pedophile angle when other posters are the ones who brought pubescent into it. The poster didn’t say it was childish, she said women who goes bare looks like a pubescent child.
BTW how am I shaming people; I never once mentioned my grooming habits. I never once said if a person should shave or not. I never accused a person of looking like a child if they shaved it all off. Nor did I accuse people who don’t shave of looking like a chia pet. Sorry but you’re the one being aggressive and uncalled for on this post. You”re being mean and I don’t even know why. Is it because you don’t like my opinion on the subject. Perhaps you agree more with the posters who say bare down there means you want to look like a pre-teen. Why else would you direct your comment towards me? Now that last sentence in my previous comment was meant as sarcasm which I know is some times hard to read in print
@V4real I am sorry if I made you feel bad. But if you look back to all posters no one shamed anyone. They stated different preferences and gave personal reasons for it. That’s about it. You’re the only one who made it personal and shamed another poster. I found that aggressive and I chose to react. Again, I have nothing against you or anyone else but I don’t like when people are mean when it could be avoided. If you felt bad because of my reaction imagine how hurt was the person you shamed because she was stating her opinion. I have no strong opinion on the bare VS bush, I read the comments because they were funny and then yours made me feel bad for the poor woman you shamed.
I am simply asking for less agresivity.
I hear you, Mia. Until just now, I read ALL the comments upthread to be personal preferences and didn’t pick up on anyone shaming anyone else. I prefer to err on the side of less aggressivity too.
@Mia you are the one who keeps coming off as aggressive and mean but you’re trying to do it in a subtle way. How did I shame a poster because I don’t agree with someone who says women are trying to look like a pubescent child. I’m sure you notice that a few people on this board disagree with that comparison but you keep coming at me. I could be wrong but I think more than one person made that assumption about pubescent, being weird and blaming the porn industry. Perhaps I should have said posters upthread.
I’m not attacking anyone, hence the reason I didn”t direct my first comment @ anyone. Mia you brought more attention to this by continuing to mention the poster you assume I’m talking about. The poster you’re assuming I’m speaking of probably didn’t care much about what I said. But now that you keep bringing it up other readers might be strolling up looking for a particular commenter that said going bare resembles a pubescent child. So do you see what you did.
I might have misunderstood that comment but yes I will say shame on anyone who doesn’t know me but decide that I must want to look like a pubescent child if I shave my private area. Yet you find nothing wrong with that accusation. I’m being mean; you’ve been on C/B long enough to know what being mean really is and this is not one of those cases.
I am sick in bed with fever that’s why I spent so much time on this. No shade on regular posters who sometimes make my day with their wit and humour. But I was simply pleading for no personal attacks and nothing more. I can see this cannot be a reasonable dialog so I stop here.
“So do you see what you did.” You made me laugh, V! 🙂
I admit it; I scrolled up! *slinks off*
thank you v4real
i was a competitive swimmer before i had hair, when it grew in around 12, it was easier to get rid of it, since i spent so much time in a bathing suit. i wasnt influenced by pr0n, because we didnt even have cable, and i wasnt influenced by men at that age, or even other girls as i cant remember anyone talking about it.
people needs to stop being so judgey about other peoples privates.
Yeah, I’m a teen, and maybe it’s because I don’t watch too much porn–but I never thought that it was a ‘thing’ to shave off everything. I always thought that everyone had pubic hair, because the only women I had seen naked–my mom and grandma–neither of them shaved bare.
I’ve shaved myself bare a few times, but I don’t like it because I get really prickly and stubbly within a day, it looks weird to me, and the discoloration is off. Like someone punched me in the vagina or something.
Haha, when I read the header, I thought she was gonna be making a statement about how Miley/Beyonce/Lady Gaga/Ke$ha etc. wear leotards with no pants. I am so over seeing all these women wearing that shit. Nobody wants to see your vagina. Bring back pants!!!
I thought the same thing…wear underwear ladies! I didn’t think she meant anything about pubic hair until I read the excerpt. OOPS! I think wearing underwear is good advice.
What? Is it true? Labia majora is not immune to gravity? I mean, not that I care that much, because it’s already hanging happily, but I wonder if that’s true because I didn’t hear about it and I’m too embarrassed to ask my mother since we never talk about sex and body:P.
Like everything else, gravity will take its toll…there will also be changes in color (definitely for the hair, highly probable for the skin). It happens with age, but can happen faster due to stress or illness (which I’ve always found to be the same thing)
Yes, it is not immune to gravity, rather UNFORTUNATELY, as some of us have discovered.
Some studies believe waxing can actually make it saggier as well. It’s possible it stretches the skin and leads to more sagging. But yes unfortunately as we age, it sags. Also less hair growth to almost no hair growth. Men sag as well with age, its not just limited to us ladies.
IKR! Those saggy sacked men are just eww!
The dreaded OLD BALLS phenomenon. Tragic.
Ugh, wait, I meant labia minora is hanging happily, I’ve mistaken them, but thanks about clarification about labia majora;).
@kikihihi, there’s no need to worry at all about lady gravity because when you’re ‘happy’ to see him/her, you are nicely puffy and look super cute at any age!
(I’m thanking my heavens there’s been no mention here of one type size or box shape being superior to any other! The women here already know that every flower is equally lovely.)
Last word must surely go to the amazing Caitlin Moran, who extolls the virtue of fully-grown-out pubic hair in her ‘How to be a woman’ book:
“Lying on a hammock, gently finger-combing your Wookie whilst staring up at the sky is one of the great pleasures of adulthood.”
HAH! You just made my day.
OMG. Dying from laughter.
Gaaah! Thanks Gods no coffee in mouth to spit out. I think I now have a new favorite pet name.
As someone who went gray early “down there ” I welcomed the bald trend with open arms.
Not that y’all needed to know that.
This makes me wonder if Cami or Goopy have any celeb advice on dyeing the pubic hair a different colour?
@Mitch Buchanan Rocks – There’s actually a company *fully devoted* to dying one’s pubic hair xD They offer all these crazy colors like purple/blue/green/ect… Well, I guess it’s perfect if anyone ever wanted to look like an anime character in ‘hentai’ (anime p0rn)… Although the hair (on my head) is currently purple/dark blue/green streaked, so if I didn’t shave, I’d have the option to ‘match’ downstairs xD
I don’t care what people do with their bodies, but I do hate the trend of trying to shame everyone into looking the same way. To me, you have the right to SPEAK your opinion to me about MY life when you live it for me…otherwise, put your lips parallel and inhale. Life is difficult enough as it is without people telling you that you’re only attractive or sexy if you look a certain way in the bedroom.
Here’s some true body advice, ladies: If you’re a good person and do your best to take care of yourself, you’re attractive. If you also do your best to be good to others, make the world a kinder place and do it all without harming others? You’re one of the most beautiful people that have ever lived. The best part? That beauty will only improve with age.
Absolutely!
Excellent post 🙂
Ugh. Is anyone else super sick of these actresses like Diaz, Paltrow, etc. telling-or even suggesting-to the rest of us what we should be doing to groom our own lady parts?? This is especially irritating to me when you consider that we’ve ALL seen Cameron and Gwynnie in tons of bikinis (often verrrrry low cut ones) and it’s blatantly clear that the whole “natural” look is VERY far from what they’re actually sporting, no matter how much they want to claim otherwise. (Just more celebrity lies…)
I’ve kind of started to wonder if this isn’t some sort of bizarre form of high school-style mean girl-ing. You know, tell all the silly fans who will listen to anything that THEY should go au naturale and then have a good chuckle about it while laying on the table of some insanely expensive salon in the midst of getting their own full Brazilians. Who knows?
Side note: I’m writing to you all from under about a foot of snow in 5 degree temperatures here in Boston so please forgive my comments, which I can almost assure you will be particularly snarky today 😏
Great points PJ
I’m sick of it too.
@p.j. I said something similar upthread about Diaz. She wears the tiniest of bikinis and there is no way she doesn’t groom. She may have her days when she wears her fur coat but I doubt she keeps it on long.
Until I hear Pitt, Clooney or RDJ telling other men to shave or not shave their hairy balls, I wish these female celebs would STFU about their grooming habits down there. Next they will be telling us if we should use tampons or pads.
BTW I’m stuck in snow in NY but at least I got the day off. Stay warm.
Thanks @V4REAL; I had the day off too! Hoping you’ve been able to stay safe & warm as well 🙂
Agreed. I also find the likes of Paltrow and Diaz extolling their so-called pearls of wisdom on how to live and be to the masses extremely arrogant. What on earth makes them think anyone with half a brain gives a flying toss? I’m not denying it’s probably quite lucrative for them, but seriously…just jog on. No-one in their right mind would take life advice from these two spoonheads.
She said this in a beauty book right? She didn’t try to get it put into the Bill of Rights or report it on the Meet the Press, did she? A total non issue.
And why can’t we talk about our pubic hair?
The first part of your post actually made me giggle 🙂
I understand your point as well, but the issue isn’t that anyone is openly talking about pubic hair-although, it’s hardly a necessary topic of conversation is it?-but what I do take issue with is two things: 1. These celebs aren’t merely talking about their own personal preferences in this area but rather, suggesting to other women what they SHOULD try/do based on their personal opinions (why on earth would you care what another woman does in this area??) and 2. It’s clear from some very recent bikini pics and many others taken over the years that these two ladies are very much NOT actively practicing what they currently preach.
The whole thing is just so bizarre.
Cameron promotion of this book reminds me of when Goop was promoting her.
Also don’t Cameron help Goop shave hers off maybe she should have given Goop a copy of her book and some advice.
Natural, but groomed, is a good middle way. I’d avoid lasering the lady bits, if only because – what young women are not told and should know — is that the ladybits, um, sag too. You heard it here!
For all those that are tired of the Hollywood TMI:
“It’s a new low for actresses when you have to wonder what’s between her ears instead of her legs.” – Katharine Hepburn after Sharon Stone’s famous leg crossing scene in Basic Instinct.
Whether you like hair down there or not, do whatever makes you feel good, ladies. Who gives a crap what everyone else thinks.
Oh, I’ve never heard her sound even remotely bright. Camie seems to be kind of stupid. I’m certainly no prude, but this is idiotic for a 40 year old woman. Is she friends with shallow Aniston or what?
She can discuss private parts all she wants, but please express yourself at least a bit more intelligent.
This type of talk seems like a cheap trick to buy a book by a silly actress that doesn’t bring much for the reader, just a way to make more money for Camie. Did she spend most of $$$ on bad plastic surgery on her face and sad boob job?
Wasn’t there a rumour that Sofia Coppola based the ditz-fest part Anna Faris played in ‘Lost in Translation’ on Cameron Diaz? I can imagine that is EXACTLY what she’s like in real-life.
I remember that rumor. The years since certainly lend credence to it!
Has anyone else noticed that with the rise of full bikini waxes also came the rise of camel toes?
Just saying….
That’s because we have a nice little brillo pad keeping pants from riding up into a girl wedgie!
”The idea that vaginas are preferable in a hairless state is a pretty recent phenomenon, and all fads change, people.”
Not to be a history bore, but if you look at it in the broader context, it really isn’t recent. The ancient Romans liked to remove all body hair. Also, in most Islamic cultures, public hair has always been considered unclean – on both sexes – and Turkish baths, like Roman baths, often employed attendants whose job was to remove body hair. All of it.
I saw that too.
Many Native American tribes removed all hair, also. Also, some ethnic populations (for example many Native Americans) just don’t have very much hair to begin with, which may suggest that in some cultures natural-selection could have trended away from body hair.
Ancient Egyptians removed every hair from their bodies and then drew on eyebrows and wore wigs.
People love to blame everything on porn.
FINALLY!!! Someone said it. I am NOT a fan of the “bare-less” trend. I love me some Cameron Diaz!!!
I resent a celebrity telling me how to manage my body hair. I “trim” because when it gets too long toilet paper bullets snag up my hair. I’ve known men who love the shaved look, I tried it briefly but didn’t like the stubble effect. So I manage it with a beard trimmer that leaves enough hair to look normal but doesn’t tangle up with hygiene products.
“70s bush”?
“Dated” references tend to sound unintelligent and parochial as it is – but speaking about a natural state of the human anatomy makes it doubly so.
It’s not the “bush” that needs temporal definition – it’s the lack of it, being un-natural and, yes, a fad.
(A possibly sinister one, too, because it may have more than a little to do with tastes that like to sexualise prepubescent females.)
For me, the issue is not anyone’s preference, but the fact that SO many women have bought into what is being pushed onto them, that it seems they arent thinking for themselves.
20 years ago, the majority of women left themselves natural. I find t hard to believe that all women simply changed their minds on their own, to now have a majority of women shaving/waxing— for PERSONAL reasons. It’s only because of social pressure and the fear of being “ugly” or “disgusting” or whatever label is slapped onto what is ‘non trend’.
I couldnt care less what the style is, but I do care that women cant seem to think about it in a more private and honest way and be more true to their own opinions (If they have any??) It makes me worry– maybe no matter WHAT is pushed as sexy, would the majority of women do it- no matter how gruesome, painful, humiliating, dangerous etc——- well, but wait, dont they do that already?! C’mon ladies, dont “do” this or that, except THINK FOR YOURSELF!
Personally, I am in the hippie club. My partner however prefers trimmed, and shaves himself— to my dismay. There is nothing I love more on a man than for him to be obviously male and have a nice crown of locks down there 😉 So I similarly disappoint my partner by not shaving, if you could say that— but, does it REALLY matter? NO. NEVER. Should it matter? NO. It should be our own private choices because its our own bodies and we are not about to change it for anyone else at our expense.
I read this and all I can think is “… but you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Then I kept reading and found out Diaz is in a revival of “Annie” and the universe made sense.
This is a bit off topic of the ladybits but, since Cami’s not going to show her hairy vagina in this book – theres a cofee table book called xxx 30 pornstar portraits by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders – it is tastefully done and features a beautiful pre-surgery Jenna Jameson.
For those bare bottom ladies out there – there is evidence that the odds of getting an STD increase.
And for you youngsters – I am a non-shaver. Stopped shaving my legs, arm pits years and years ago. My legs would have a 3 o’clock shadow and I just got so sick of shaving and waxing.
Truth be told, not only do you lose hair from legs rubbing on clothes (example – bare skin below the sock line on men) but you also lose much of the hairy bush. Permanently. My guess is I would have MORE hair down there if I was a shaver all these years.
Please show me the credible evidence and research of this.
A few anecdotes do not make fact!