Pubic hair: Where does it come from? What's normal?

Pubic hair growth is a natural part of puberty, usually starting around the age of 10 or 11. Some people have a little, some have a lot—it depends on the individual.

The amount of hair we have is caused by the amount of the hormone testosterone, which floats around in our bloodstream. Males have more of this hormone than females. Though women have less of this hormone than men, we still have it and it enables us to grow hair on our heads, armpits and pubic area.

The amount of hair that you have is also determined by your genetics. For example, if you are Mediterranean, Greek or Italian then you may have more hair than if you are Irish.

Some people have more body hair (and pubic hair) than others. Hair grows in different quantities and in different places on everyone. The hair gets thicker, longer and darker as you go through puberty. Some people chose to remove this hair, but many don't. It's up to you what to do with your pubic and other body hair. If you let your pubic hair grow naturally, the hair grows soft and fine. However if you shave or trim your pubic hair, it may grow back coarser than it was before you removed the hair.

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Too much hair

On rare occasions the hormone balance goes haywire and this can result in more hair than is usually felt to be OK (abnormal growth). A person who thinks they have an abnormal amount of body hair can visit the doctor for some basic hormone tests. If this shows that there could be a hormone problem, the doctor might refer to you to a specialist called an endocrinologist. There are some very effective treatments for excess body hair, though these might take some months before you get the full effect.

Butt

It is quite normal to have hair growing around your anus and on your backside—this is all part of the pubic hair. Many guys and girls have hair on their butts, and this is quite normal. It's up to you if you want to keep or remove this hair, but remember that most people have hair there and it's no big deal.

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Guys

Guys often have hair between the scrotum sack and butt, and between the butt cheeks. This hair is a sign of maturity. As they mature, guys also tend to increase body hair on their chest, legs and, for some, on the back and shoulders. Some males trim or remove this hair, some males don't.

Girls

Just like the guys, some females remove or trim pubic hair and some females don't. Some women also choose to remove hair from places such as the face, legs and underarms. Once again, it is a personal choice what you do with this body hair. You don't have to do anything.

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Removing unwanted hair

If you do want to change your body hair, including pubic hair, your options for hair removal are trimming, shaving, waxing or using a depilatory (hair removal) cream. It's common to get little red dots in your pubic and bikini area when you shave because it's a very sensitive area. When you shave, the end of the hair grows back with a blunt edge because public hair is course. So, sometimes it has to "push" through a very fine layer of skin before it reaches the surface. Quite often the skin around the hair follicle gets slightly red and sore (infected) when it grows back.

Some people find that if they wax or use depilatory cream then they don't experience so much redness. When you wax the hair grows back with a much softer edge, so you don't experience as much redness, unless you get an ingrown hair. Shaving is also not recommended because it is likely to make the hair thicker over time.

For sensitive areas of the body, such as the genital region, depilatory cream or waxing might be better options. If you choose to wax, it's probably a good idea to go to a beautician or salon to get this done professionally. However, you'll have to keep doing it, probably about every two months, to keep the hair away. Another option is to bleach the hair, which makes it lighter. Bleaching also needs to be done by a beautician. Laser hair removal is another option, but it is very expensive.

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Conclusion

Body hair, including pubic hair, is perfectly natural, and it's normal to get more hair during puberty. In terms of attractiveness to others, such as partners or potential partners, it depends on individual tastes—some people prefer more hair, some prefer less. It is important to point out that some people find more body hair attractive and it is not something that you necessarily need to try to change. It's best if you decide what you like.

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More information

This fact sheet was written for Somazone by Robyn Drysdale, Manager of Education Research and Development, Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT. Copyright © 2004 Australian Drug Foundation.