7/20/10
Wise Guys: What Do Guys Think of Au Naturel?

Advice from three of our guy friends. This week a straight woman asks, What do guys think when a woman doesn’t trim, shave or wax her pubic hair at all?

anonymous_suitStraight Single Guy (Max): My rule is simple: if I can get through the forest and perform certain acts without being inhibited, then I don’t care. That being said, I would much rather go down on a girl than have her go down on me (which I know is somewhat rare), so my preference is easy access. Do you ladies understand how rad it is to hear, see and feel you freaking out when we go down on you? It’s awesome. Especially when you’re completely comfortable with it. Keeping it completely bare is not necessary but I confess that when a girl is freshly waxed we can BOTH have a lot more fun.

wiseguy_benStraight Married Guy (Ben): It sort of depends. If there’s some thought behind it, like she’s a hippy or a really old school feminist – in other words, if she’s not shaving/ waxing/ trimming on purpose – then it doesn’t really matter to me. The fact that she’s deliberately making an aesthetic choice about her pubes makes all the difference. But if she’s just being lazy or not putting in the effort, well then that actually says a lot — much more than what’s actually going on down there. Of course, realize that if you do make that choice not to do any upkeep, you’re going against what a lot of guys are hoping / expecting to find (see other Manhandled columns here and here). So if you do want to go for that “overgrown look” then I’ll give you this quick tip: popping out of the top of the underwear or bikini is way sexier than coming out of the sides. In fact, a bit of bush overflowing the top of some low cut panties can actually be pretty darn hot.

Gay Single Guy (Bradford Shellhammer): I know what gay guys would do. They would hold you down, pin back your arms, and call for back-up. Shaving it all away, I find, is weird and kinda upsetting. But everyone should trim: your eyebrows, your nose-hairs, your hair on your head, back hair, and yes, down there. Say “We’re animals and it belongs there” and I might upchuck on you. Some things in nature need to be cleaned up. Not removed. But cleaned up. Like a lawn. Letting it go is just troublesome.

Our “wise guys” are a rotating group of contributors, some of whom wish to remain anonymous and some of whom like the attention. This week’s Straight Married Guy is Ben, a writer and artist living in Los Angeles; our Gay Guy is fellow SUN blogger Bradford Shellhammer, the creative director of fabulis and a New York Times featured decorator; and our Single Straight Guy, Max, is a recent college grad in New England. To ask the guys your own question, click here.



26 Comments

  1. I, personally, keep mine trimmed back most of the time.
    But if I want to pamper myself, sometimes I’ll go to the spa and get a brazilian with a landing strip.
    I don’t really like shaved, or completely bald. Shaved is itchy, and completely bald makes it seem like a little kid’s.
    But it’s all up to personal preference I guess. Each to their own.

  2. I choose to trim things up a bit so it looks neat & clean but going bald is definitely not my thing.keeping it trimmed & cute is acceptable for me and my man.

  3. I find that body hair on a gal is a big turn on for me (almost a fetish), as long as she is clean and takes care of herself. It may be that I love the contrast since, as a man, I have an unbelievably small amount of hair on my body naturally. I didn’t have any whatsoever until I turned 19. One girl I dated noticed I had a thing for the fur on her body and completely stopped shaving. I was astounded at the amount of beautiful hair that adorned her all over. She loved to place her hairy legs and arms right next to my smooth hairless ones. She would tease me about what a little boy I was as her fluffy hairs would rub up against my skin, driving me crazy. I was so turned on by her, yet at the same time so jealous that she could grow all that hair and I was so immature in comparison. I say throw away the razors.

  4. I must disagree with Anais on “Waxing shaving lasering –NOT FUN.”

    Shaving does sort of suck because of the stubble. Lasering hurts like hell. Waxing is sort of fun, and the end result? Amazingly soft skin — FUN!

  5. What does Max mean about being able to see, hear, and feel a girl freaking out? Is a natural bush so enormous that he’s completely sensory-deprived?

  6. This is not about whether I personally shave (I am not a very hairy person anyway and I would not have sex with a man who expected me to keep my pubic area shaved). What I have a hard time with is telling other women what they “should” do.

    I agree that it can be healthy to deconstruction oneself, to question one’s preferences. I just have a problem with anyone telling women what our preferences and personal choices should be. The right to decide what to do with my own body is something I feel strongly about, and I have a strong negative reaction to anyone telling me what I should feel or what I should like.

  7. I think one of the points Anais is getting at, Sugarmag, is that we should all be questioning why we “want” to. What do you get or expect to get by shaving? Many people have already pointed out the physical pain that can result, in various ways. So what is the real reason or reasons why people are willing to subject themselves to pain or the potential for pain (including infection)? And are those reasons something you want to “fight for”?

    I’m not saying that it’s impossible to have a good reason to shave/wax/whatever, but when it comes to our personal aesthetic decisions it’s always a good idea to deconstruct ourselves every once in a while.

  8. Anais,whether to remove pubic hair is a personal choice. When you say “we” you mean “I” you are talking about your own preferences and choices. Some women like the way it feels to be bare down there and that their choice.

    Here is what I think. Do what feels right for you. If you do not want to remove hair down there and your partner wants you to, he is not the guy for you. If he likes it and you like it, then everyone wins. My body, my choice. Is that not what we feminists have been fighting for? I’ll shave if I want to.

  9. Glad this has come up! I have been absolutely mystified why removing one’s pubic hair could ever be thought of as sexy! Back in the 70’s many women were fighting with the docs to NOT shave us when we gave birth as it was viewed by us to be degrading and about men wanting us to look like children,it did not reduce infection rates, but INCREASED them; we interperate the practice as one of an attempt to DE-sex us.It was an issue of who controlled our bodies. We thought that guys who were into their women sporting what are now called “brazillians” were closet pedophiles, and we were horrified.We were comfortable with our bodies; pubic hair our southern crowning glory…the curls that we and our lovers toyed with, the shine, the “real” blondes,not wearing panties and feeling the sexiness of the feel of summer breezes tickling our airy furbelows. Razor stubble, wax burns and red infected skin bumps are NOT sexy.The time it takes could be put to better use pleasuring ourselves or our lovers; that part of our body should be treated to as much pleasure and fun as possible. Waxing, shaving lasering-NOT FUN.

  10. A man can expect me to wax my genitals after he waxes his. Trimming- I’m all about it, but waxing? You’ve got to be joking.

  11. For the missus, I prefer her bare, but a little landing strip is ok. She pefers the same for me.

    Big bushy is just not my thing. Generally speaking, guys are visual and I’m no different.

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