My pubic hair is hurting me all the time. Could it be my underwear?
Thanks for your question! If your pubic hair hurts all the time, your underwear is probably not the culprit. Fortunately, painful pubic hair isn’t a common part of puberty. It’s hard to tell what might be causing the pain without understanding what you’re feeling a bit more. When you say your pubic hair hurts, do you mean that the skin around your pubic hair hurts? Or is the pain deeper? We recommend you make an appointment with your health care provider, who can tell you exactly what is going on, and how to stop the pain.
It’s possible your pubic hair hurts because of ingrown hairs.
These happen when the hair curls back inside the skin, rather than growing out of the skin like normal. This can cause irritating, itchy bumps that look like pimples. You may even be able to see the hair just underneath your skin. You can get them anywhere, but ingrown hairs are especially common around the pubic area because the hair there is usually curlier and wirier than in other areas of your body. Usually people get ingrown hairs after they’ve shaved, but you can also get them when your pubic hair is coming in for the first time (especially if you’re Black, Latinx, or have thick, curly hair).
You can avoid ingrown hairs by gently exfoliating your skin. This gets rid of some of the dead skin cells that can block hair follicles and lead to ingrown hairs. While your underwear isn’t causing the problem, wearing cotton underwear with no elastic, lace or other rough fabric that could irritate your skin may help with your pain. If you shave your pubic hair (and there’s no medical reason you need to!), always use a fresh razor, warm water and shaving cream. Shave in the same direction that your hair grows. Keep getting ingrown hairs? Consider trimming your hair instead of removing it, or using a depilatory cream to remove hair instead.
If you don’t have ingrown hairs, there may be something else going on.
If your pubic area itches, it’s possible that you have pubic lice or scabies. You don’t need to have had sex to get either of these, and having them does NOT make you “dirty.” If you’re having pain in your pelvic area or around your pubic region, it’s possible you have an infection. While sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are spread through sexual contact, you don’t necessarily have to have penis in vagin* sex to get one. Remember: Having an STI says nothing about who you are as a person.
Make an appointment with your health care provider. They can tell you if you’re dealing with ingrown hairs, an infection, or something else. Even if it ends up being nothing, you can relax knowing that you have nothing to worry about. If you live near NYC and are 10-22 years old, you can make a free, confidential appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist at Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.
FAQs
When the tip of a pubic hair folds back into the skin at the root, an ingrown hair can result. It can lead to a painful bump where the hair may be visible underneath. The bump may be hard or soft and pus-filled. It can become itchy, inflamed, or infected.
Should a 13 year old shave pubic hair? ›
Some people don't do anything with their pubic hair, leaving it to grow naturally. Some remove hair when they'll be wearing a bathing suit, and some remove hair regularly. No health benefits are linked to removing pubic hair, so choose what feels right for you.
Why does it hurt after I shave my pubic area, girl? ›
Razor burn is a common problem for folks who shave their pubic area. That's because you're dealing with ultra-sensitive skin and ultra-thick hair. The good news is that razor burn tends to be short-lived. Soothe it with cooling treatments like a cold compress or aloe vera.
What should female pubic hair look like? ›
In general, pubic hair in females naturally covers the labia majora (outer lips) to the inner thighs and form a triangle-like shape up to the pubic bone. Some women will naturally grow thicker or thinner hair than others, so typically there's no cause for alarm when there's slight variation.
How do you relieve pubic hair pain? ›
apply a warm compress.
using a skin-safe heating pad or a cloth dampened with warm water, applying gentle heat to the affected area can help ease the pain (and pressure) of ingrown pubic hairs.
What happens if you never shave your pubic hair? ›
The benefits of not shaving pubic hair are avoiding irritation, cuts, and ingrowns—when you don't shave, you won't get irritated. If you don't shave your pubic hair, nothing happens, but it's important to keep it clean with a daily genital-friendly wash and exfoliant to keep odor at bay.
Do most girls shave down there? ›
Pubic hair removal is common — approximately 80 percent of women ages 18 to 65 report they remove some or all of their pubic hair.
Can I cut my pubic hair with scissors? ›
2. How to trim pubic hair at home? Trimming with scissors Using scissors can be a safe way to give the pubic area a well-groomed look. Since the operation does not come into contact with the skin, trimming the pubic hair with scissors has a relatively low risk of injury.
Should you shave your butt hair? ›
We can't stress enough that butt fuzz is totally normal. From a health standpoint, there's really no reason to get rid of it, so it's all about personal preference — your butt, your choice. If you're on the fence about whether to go bare, you can always opt to just do some light grooming.
Why is pubic hair curly? ›
It turns out that pubic hair shape can be affected by the amount and consistency of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands tend to produce less and thicker sebum in people with curly pubic hair. The sebum's texture causes the strands to clump together and curl, which results in more curly hair.
But pubic hair isn't actually unhygienic. Like other hair on your body, your pubes trap sweat, oil, and bacteria. So, they might have a slightly stronger odor than other areas of your body.
Can I put vaseline on my private area after shaving? ›
Rubbing on petroleum jelly, found in products like Vaseline or Aquaphor, can help with vagin*l itching. Using conditioners and moisturizers (topical beta glucans may especially help with razor burns)3.
Is it normal to have hair in your bum for a girl? ›
Let's get straight to the point: butt hair is perfectly normal, just like having hair on your legs and hair down there (aka pubic hair). In fact, most people have hair on their butt cheeks, in between their butt cheeks, or in both places. Though everyone has butt hair, body hair can still be so stigmatized.
Is the bush coming back? ›
“People are embracing the bush,” Laura says. “The bush is back, but in such a way that there's no shame (having) it, but then there's also nothing wrong with getting rid of it — it's an individual choice.”
Does pubic hair fall out with age? ›
As you age, your pubic hair will thin naturally. If you're losing large amounts of pubic hair and you don't think it's attributable to aging, it could be the symptom of a serious condition. Make an appointment with your doctor so they can diagnose the underlying condition and recommend treatment.
Why does my pubic hair sting? ›
Common causes of itchy pubic hair include razor burn, allergic reactions, pubic lice (crabs), jock itch, eczema, and psoriasis. If you have itchy pubic hair that doesn't resolve in a few days after changing your shaving, moisturizing, or hygiene habits, see your healthcare provider.
What is the pain in the pube area? ›
Osteitis pubis is inflammation in the joint between your left and right pubic bones (your pubic symphysis). It causes pain and swelling in your groin or lower abdomen. Osteitis pubis is a type of symphysis pubis dysfunction that's usually caused by repetitively using your hips, pelvis and groin.
Why does my ingrown pubic hair hurt so bad? ›
If an ingrown hair becomes infected, you may notice the bumps getting bigger and more painful. Pustules occur when there's pus around the follicles. This infection can lead to scarring.
Why is my pubic hair so damaged? ›
There are many potential causes of pubic hair loss. Examples include excessive hair removal, hormonal changes, alopecia, and side effects of medical treatments. The treatment a person receives will depend on the underlying cause of their hair loss.
