The American trend of female pubic hair removal

Abstract

Various cultures have used constructed knowledge, social standards, and aesthetic preferences to determine how to manipulate and treat each type of hair on a person’s body, including pubic hair. Depilation and/or trimming of pubic hair, increasingly being used by contemporary western cultures, could be considered a highly normative practice (Toerien, Wilkinson & Choi, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence the recent development of American women’s decision to depilate and/or trim the pubic region. Twenty American women between the ages of 18 and 57 participated in an online survey. Data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach, which consisted of a two-step process involving coding and memo-writing. The study determined that depilation of pubic hair is a growing practice amongst American women. This change in pubic hair grooming practices is related with an increased presence of pubic hair discussion among individuals as well as in popular culture.