Goin' Bare for the Beach/Lake

The hot summer weather is here. The time of year when a young person's thoughts turn to staying cool, weekends at the lake, and hair removal. This seems like a good time to talk about the three main ways to get rid of pubic hair as painlessly as possible; shaving, waxing, and creaming.

For all of these methods, it works best if you first trim your pubic hair with scissors; it will be easier to see what you're doing and things will be less messy. You'll want the hairs to be around a quarter to half an inch long (that's 6mm to 13mm).

And remember, if you're going to leave a patch of hair for decoration or direction, try not to be too much of a perfectionist. It's easy to worry too much about making things even and end up with no hair at all.

Shaving: It's a myth that shaving makes hair grow back thicker, so don't let that stop you. But you are more likely to get ingrown hairs this way, so here are some tips for getting the best shave possible.

For guys specifically, a little trimming is usually enough to show off your length. Men often have darker and more profuse body hair so it can look odd if they shave off all of their pubic hair. That said, you still might want to shave off any of the stray hairs that are creeping up your shaft, closer to the base, and you could consider shaving your scrotum.

For these two jobs, the kind of razor you use on your face is probably good enough - especially if you use a fancy razor with more blades, you'll be less likely to cut yourself. And the most important thing is to hold the skin taut. Wrinkled skin leads to cuts so you'll want to shave your scrotum slowly and carefully.

Both men and women may want to shower before shaving. Showering makes your hair softer and easier to shave, which means less irritation, and the hot water will open your pores. You'll also want to work in that shave gel to soften the hair. Use a new, sharp razor and rinse it often to prevent it from getting clogged or stuck.

Shave with the grain of your hair as much as possible, you still can get quite close and you'll decrease your chances of getting ingrown hairs. Splash on some cold water when you are done to close the pores up again.

Waxing/BodySugar (a thick syrupy product): Overall I would recommend having your waxing done by an experienced professional. You're less likely to end up bruised, injured, or only half waxed, and it's easier for someone who can see those nooks and crannies from a different angle. You could also consider getting the hair lasered off - it's fairly painless and the hair would be gone for good.

But if you are going to do your waxing/sugaring at home, here are some tips:

Before you wax, you'll want to exfoliate the skin to help raise the hairs, this makes them easier to extract. Some people also recommend applying baby oil the day before to help soften the follicles, but make certain the area is not oily when you are waxing.

Most importantly, make sure to stretch the skin tight. Loose skin leads to bad waxing and pain. Apply the wax/sugar in thin strips (one inch or half inch strips). This will ensure that the skin is tight and it will reduce the pain.

Rip the strips off against the grain, in one quick motion. Make sure you keep your hand close to your body because if you rip straight up you risk bruising or injuring your skin.

Afterwards you'll want to make sure that you get rid of all the residual wax/sugar. Then apply a cool cloth and any lotion that came with your kit. It's also recommended to apply an antibiotic lotion or gel like Neosporin or aloe.

Depilatory Cream (like Nair or Veet): This method is great for people who don't like pain or ingrown hairs and whose skin can handle the chemicals. But this method is not for everyone because some people have sensitive skin and could get burnt. Follow the directions on the bottle for testing it out in advance.

Even people with sturdy skin need to make sure that they don't get the cream on their most sensitive areas, like close to the anus or vaginal opening. If you're using this method it's a good idea to wet your fingers after applying the cream to clean it away from the inner labia, the perineum, and anus.

This method of hair removal is pretty simple - trim the hair, apply the cream where you want the hair to go away, wash your hands, set the timer (do not go over the recommended time), and rinse. If your skin feels a bit "funny" after using the cream, try rubbing on some aloe cream/gel.

Now, I'm not saying that you have to get rid of all your pubic hair - how much or how little you take off as you prepare for the hot weather and bikini/Speedo season is up to you and your own preferences. As I've said, sometimes just giving things a good trim is enough to make you feel fresh and sexy and let the beauty of your naughty bits shine.