Pubic hair trends for women come and go. Even in ancient Egyptian and Greek civilisations, people were doing something to their pubes to fit into the beauty ideals of their time. However, the advent of laser hair removal has made these decisions a bit more permanent, and thanks to the popularity of Brazilian and Hollywood waxing styles, many women have been left with an eternally hairless pubic region. But what happens when you start to regret that decision?
It was 2009 when sex columnist GG Sauvage chose to remove all her pubic hair via laser treatments. “At the time, I was 18 and convinced I never wanted pubic hair,” she explains. “It felt useless and inconvenient, something I constantly had to manage and get rid of.” Looking back, 15 years later, Sauvage says it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly she wanted to get rid of her hair in the first place. Yes, the Brazilian was all the rage back then, “but I didn’t feel influenced by a trend”, she says. Rather, she credits pop culture, movies and her sexual interactions with men: “It felt like they were grossed out, scared or uncomfortable with pubic hair.”
After several laser treatments, Sauvage was happy with her hairless pubic region – but it didn’t last long. The regrets started to creep in about five years ago. “I just wish I’d still have a strip or a triangle or something,” she says, “just something I could style or dye cool colours.” In part, she assigns her change of heart to personal circumstances – namely the fact that she’s now settled into a long-term, queer relationship. But changing beauty ideals are at play, too. Monica-Ella Botros, manager at Strip Hair Removal Experts, has spotted this first-hand: “We’re seeing a more diversified range of bikini styles amongst our guests in recent years, echoing the broader trends of body positivity and personal comfort.”
According to Laura Schubert and Lillian Tung, the minds behind pubic hair oil brand Fur, the bush was never truly gone. “Research shows that 99 per cent of people have groomed their pubic hair in different ways throughout their lives,” says Schubert. That said, pubic hair has definitely been out of fashion – taboo, even – for the last few decades. The idea for Fur was first born when Schubert Googled pubic hair back in 2014, and all they got “were hits on hair removal”. Since then, there has been some change, if only slowly. “Now, we see pubic hair on runways,” says Tung. “And people also more openly talk about it.”
On forums like Reddit, you can read countless entries of women lamenting their choice of full laser hair removal. “I regret it even more now that the 70s bush is back in style,” one entry says. Another reads: “I got Brazilian laser hair removal when I was 19. The decision came from a place of self-loathing. I’m in my late thirties now, and if I could undo it, I would.” On Quora, people have been asking, “Is there a way to reverse hair removal in my bikini area?”
There might be. Although laser hair removal damages hair follicles – inhibiting future hair growth – it isn’t always permanent. “It all depends on your body, hormones and hair type,” Botros explains. “Women might see some regrowth after a year or two, others in six years and some never.” Big hormonal changes can also spark hair growth post-lasering. Fur’s Schubert found that her lasered-away body hair grew back completely during her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Sauvage still grows some fine pubic hairs. “I’ve thought about using castor oil, or those serums that help to grow eyebrow hair.”
Tung confirms that Fur’s Ingrown Concentrate, which contains castor oil, can strengthen the finer pubic hairs that remain post-lasering. But there’s no magical elixir that regrows hair where your follicles have been fully destroyed. “Some try topical minoxidil or microneedling. But these efforts are usually futile,” explains hair restoration surgeon Dr Gary Linkov. In his New York-based practice, he offers pubic hair transplants, which work pretty much how you’d expect them to: “It involves taking hair from the back of the head and transplanting the grafts into the pubic area.” He notes that the treatment is both safe and effective if you’ve had laser hair removal and, when transplanted right, the head hair should look and feel like natural pubes. Although Dr Linkov doesn’t yet feel like his pubic hair transplants are gaining popularity, it was virtually non-existent in Western countries ten years ago. Now, you can get it in numerous clinics across Britain, Europe and America.
And there’s always the merkin. Although these pubic wigs have been around since the 1450s, they returned to the fashion scene earlier this year via Margiela’s viral SS24 couture show. Crystal Stuart-Fawkes, a London College of Fashion-trained merkin maker, had already noted a rising interest in the entertainment industry. “Laser hair removal is so common nowadays. A lot of period dramas require a period-correct aesthetic during nude scenes. So there’s no other option than to stick a merkin on.” Since the show, though, this interest also increased. “I’ve had lots of people contacting me about merkins.” Despite mainly serving the art, film and entertainment industries, Stuart-Fawkes’ merkins have also been requested by Playboy photographers, sex doll owners, “and I’ve had husbands contact me after their wives had their pubic hair lasered.”
Merkins are temporary and playful, which is exactly their appeal. “In beauty, few things are permanent,” as Schubert says. Trends are always changing, and while it’s easy to wipe off a cut crease and chop off your dip dye, when it comes to our bodies, keeping up with the always-shifting ideals – whether that is BBLs or buccal fat removal – can come at a higher cost. Dissolving filler is not as simple as it seems and growing back lasered off hair isn’t always possible. So before making any permanent changes, make sure you are doing it for you, and not to please others.
