Wax in, Wax out: A Short History of Pubic Hair

Our relationship with our pubes is complicated. Waxing, shaving, lasering and plucking are expensive, painful processes that require painstaking effort and commitment.

Despite this, our obsession with pubic presentation has pushed us to surprising extremes since the beginning of civilisation. 

Like any other fashion fad, our ever-changing stance on bottomward preening is influenced by myriad factors, including socio-economics, societal expectations, technology, and cultural beliefs. 

Today, unwanted pubes still have the power to induce anxiety and panic. ‘Get laser,’ they say. ‘It’s worth it,’ they say. But what if you want your pubic hair back? What if, in a year or two, the bigger the brillo the sexier you are?  

As the history of pelvic pruning tells us, the winds blowing through our love bush can change very quickly.

3000 BC - 30 BC - Ancient Egypt - Wax like an Egyptian

Style: Bald as a Sphinx’s bottom
Dedication level: Next level

The Ancient Egyptians despised not only pubic hair, but all hair, hacking it off their heads as well as their groin. Pubic hair was considered to be especially unhygienic, and they preferred their privates to be completely bald.

Using a rudimentary but effective wax made from beeswax and sugar, ancient Egyptians regularly underwent thorough hair removal procedures. What the wax couldn’t get, they sliced off with flint razors. Lovely.

800 BC - 476 AD - The Classical Era - A fur-free Odyssey 

Style: Sculpture smooth
Dedication level: High

Greeks and Romans shared a similar view on how one should keep their nether regions. The upper classes were particularly averse to pubic hair, believing the less hair you had down there the more civilised you were. They were heavily into plucking, and used copper tweezers to remove pubes the moment they began sprouting.

They also created their own version of hair removal cream, made of bat’s blood and powdered snakes. If anything was left after that it was burnt off. It’s enough to make Hades shudder.

1450-1800s - The Middle Ages - Bring in the big wigs, literally.

Style: The utmost bush
Dedication level: High

In the middle ages pubic lice were rife. To avoid this awkward problem, prostitutes began to shave. However, particularly in Victorian times, women were still expected to preserve some modesty so they began to wear wigs. These vaginal toupees, called merkins, also helped hide signs of sexually transmitted diseases. 

Elizabeth I was also known for her business up top and party down low approach, spending hours removing her eyebrows by soaking them in vinegar but letting her lady garden grow free. 

Early-mid 1900s - Pre-post war Britain - Victory for razors 

Style: Blitz it
Dedication level: Medium

In 1915 the first major advertising campaign for razors aired, with Gillette dropping not-so-subtle hints that body hair was unfeminine. 

This, combined with nylon shortages during WWII (which meant women had to go bare legged) laid the groundwork for a shaving insurgency. 

1960-70s - Children of the Revolution - Love for the bush  

Style: Furbaby
Dedication level: Low

In the 60s garden grooming was still fairly popular, and the first DIY wax strips were launched. However as the flower power grew, people embraced a more organic approach to pubes and by the time the 70s rolled around a sexual revolution was in full bloom.

The full-blown bush made a big comeback, as attested by the dense undergrowths starring in most 70s porn flicks.

1990s - 2000’s - The Millennial Era - The resurgence of pube-phobia 

Style: Baldilocks 
Dedication level: High

After enjoying a brief spell of freedom, pubic hair was back to being lambasted in the 90s and 00s. Women across the world were booking in for Brazilians, thanks to Carrie Bradshaw’s waxing scene in Sex and the City.

As the internet became more accessible so did porn, and the industry favoured perfectly smooth pubic regions over view-obstructing nests. The introduction of safe laser technology meant also meant that people could be rid of unwanted hair forever. 

2018 - Present day - KFC and Vajuvenation 

Style: Korean Full Carpet 
Dedication level: Next level 

Today the bush is officially en vogue again. Korean women are splashing out on pubic hair transplant surgery, as pubic hair is considered to be a sign of fertility and sexual health. 

The US is leaning towards a more natural look, with celebrities like Cameron Diaz advocating natural hair growth. In Singapore, women are moving beyond waxing into ‘vulva care’, which focuses on rejuvenating the vulva through the use of essential oils and non-invasive anti-aging treatments. 

Some say this is more than a 70s fad revival, and movements like #MeToo have triggered anti-patriarchal movements and encouraged self-love, which includes embracing your fuzz. 

2050 - The Garden of the future  

Will people still physically touch each other in 2050, or will virtual reality allow us to instantly pick a pube-do for every new occasion? Until biotechnology finds a way to create new ladyscapes at the wave of a hand, history tells us it’s probably best to avoid that laser and keep your options open. 

Bald or bush - the choice is yours.

As my furry-pitted sister loves to say, you do you. Trends come and go - but we gotta stay true to ourselves. If your unruly love bush reigns supreme, that’s awesome. But if pube-scaping is your thing, that's cool too. Peace and love!