The Best Way to Take Care of Your Hair Down There

Bikini season is creeping up on us, and that means it may be time to do some trimming. There are three main ways to maintain your pubic hair, but which is best for you?

SHAVING

Shaving is a temporary fix. You only remove hair at a skin level, so it must be done quite frequently to keep a smooth look. With shaving, there's a little less turnover time before you can hit the sheets with your partner after shaving, but we still recommend giving it some time to cool off.

It's best to use a new razor each time you shave and always use a shaving cream or gel. We love Coochy Cream, but a regular shaving cream can still get the job done. Make sure you're careful! This is a delicate area, not somewhere you'd want to cut yourself. As with waxing, it doesn't hurt to exfoliate a day or two before, but if you shave for regular upkeep, it may be too much of a hassle.

WAXING

It varies from salon to salon, but a wax session will usually cost you around $50. That may seem a little steep considering you could do it at home, but waxes usually last you 5 or 6 weeks.

Be warned, you should wait about 24 hours after waxing before you expose the waxed area to sunlight. The same goes for the old "bump and grind." You may want to show off the new smooth you, but having sex too soon after your session could risk letting in bacteria.

It's recommended you exfoliate the area with a loofah or scrub a few days before your wax. This will help to prevent any ingrown hairs by stimulating cellular turnover and removing dead skin.

After your wax, should you be experiencing some pain, use aloe or a cold compress to calm it down. If theres a "rash wax," don't be alarmed. It'll go away within 24 hours. Once your hair has grown back to about a quarter of an inch in length, you're ready to go back for another session.

LASER REMOVAL

If you are really serious about hair removal, this could be an option for you — but be prepared to commit! You'll need to go in for treatments six to eight times, each about six weeks apart. Each session can cost about $100 and although this is a permanent solution, you may need a touch-up once a year or so.

After your session, you aren't going to want that area to get sweaty, so no sex, gym or time in the sun for a day or so. Before your very first treatment, you'll need to shave the area completely and make sure there hasn't been any sun exposure in the last two weeks or so.

The treatment itself can be a bit painful. It can feel similar to the snap of a rubber band, so afterwards, you may want to comfort the area with aloe or a hydrocortisone cream. There have been issues of burns during laser hair removal and issues are most common in women with darker skin. Don't be lured in by spa deals and specials; see a licensed dermatologist.