What could possibly go wrong when you use a sharp object or hot wax on your private areas? Apparently a lot, according to a survey just published in JAMA Dermatology.
Bragging about your sports injuries may seem cool at a party or on a date. Bragging about your pubic hair grooming injuries, not so much. However, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (Matthew D. Truesdale, MD, E. Charles Osterberg, MD, Thomas W. Gaither, Mohannad A. Awad, MD, Molly A. Elmer-DeWitt, MD, Isabel Allen, PhD, and Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS) and the Washington University School of Medicine (Siobhan Sutcliffe, PhD) did what you naturally do when you want to find out more about pubic hair grooming injuries: send 14, 409 surveys to a nationally representative sample of 18 to 65 year olds in the United States. A little over half (52.5% or 7570 people) completed the questionnaire, with 55.5% being men and 44.5% being women.
The survey found bushels and bushels of pubic hair groomers. Over three-quarters (76.1%) said that they had groomed their pubic hair (66.5% of men and 85.3% of women). It also found that injuries were rather common. Slightly over a quarter (25.6%) of those who had groomed had injured themselves in the act. More women (868 or 27.1%) than men (562 or 23.7%) had suffered injuries. Cuts (61.2%) were the most common type of injury, followed by burns (23.0%) and then rashes (12.2%).
Nearly two thirds (66.5%) said "oops I did it again" and had injured themselves more than once. Close to a third (32.2%) had hurt themselves five or more times. However, the vast majority of injuries didn't seem to require medical attention with 3.4% necessitating antibiotics for infections and 2.5% needing surgery. However, more severe injuries were more likely when the person was lying on his or her back or others were grooming the person's pubic hair.
The JAMA Dermatology article also included "heat maps" showing what percentage of the injuries occurred where on the body. Note that these are not the "safe to open up at work" type of heat maps. For men, the scrotum (67.2%) was the most frequent target, followed by the penis (34.8%), and the pubis (28.9%). For women, the pubis (51.3%) came in first. Next was the inner thigh (44.9%) then the vagina (42.5%), and then the perineum (13.2%).
The study also found that men who considered themselves hairier or removed all of their pubic hair over 11 times were more likely to have injured themselves. Women who removed all of their pubic hair more than once were more likely to injure themselves. However, women who waxed were less likely to have frequent injuries.
Of course, the best way to avoid pubic hair grooming injuries is to not groom your pubic hair. As I detailed previously for Forbes, there is no scientific evidence that grooming pubic hair is more hygienic or has health benefits. In fact, removing pubic hair can cause small abrasions and cuts that serve as a gateway for sexually transmitted diseases. But if you must, then take the following precautions:
- Look: This isn't "Pin the Tail On the Donkey." Keep your eyes on what you are doing.
- Focus and don't multi-task: Grooming, talking on the phone, surfing the Internet, and cooking dinner all at once may seem like it can save time but...
- Clean up before you clean up: Oil, dirt, and whatever objects may be hiding in your pubic hair can make the razor or clippers slip.
- Use and maintain the right instruments: Using tools that are too dull (e.g. butter knife), too sharp (e.g., machete), too large (e.g., sword), or just not appropriate (e.g., basically everything mentioned previously) raises your risk of injury.
- Proceed gradually: Trying to get rid of all your pubic hair at once can be like pushing a lawn mower through a corn field. Instead, first carefully trim your hair to a shorter more manageable length.
- Don't go against the grain: Grooming may make you feel like a rebel, but you really should be shaving in the direction of hair growth not against it.
- Use moderation: Take it easy. It's your pubic hair and not mold.
- Get off your back: This is not the time to be lazy. Position your body properly so that you can see, are not unbalanced, and are not reaching too far.
- Be careful of who you let near you genitals: This is probably a good general rule, but also applies specifically to whomever you get to groom your public hair.
While the majority of grooming injuries may be minor, grooming is not without its risks. If you do want to groom, make sure you groom yourself to be a safe and proper groomer.