Summer is coming fast . . .

Making lots of people think of swimming and . . . how well they look in a swimming suit and . . .

How much skin to reveal - and what else might be displayed to the world.

That is, body hair.

Of course, the ultimate choice is yours. This article isn't about modesty or immodesty, but about how to get rid of whatever body hair you don't want . . . as safely as possible.

You might be an aspiring Instagram star.

Or you just don't want to offend your partner when you're intimate with them.

Body hair standards have changed a lot in recent decades, for both men and women - putting all of us more at risk than we realize, if you're not careful.

Body Hair Basics

Hair is one of the characteristics of mammals, and people are mammals.

We have around 5 million hair follicles embedded deeply in our skin. There're two types:

1. Vellus hair

This is the small, fine "peachfuzz" we rarely pay much attention to, in ourselves or others. It helps keep us warm. When we're cold, our muscles tend to contract around these follicles, creating goosebumps.

2. Terminal hair

This is the larger hair we may be concerned about in one way or another.

It also regulates our body temperatures, and it may protect us from the sun's ultraviolet light.

Female Body Hair = Shame, So Buy Our Razor Blades,

For women, the grooming of body hair began about one hundred years ago because of two factors:

1. Women's fashions began to actually display skin below the neck, beginning with underarms.

2. King Camp Gillette realized that if he could get women to shave too, that would double the market for his razor blades.

Therefore, Gillette ran a series of advertisements linking visible body hair on women with shame.

These two factors have grown incredibly powerful, perhaps because they remain linked.

People on social media now think nothing of wearing thongs the size of two postage stamps held together by one strand of yarn.

But they'd be horrified if a photo revealed even one strand of hair.

Near nudity is no longer taboo - but visible body hair is.

Hairlessness has become desirable, for women more so than men, but also much more so for men than previous generations. Baby boomer men and women did not get shaved "down there" unless they were being prepped for surgery.

But now, according to a journal on sexually transmitted diseases, it's estimated 70% to 80% of adults remove some or all of their pubic hair.

Good news: some scientists believe this is making pubic lice an endangered species.

Isn't Hairlessness More Hygienic than Skin With Its Natural Hair?

There's no scientific basis for this belief.

Pubic hairs minimize friction and help protect against the microbes that cause urinary tract infections and others.

The Basic Risks of All Hair Removal 

Health risks can't be entirely eliminated, but they can be managed.

Keep in mind: you're opening the follicles to the outside world - and all its hostile organisms who want to infect you.

Plus, you're putting stress on your flesh - and, when removing pubic hair, I don't have to remind you, you're dealing with your body's most sensitive skin. Unsafe hair removal can lead to genital inflammation and long-term changes in the skin.

Shaving

All hairs originate with the follicle deep inside your skin, so all shaving can result in in-grown hairs. Those're hairs growing back trapped inside the skin. This causes redness, pain and bumps in the skin.

Shaving can also cause microabrasions that lead to infection.

Use hot water and your favorite shaving cream. Go slowly. Pull the hair taut before cutting. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it. 

Store razors face down, so there's less chance of rust forming on the blades.

Change blades at least every two weeks or 7-8 shaves.

Use a separate razor for pubic hair.

Depilatory Creams

Good news: they're no longer made from rat poison!

These days, the main ingredient is thioglycolic acid. This, plus other ingredients, breaks down the keratin in your hair, making it easier to remove.

Some creams are made especially for sensitive skin.

Make sure you've got the right cream for the type of skin you want to remove hair from. 

Follow the manufacturer's safety directions.

Be cautious: chemical burns are possible. 

Therefore, before you begin, first apply the cream to a small patch of your skin. If you feel a burning sensation, wash it off immediately.

Afterward, apply a soothing, all-natural moisturizer and anti-inflammatory cream made of plant extracts, including aloe vera. Avoid products with artificial perfumes and Frankenstein-lab ingredients.

Wax 

Wax jobs yank your hairs out by the roots from their follicles.

Therefore, wax jobs last a lot longer than shaving, but are also riskier.

Not only are your follicles even more open to infection, but the wax can burn your skin and the process can rip it. All of your skin becomes more prone to injury and infection because waxing usually removes all the dead cells on top of your skin as well.

A day or two before you wax, exfoliate your skin.

Before the wax job, thoroughly clean the target area. 

Trim your hair first. It needs to be at least a quarter inch in length, but longer hair makes the process more difficult and painful.

Make sure the wax is at a safe temperature, hot but tolerable.

Apply in the direction of your hair's growth. Pull in the opposite direction of your hair's growth.  

Lasers

This uses selective photothermolysis to send excessive heat down to your follicles, destroying them so hair can't grow.

However, it's actually not permanent - just lasts a lot longer than waxing.

The downside is, you'll need around six to eight sessions. Plus, it comes with potential side effects:

* Burns

* Infections

* Scars

* Hyperpigmentation - areas of darker skin

* Herpes outbreaks

* Blisters

You should not get laser hair removal treatments if you're pregnant, have or ever had skin cancer, have genital herpes or cold sores, have keloid scars or you're taking certain medications.

The good news is, however, in the hands of qualified and experienced experts, laser treatments are reasonably safe.

The bad news is, of course, you have to find and pay for a qualified and experienced expert. Avoid discount clinics. Carefully check out any laser removal practitioner's record. Expertise is worth paying for. Go cheap, and your skin may suffer the price difference.

The FDA has approved some laser removal devices for home use, but - unless you're a qualified and experienced expert - going to such an expert is the safer choice.

In All Cases . . . 

Treat your skin with Tender Loving Care, and avoid unhygienic environments - such as hot tubs - when your skin has nicks or abrasions.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21757-laser-hair-removal

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/at-home-diy-waxing

https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-depilatory-creams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYo3djMfV50

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nQi_lOeeo5Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOSsnkyBpY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvY8-DGhmtk

https://www.celebrateboston.com/first/safety-razor.htm

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/shaving-query.html