Pubic hair is something that most people are not very comfortable to talk about, even though a lot of us have it or will have it in their lifetime.
While its necessity may not be well-known, but myths about pubic hair are wide-spread with some people believing that it prevents Sexually Transmitted infections (STIs) while others claim that pubic hair grows much faster than your normal hair.
We caught up with Dr Dilshaad Asmal – a dermatologist who gladly answered some of the most commonly asked myths.
Here are some of the most outrageous myths:
The hair removal products thin pubic hair and may damage skin and eventually destroy it.
Dr Asmal says it can’t thin the pubic hair but it may irritate the skin. If you notice irritations on your pubic area due to hair removal products, change the product to suit your sensitive skin.
- Can pubic hair protect someone from getting STI? If you have bacteria you can have it, the public can never prevent you from STIs, there is no medical proof to make such claims.
- Is pubic hair is the same colour as your hair and it can grow to the same length as hair? P pubic hair may not be the same colour as your hair, and generally does not grow to the same length as you head hair, says Asmal.
- If you have a sensitive skin you should never shave because it may damage your skin permanently? If you want to shave you must test a patch in one area to see how your sensitive skin reacts to it.
- Shaving your underarms at an early age may result in permanent odour in your underarms? “ There is no such”, says Dr Asmal.
- Not shaving underarms means that you get to use less deodorant because the hair absorbs the deodorant into the skin? There is no truth in that, you can use the deodorant as you see fit. Trimming pubic hair and trimming products are personal preference. If you want to trim it you can go ahead... if you choose not to it’s still okay, advises Asmal.