Hair or no hair? What do men really prefer?

So, for the first time in a long time, I have a new question to answer on the Ask a Male blog.  We received the following from an anonymous reader: 

We often see women in porn having absolutely no pubic hair. I also know many women that go to all sorts of trouble to make it bare. Do men really prefer their mates to look like children or porn stars?

 

Prior to the early 1900's women in western society seldom would shave.  After all, few people would be allowed to view the legs, armpits, or pubic areas outside of the husband. 

In old sailor stories, it used to be said that "Hairy Women were better".  Science later asserted that women with beards and pronounced body hair often had a higher testosterone balance and therefore were sometimes more aggressive. As to whether they were "better" sexually speaking? Well, we'll get to that.  

The article HERE gives a brief overview of the traceable history of western cultural norm of women shaving. It is interesting to note that in Islamic Regions, women remove all body hair prior to the wedding night.  ...and so do the men. Some prefer keeping it this way all through their marriage. Porn stars and London Prostitutes were not the originators of the shaven pubic area. 

There are of course hundreds of different explanations as to why the shaving practice became commonplace, but lets focus on the question posed. 

Do men prefer women having a shaved pubic area? 

The short answer is: It depends on the male. 

When one does a google search "Shaved or Unshaved Pubes", one is confronted by hundreds of forums asking men (or internet trolls), Which is better for you sexually, shaven or unshaven? 

The responses range from Shaved to Hairy, to every request of for unimaginable dye jobs and shaven shapes to trim hair into. So, one must infer that there are a myriad of preferences that men desire. Everyone is different with different tastes. 

Everyone has their opinion on what they like and don't like. 

The most common turn off the author found in researching it was "No Hedgehogs!"  That moment where in growing out hair that it is stiff and prickly to the touch, seems to put quite a few men off.  Yet a small minority emphatically insisted they enjoy it nonetheless. 

(Oh sure he's cute, but he has a prickly demeanor)

In the early 90's, it became fashionable for porn stars to shave.  Not entirely because it was a male preference, but because it made it easier to get a proper camera and lighting angle.  Hair as a rule tends to absorb light and make a shot difficult to pull off. Which is why the 70's and 80's porn shots, aside from using grainy film and low light, look so dimly lit. (Amazing the things you learn in community college, thank you LCC!) 

What is interesting to note is that culture writers examining the porn industry saw that many of the women were shaved, but seemed to ignore that many of the men were also.  You can't capture the "action" as it were with hair in the way. 

The market for shaved porn stars did generate a market for men desiring women with shaved pubic areas and for a while many female bloggers wrote that they were glad to comply. Some, even cited that they felt "cleaner" for doing so.  Others felt that the shaven trend ignited a desire for "younger" looking women and made them look child like. 

Certainly the age play market of porn does indeed seem to fit that possible conclusion. However, porn being a service industry market, soon realized that marketing to only the camera operator or to the single minded unshaven market left them soon without enough fans to support the industry.  The fact that people were giving away the product for free on the internet along with a myriad of other body types and preferences soon caught the industry off guard and losing monetary funds quickly.  The industry is currently in a tailspin trying to find ways to garner paying clients while combatting free internet sharing of pics and videos. 

The author doesn't predict the formalized Porn industry to last long. It's impact on society seems to be waning. 

HERE is an article from the Huffington Post about the porn industry in decline. (Personally I won't miss it.)

The Internet however on a simple google search of "Shaven Vs. Unshaven" can yield a very interesting collage of what preferences the world searches for. Do so with caution... 

What this male would say to women who are curious about what preferences your partner desires most is to simply inquire with open and honest communication. What does your partner find most appealing?  Then ask yourself, "Am I willing to give that to my partner?"  

Your partner if he cares about you will enjoy the open communication.  

If you ask the author, he'll tell you that he doesn't care whether the pelvic region is hairy or not. To me, that's a trivial notion.  Personality matters more than hair. 

I would also add that any man who DEMANDS you be one way (Hairy or Shaven), in any respect, he isn't really caring for you.  He is caring solely for himself and his gratifications. A quality relationship between two people requires that you both are willing to give and compromise. If he says "You gotta shave if you want to be with me"... Let him go. 

(Because its so cute to treat people like garbage)

Not because he's got an idea of what he wants.  But because his idea of what he wants means keeping you under his thumb. And if its this one "small thing", it eventually turns into bigger more horrific things.  "Do what I say, when I say it, or you're worthless." That ladies... Is what many of us call "Abuse". 

And ladies, you deserve better than this. 

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