Practices and complications of pubic hair removal among Saudi women

Abstract

BackgroundPubic hair grooming, including the complete removal of pubic hair, has become an increasingly common practice, particularly among young women. Although widespread, there is limited data regarding the methods, products, reasons, and complications of pubic hair removal, particularly among Saudi women. The objective was to examine pubic hair removal practices and the prevalence of its complications among Saudi women living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saudi women between 16 and 60 years of age who had the ability to read and speak Arabic, were eligible to complete an anonymous and self-administered survey on pubic hair removal practices and its complications.ResultsBetween December 2015 and September 2016, 400 Saudi women completed the survey. The age was 26.3 ± 6.9, 16–58 (mean ± SD, range) years. About three quarters (77.0%) self-removed their pubic hair, while the remainder made use of professional personnel in medical clinics (15.5%), beauty salons (5.3%), and professional services at home (2.2%). Many women (41.8%) used a combination of hair removal methods, with non-electric razor as the most common single method used (33.5%), followed by laser (8.7%), sugaring (6.0%), waxing (4.5%), trimming (2.0%), electric razor (2.0%), and cream (1.5%). Three-quarters of women (75.5%) reported complications, and although they were mostly minor injuries, treatment had to be sought for 17.9% of complications. Multivariable analyses showed that no variables remained correlated with the occurrence of complications (age of starting hair removal, income, BMI, level of education, mode of removal, advice on removal).ConclusionsSaudi women initiate pubic hair removal in early adolescence. While most complications are minor, close to one in five women experience complications.

Pubic hair grooming practices in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: prevalence, side effects and association with sexually transmitted infections

“…This exploratory study did not collect information on pubic hair removal motivations; however, literature, albeit from outside of Africa, cite hygienic reasons, appearance, partner preference, religion and social norms as common personal motivations for grooming. 3,7,8,10,11,20,24 In a nationally representative survey of 3316 women aged 18-65 years residing in the US, women reported that they groomed for situations of sex, vacation and health care professional visits. 1 Despite the growing body of literature on pubic grooming, there has been limited research conducted outside of the US, especially in Africa.…”

“…Pubic hair grooming, defined as partial or full removal of pubic hair, is reported as a common practice among men and women in many countries. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The prevalence of grooming is higher in women compared to men, 9,12 and in younger age groups of both women and men. 3,4,6,9 Several studies report grooming prevalence as greater than 80% among women.…”

“…6,8,12 Pubic hair removal is associated with high rates of side effects, such as lacerations, itching, folliculitis, rashes and burns. 7,11,[13][14][15][16] A cross-sectional web-based national survey in the US found that over a quarter of the women who had ever groomed reported sustaining injuries such as lacerations, burns and rashes. 14 Between 2002 and 2010, the number of genitourinary injuries related to grooming practices had increased fivefold in an emergency department setting in the US.…”

“I Like it Clean”: Brazilian Waxing and Postfeminist Subjectivity Among South Asian Beauticians in London

“…Similarly, in a survey of 660 predominantly white women in British Columbia, it was found that 50% of the participants removed hair from the bikini line and 30% from the whole pubic area, with shaving, salon waxing and trimming emerging as popular methods (Riddell et al, 2010). While most studies have been conducted with convenient samples of white women in the global north, in a survey of 400 women in Saudi Arabia, all the women reported removing pubic hair as well, shaving being the most commonly used method (Rouzi et al, 2017).…”

Body hair removal: Prevalence, demographics, and body experience among men and women in Germany

“…Several studies have sought to characterize the prevalence, associated demographics, and motivations for body hair removal. Hitherto, most studies were carried out in the United States,5–7 United Kingdom,8 New Zealand,9 and Saudi Arabia 10…”