Your Brazilian Wax Could Lead To An STD

When it comes to body hair, most modern women are of the school of thought that less is more—and my more we mean, the balder, the better. The practice of hair removal (below the neck) among women dates back to as early as 1901, Initially, it was thought that women should remove body hair for hygienic purposes, but it can be argued that today going bald eagle is all about vanity—rocking a bush below that navel is dated and arguably, most men aren’t really in favor of the woman who’s got a forest situation going on “down there.” As my best friend, so eloquently puts it, “If I have to find it, we’ve got a problem!”

What Actually Happens When You Get a Brazilian Wax

12 Empire Gifs That Perfectly Depict How Body Waxing Feels

A recent video posted by our favorite digital science geeks, ASAPScience, delved into the idea that body hair removal may actually do more harm than good. Of course this isn’t a new study, experts have been telling us to ditch Brazilian wax for a while now for the very same reasons that health experts and Sex Ed teachers everywhere instruct you not to brush your teeth before oral sex— micro abrasions (tiny, almost invisible cuts that occur as a result of waxing or brushing.) According to a 2014 study , waxing “causes deficits in the mucocutaneous barrier that may be sufficient for viral entry and transmission, potentially increasing the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections.” 

Having a bush may not be fashionable, but pubic—and body—hair is one of the few features that evolution has decided to hold onto over the past few centuries, it’s necessary and actually serves as a protective barrier from bacteria and unwanted STI’s. The ASAPScience video even suggests that pubic hair could aid it mate attraction—if you’re single, you could be waxing off the very thing that could snag you a guy. We’ll leave those answers up to science, but one thing’s for sure, you may want to consider reforming or retiring your waxing habit. However, if the idea of rocking a bush is completely almost insulting to you, then at least consider opting for a triangle or a landing strip instead of going completely bare.