Dear Cecily,
This is a serious question, but it’s embarrassing and not often discussed … How do/should we groom prior to a gyno visit? I mean, do you want to look like you groomed especially for that?
As far as I’m concerned? Wash it well and yer done. But then, I don’t go for other fancy “grooming” in the pubic region
because most of that sort of thing seems… unnecessary. After all, I’ve been married to my husband since long before trimming pubic hair became a thing. Yes, I’m really old.
But that’s not my only objection.
Maybe it’s my feminist upbringing – my mother would yell about how shaving your legs made you looks like a baby, and why do men want women to look like babies? But, frankly, I shudder at the obsession with grooming of the crotchal area. Luckily I think my mother remains unaware of the Brazilian wax craze, because DUDES: talk about looking like babies!
Yes, this means that I have neither waxed, plucked, trimmed, shaved or otherwise messed with my crotch hairs. Yes, I remain au natural down there. Back when I was single, I didn’t trim or shave that area at all. No one complained (and, er, thanks to my lifestyle choices back then, there were plenty of folks viewing that area).
Secondly, thanks to three long years of infertility treatments and pregnancies, I basically had vast teams of people all up in my crotch area on a near daily basis and there came a point when I no longer cared.
However, I always carefully pile my clothes in such a way that you can’t see my underwear.
So, yes, as far as I’m concerned you pretty much just need to make sure you’re clean. Although you COULD choose to do vajazzling; maybe a nice heart in crystals? Or perhaps an American Flag to show you’re a patriot? Or simply a note that says, “Hello!”
There you go.
Perhaps next week we’ll discuss anal bleaching. Or not.
About Cecily Kellogg
I LOVE the cartoon!
I never groomed down there while I was single, either. I started doing bikini line maintenance after I’d been married a few years, because it seemed as though my pubes were spreading and getting a bit out of hand. I found myself removing more and more hair each time, until one day–completely on a whim–I shaved it all off. It is a pain to keep up with, but I’m well rewarded for my efforts.
Twitter Name: buzzvibe
OH! Vajazzle an arrow leading the way. Ya know, in case your gyno gets lost.
Has anyone seen my coffee?
Twitter Name: thepsychobabble
I always make sure I’m clean, waxed, legs shaved and toenails done. Clearly I have issues.
And why do we all hide our underwear?
Twitter Name: msmegan
Stay infrmotaive, San Diego, yeah boy!
Twitter Name: SKnGUsSuMsSNmJLI
3c75SF gtjuuyccffip
Twitter Name: olyQEQskrHg
So glad to hear I am not the only person in the US who is still au natural down there.
I think hiding our underwear is a natural instinct. I used to have to take my Grandmother to the gyn-oncologist and help her undress (talk about fun!) and I always hid her undies, too!
Twitter Name: HeatherSchiavo
Too funny. I too insist on hiding my undies.
Once when I was pregnant, I went to a gyn appointment and I didn’t realize that my doctor would be getting all up in my lady parts. So I was not prepared, if you know what I mean. I apologized to my doctor for looking like a patch of wild kudzu and he was like, “Oh, listen. I’ve seen so many of these that I don’t even notice anymore. You’d have to come in here with some pretty bizarre stuff going on for it to even register.” So, I think the answer is wash and go.
Twitter Name: LisaACOTA
I shaved my nether regions once when I was between husbands but after I had had children, and I was shocked and dismayed to discover stretch marks on my vulva under all that camoflauge! What the hell? Is there no place a woman can’t get stretch marks?
Twitter Name: handflapper
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