Recommendations for pubic hair trimming

November 27, 2022 4:30 PM

Have a vulva and I'm unfamiliar with hair trimming/removal other than shaving my armpits and legs with disposable razors. I don't like those on my pubic region since I'm paranoid about nicking my clit and a mole that's on my labia. Would prefer something to just trim as opposed to complete hair removal, unless someone knows of a method that's safe for pubes. I've heard of chemical hair removal but I don't know what the long term effects are or if it's safe in that region.
posted by picklenickle to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

I like using this. Wahl Peanut. Very safe, you can adjust the length you want to leave behind with the included attachments or you can use it with out the attachments for a close shave. I usually use the #1 attachment that leaves a quarterinch on.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 4:55 PM on November 27, 2022

How short do you want to trim? If you just want to smallify a voluminous bush, hold the hair between your pointer and middle finger while their palm-side is touching your skin, and use small hair cutting scissors to cut the hair that goes above your fingers. No risk of nicks there, and your fingers act as a built in standard so things are relatively even.

If you want a much closer trim, they make electric trimmers with guards at varying lengths. Electric trimmers and razors are really safe and rarely cause any kind of nicks, especially if you get one with a pivoting head. Here’s one that I have, though I use it rarely so I can’t vouch for its true durability. It can get fairly close but not straight razor close. I only occasionally do anything with my pubic hair so when I want to it’s a much bigger project than if I were a daily maintenance person, so I can say that that shaver can deal with some jungle conditions. Anyway, there are a ton of choices for body hair trimmers like that. Some of them are obnoxiously gendered, but you can find more neutral ones. Prices can range wildly, too, some have a range of guard lengths and accessories and some are more barebones. They tend to be a bit fussy to clean so if you decide to get one read reviews for ease of cleaning and re-assembly.

I would recommend against aiming for hairless in your pubic area. It is high maintenance on very sensitive skin, but also humans have hair there for reasons. It helps a lot with sweat and chafing, and the hair wicks things away from the skin while protecting it from external nasties. Certainly you can aim for hair free if that’s your thing, it’s definitely not that big a deal, but in my experience it is a much bigger difference than just having clean shaven legs or armpits.
posted by Mizu at 4:58 PM on November 27, 2022

Wirecutter's gotchu baby!
posted by stray at 5:19 PM on November 27, 2022

Mostly I use the Schick Hydro Trimstyle - it’s cheap and easy. It has a guard on the trim end so you won’t cut yourself, and it can be used in the shower, which is convenient. The razor end is fine for pits and legs, but that’s all I use it for (and of course you could just ignore that end and keep using your usual razor).
posted by Kriesa at 5:44 PM on November 27, 2022

For a longer and probably a little less "tidy" look, small blunt-ended scissors will do you. You then have complete control and shouldn't get anywhere near anything to nick. You'll probably also want a small handheld mirror to check/even out your work.

For shorter or greater precision, the Schick.
posted by praemunire at 6:58 PM on November 27, 2022

I really like this Phillips norelco bodygroom for a few reasons. It's waterproof so it can be used in the shower. One side is a smooth shaver (for armpits and legs, for example), and the other side is clippers. I also like that the clipper guard is one adjustable guard and not several interchangeable guards to be fiddled with and possibly lost.
posted by CleverClover at 7:11 PM on November 27, 2022

Forgot to mention, I too have a vulva and have nicked myself with razors and clippers of all sorts, but never had an issue with nicks or cuts with the bodygroom I posted above.
posted by CleverClover at 7:22 PM on November 27, 2022

Phillips BikiniGenie is a decent $20 gadget. Small, cute, and waterproof.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:51 PM on November 27, 2022

I have used nail scissors many times. They are very pointy and poky and not fun but they do do the trick.
posted by winterportage at 7:56 PM on November 27, 2022

I used beard trimmers since my business can get quite long. They're similar to what they sell for women, but these are cheaper and not pastel pink, mine is very similar to this.
posted by deinemutti at 5:26 AM on November 28, 2022

I use the Philips Norelco OneBlade. It's marketed toward men, which in my experience means it's not total garbage. It's waterproof, rechargeable, and replacement blades/foils are available.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 5:29 AM on November 28, 2022

Curved nail scissors, with the pointy bit pointing AWAY from the body. Ask me how I know.
posted by nkknkk at 8:09 AM on November 28, 2022

I use a pretty basic cordless beard trimmer with the adjustable plastic guard over the blades, and haven't ever nicked myself using it. Trimming the front of the vulva is pretty straightforward -- I trim in the shower, standing in a slight squat to better see what I'm doing, before I get my pubic hair wet. Trimming the outer labia requires a deeper squat, and I use my non-dominant hand to tuck/hold my inner labia out of the way while trimming in that area.
posted by Drosera at 9:36 AM on November 28, 2022

Any basic, dirt cheap beard trimmer will get hair reliably very short with the shortest guard, and can also be used without any guard for even shorter (~stubble-length), though there's a small risk of (minor) nicks if you do that. With the guard, I've never been nicked in many years of use. I've always used a cordless one - corded seem like an unnecessary extra hassle. My current one is a Philips that looks very similar to this one and has been going strong for several years.

I've used scissors for awhile in the past and would very much not recommend that route. If you want the hair under like an inch, there's a high risk of nicks even if you aren't clumsy, and it's really difficult to get a trim that looks even instead of incredibly patchy. Your skill may vary etc, but it really didn't work well for me.
posted by randomnity at 11:08 AM on November 28, 2022

highly recommend electric razor, and you can find ones with attachments that trim to your desired length. i've never had skin issues since using electric. separately, laser hair removal might be worth looking into. it was far cheaper than i though it would be, and if you don't want it all gone, a few treatments could just thin it out or soften the hair growth.
posted by monologish at 11:55 AM on November 28, 2022