The bald eagle, the landing strip, the 70s bush: What are women doing with their pubes right now?

Call us pervy (it’s cool, we know you are too), but we were just dying to know what you’ve all got going on down there. 

Because ever since we learned that lasering off our pubic hair could actually be dangerous, the corridors of Mamamia have been rife with haircare habits. 

And let me tell you, they are VARIED and as individual as our colleagues. But we wanted to know more. MORE! And so, we soon regarded it as our personal mission in life to get to the bottom (HA) of what’s going on in your garden. 

Watch a hairy history of pubic hair. Post continues after video.

Is everyone brazenly bare? Or just keeping things tidy? And most importantly of all, is the bush really back? 

So we took it to you, our invested audience, to paint an honest picture of what women are doing with their pubes. 

How many people are ‘pruning’?

We put out the question, 250 heard our call, and the results are in. A whopping 96 per cent of responders to our survey said they do in fact ‘prune their pubes’.

But while some were on around-the-clock maintenance, others said it depended on the season – and if they’d be popping on a bikini any time soon. 

“I go through fazes of growing my pubes and then I shave and sometimes I trim them,” one woman wrote. “It just depends on my mood, the weather, and if there are any men in my life at the time.”

“It comes in swings and roundabouts,” another added. “I have moments of obsessive upkeep and then I lose interest and go full bush.” 

To prune or not to prune? Image: Getty.

While others said they’ve come full circle.

“In my early 20s, I felt there was so much pressure from society to have no pubes,” someone else wrote. “Now I’m older and have learned to be comfortable in my own body, I won’t ever let society dictate any hairstyles. I keep the bikini line tidy but let the rest of it do its thing!”

What’s the most popular hairstyle?

We were just dying to know the answer to this one, and it turns out people are split down the middle. Almost 42 per cent said they had no hair at all, while a further 42 per cent just ‘tidy’ the sides, and 11 per cent reported a landing strip only. 

“I prefer the feeling of being bare – my pubic hair was really wiry and unruly!” one person said. 

“I just like it neat and not spilling out of my swimming costume on the beach,” shared another woman.

But what about when it comes to age? Looking at those 20-29 years old, 63 per cent went bald eagle compared to 54 per cent in their 30s, 22 per cent in their 40s, and 23 per cent for those over 50. 

So does that societal pressure still exist for women to keep on top of their affairs? Well, despite some women getting bragging rights with a “full Amazon jungle”, and only two per cent of people sharing they prefer to go au natural, we have it on good authority that bush is on its way back in. Joyous news to retro fans everywhere. 

Waxing - yay or nay? Image: Getty.

For others, the lines were a little more blurred.

“Hairless undercarriage, neat and tidy at the front,” one person said.

“I don’t want to Albert Einstein out the sides of my knickers,” another wrote. “So I trim the bikini line.”

How are people maintaining their garden?

Trimming was the most popular tactic for the overwhelming majority, with shaving a close second. Laser hair removal came in as the third most popular method, while waxing followed in fourth. Just five per cent of people said they used hair removal cream, while two per cent got their hands on an epilator.

And, just while we're having the chat... are people also grooming their bums?

There's not much that's more awkward than having a beautician ask you to roll over and spread your cheeks, but it doesn’t mean we don’t do it. Out of our 250 respondents, 54 per cent said they groomed the hair in or on their butt with shaving being the most popular option.

Laser followed up in second place, with waxing not too far behind. It was trimming or the hair removal cream for the rest. 

Why do people ‘prune’ their pubes?

When it came to why we do what we do, the answers were varied. From personal hygiene, to wanting to feel “neat and tidy”, and being more comfortable during sex, there were plenty of reasons for the ol' pube prune.

But the best news was that so many people said they really were just doing it for themselves — and didn’t feel any pressure from a partner. 

“I love feeling fresh and clean, and much more sexy after finding myself suddenly single and ready to mingle at 45,” one person shared.

“I decided to trim and tidy as my own personal choice,” another said. “My husband is happy to take it however it comes!”

“I do it for me, not for men, and if a man ever asked me to grow it out, it would be a hell no from me!” someone else wrote.

So whether you let your garden grow freely or you take a more manicured approach, always remember to just do you! 

Image: Mamamia.

This article was originally published in April 2023 and has since been updated. 

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