beauty

The Pubes Diaries: We asked 52 Aussie women to draw what their pubes look like.

Pubes. Lady garden. Bush. Bald eagle. Landing strip. Muff. Brazilian. Mons pubis.

These are just some of the names women use to describe their pubic hair.

Despite what society (or a former partner) might’ve told you, there’s no ‘right’ way to have your pubes. Just as no vagina is the same (like lovely, fleshy snowflakes), pubic hair grooming is deeply personal.

Before we get stuck into the bushes, here’s a full and very hairy history of women’s pubic hair. Post continues after video.


Video by MMC

Any mainstream porn video will have you believe a hairless labia is sexiest, and some women agree. Some prefer being hairless or maintaining a close trim because it makes them feel more confident, cleaner and better prepared to jump into swimmers at a moment’s notice.

Others purposely maintain a full, well-groomed bush as they feel it looks more womanly. Then, there are those who do absolutely nothing to their pubes out of laziness, being time poor or generally not giving two hoots.

To learn more about what women are doing with their hair ‘down there’ in 2020, we asked 52 Mamamia readers to draw their pubic hair for us. Yep, we actually made them sketch their pubes.

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What came back ranged from bald, bushy and everything in between.

1. Han, 28.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I like completely clean edges, underneath and at the back. I love them shaped into a big, wide triangle. No waxing along the top of the triangle as I like this area softer. I also don't like it trimmed too much as I feel spiky. Perhaps we could call it 'groomed au naturale'."

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2. Alise, 25.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"After leaving a long-term relationship, I decided to start getting laser. While I tend to maintain a Brazilian, it still gets a bit stubbly."

3. Bex, 26.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I have a patch of severe psoriasis on one side of my pubic mound, so I have a bald patch of plucked pubes so it is easier to treat. Other than that, it’s all full grown."

4. Bezza, 26.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I usually get a XX wax (not Brazilian - not my style!) every couple of months, but I haven’t for aaaages because I can’t... be bothered. Hair doesn’t bother me at all and I won’t be wearing bathers anytime soon, so I’ve just kinda let it go. Meh. It’s a little neater at the moment because I shaved my bikini line on the weekend and I just have a bit in the middle."

5. Carlie, 45.

bald-pubes
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"I have had all my lady parts lasered, and yep, I do mean completely. I just find that easier and smoother = more fun during sexy times, and it's all round better for me."

6. Elly, 25.

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"I do absolutely nothing to maintain my pubes, apart from the odd razor down the sides when I put a bikini on. I grew up in a household of hippies and was always told over-maintenance was weird. I guess it's the opposite of what the mainstream media tend to tell you. I have never felt self conscious about it, I just go about my day."

7. Em, 23.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I usually get all my pubes lasered off, but this winter, I decided to let them grow out and they formed into this bermuda triangle shape. I have a few strays but I'm really enjoying being extra hairy at the moment."

8. Bri, 36.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I do nothing. Absolutely zero maintenance. I have a fairly new c-section scar, so my pubes are a bit patchy but I don't care. Dawn French said the same - ‘no maintenance and no complaints’."

9. Lauren, 35.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I keep mine thin, cropped/trimmed into a small V-shape. I'm naturally quite sparse."

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10. Meggie, 47.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I’ve been tempted to do more to my pubes, but other than shaving years ago, this area remains untouched."

11. Nat, 29.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"Mine's a full bush with the occasional trim. When I was heavily drugged up about to have my emergency c-section, the theatre nurse made a joke about doing a neat job shaving me during prep. I did not care one bit what my lady garden was going to look like."

12. Claire, 30.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I've done Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser everywhere but a 'runway' down the middle because I don’t like being totally bald down there - it would make me feel like a child."

13. Laurina, 25.

bald-pubes
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"I don’t have any pubes. I get mine lasered off fully. For me, it’s a low maintenance thing. I’m not the person that will keep up regular waxing, and shaving is way too painful. When it gets to summer, it’s easier to have it all gone. No more timing your beach trips with your trips to the waxing salon. No more ingrown hairs... it’s amazing. Laser is the best thing I ever did. It's also easy and cost effective, and I only have to think about it once every six to 12 months for touch ups."

14. Chloe, 26.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I am really lazy and cannot be bothered waxing because it hurts. I hate shaving and my hair is too blonde for laser. So I am embracing my natural pubes and quite like it!"

15. Renata, 23.

bald-pubes
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"I started shaving my legs at 12, my armpits at 13 and my pubes at 14, and I’ve never looked back! It had nothing to do with men and everything to do with me. I prefer it this way, I like having the option of wearing skimpy undies or bikinis without the mess, and it’s less hassle to continuously remove it over letting it grow out and trying to shave the bush. I couldn’t even tell you what I would look like with a full bush, I don't know if I'm willing to try it."

16. Lou, 39.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"Pubes away! I, after only getting short, back and sides for years, have had the top (mons pubis is hair free) and bikini line (bits that stick out of your undies) lasered. I have had Brazilians occasionally, but really, why does anyone want to look like a prepubescent eight-year-old?"

17. Jessie, 24.

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"I've been in between laser appointments for about two years now. Occasionally, I'll remember to trim, but otherwise, it's a bit of a full bush and goatee situation."

18. Joanne, 42.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"Usually, I’m bare because I like the way it feels and it seems cleaner for me (in my experience, guys don’t care either way so I do it for me) but post-childbirth, I’ve just got it trimmed short because I had a c-section and can’t wax or laser right now."

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19. Lauren, 29.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I laser my pubes off. I'm bare as a baby's bottom. I just find it so much easier to maintain, I really don't have to think about it. And it's great for summer!"

20. Kim, 37.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I do eff all to my pubic hair because I got sick of how sensitive my skin was to waxing. I’m not super hairy and my partner says it doesn’t bother him one bit so long as I’m putting out (???). I do tidy up a bit for bikini weather so as not to scare the children."

21. Pru, 20.

female pubic hair
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"I usually trim everything, then shave the outer edges to tidy up the shape. When I'm getting intimate with someone, I want them to see I take care of myself. Otherwise, if I'm not planning on getting it on, I leave my pubes be."

22. Emmy, 31.

female pubic hair
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"I shave once a week. I have relatively sparse hair after being lasered over 10 years ago, but waxing gives me crazy ingrowns. Shaving once a week suits me perfectly. I hate the feeling of “full bush”."

23. Jessika, 34.

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"I prefer some growth because I'm not pre-pubescent. I'm 34 and wonder what all these old, sagging, wrinkly over-lasered/waxed vajeens will look like when we're in our seventies. To the bald eagles, you do you. But it's not my thing."

24. Ebonie, 32.

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"Right now, my lady parts aren’t how I like them to be but I'm too embarrassed to have them waxed. Usually, if anything, it's a quick trim at home."

25. Sam, 35.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I've always found hairless mons a bit infantilizing in the way they look in art. I love the full bush, it makes me feel womanly."

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26. Maegan, 32.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I have mine trimmed with shaved sides. Waxing hurts so darn bad and I can’t stand the regrowth if I need to be in my togs that day. I also feel weird and uncomfortable with nothing there too."

27. Katlyn, 28.

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"Having braved about eight laser treatments (and then being too lazy to go back to tidy up), I have a main 'patch' and then the groupies that are hanging on at the sides..."

28. Lucy, 23.

female pubic hair
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"I started having laser three years ago and am now at the point where an annual session keeps the strays away. I do, however, have two rogue hairs that want to hang around. I don’t mind them though, they can stay."

29. Rach, 27.

bald-pubes
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"I don't like the feeling of a bush and sometimes, a bush means a bit more smell than usual. I was shaving them so much and it was always itchy when they were growing back, so I decided to laser it all off. Hands down the best thing I've ever done!"

30. Jane, 45.

female pubic hair
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"I have a thin landing strip. Occasionally, I take it all off, but not very often. I actually prefer a full Brazilian and if I was less conscious of putting my flaps out there and had a much higher pain tolerance, I would get a regular professional wax. My husband also likes no hair (he says it’s better during sex but he will take it anyway it’s coming at him)."

31. Mandy, 40.

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"I prefer neat and tidy - but some hair. Neither my husband nor I like bald on a grown woman, as we have a six-year-old daughter and bald feels weird."

32. Em, 30.

bald-pubes
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"I have had two sessions of laser (full Brazilian) and I wish I had started it earlier. It was quick and painless for me. I honestly never really cared how the pubes themselves looked - I kept my bikini line neat-ish and that’s it - but because they were long, coarse and curly, it felt like they made a little ‘bump’ on top of my pubic bone and stood out, especially in swimwear and leggings. Since having laser done, I can see my vulva on a daily basis where before I just saw hair. I think this has made me more in touch and aware of it as well. I definitely prefer it being smoother and not as itchy."

33. Sally, 37.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I'm lazy. My pubes may be a bit more manicured in summer as I do a lot of lap swimming for exercise, however, there's an emphasis on the “may be”. Otherwise, it’s quickly in the pool and grab a towel out of the pool to hide spider legs."

34. Shona, 25.

female pubic hair
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"I am pro landing strip because having the whole thing long and bushy weirds me out, but then I don't want the hassle of maintaining by shaving as it gets itchy. I'd rather just have a clean slate and leave a little something."

35. Maria, 35.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I spent my first 10 years of pubic hair maintenance shaving and the next 10 years waxing before getting laser five years ago. Best thing I ever did! I may hate the lack of hair when I’m super old, but right now, I love it and the lack of maintenance! Life is all about the mental load and it ticks off that one thing!"

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36. Stef, 31.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I’m 31 and started getting full Brazilian IPL treatments when I was 22, so there is very little hair there now. I prefer bare down there because I had what I’d describe as ‘powerful’ (very coarse, thick, dark and springy) pubes and hated them, and every other hair removal method resulted in ingrown hairs and rashes. I love having nothing there - no regrets!"

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37. Kara, 25.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I just prefer my pubes this way because they’re low maintenance, and I’ve never felt self conscious about pubic hair in the slightest. I’ve never felt pressure from society, the media or my partners about it, so I just accepted them as part of who I am and kept it au natural."

38. Em, 39.

bald-pubes
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"I get everything waxed off and have done for years. Hardly anything grows back now. My first husband was very against waxing and so, of course, once we broke up, I waxed away that unhappy marriage. I guess now it’s a habit and I have a standing wax appointment every six weeks."

39. Rach, 26.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I prefer to have laser so that in summer, I don’t have to worry about waxing or shaving. Waxing hurts like hell and ends up costing a tonne. And shaving also hurts and grows back too quickly! I honestly couldn’t imagine having it any other way now."

40. Amy, 27.

red-squiggly-pubes
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"When I first started dating my partner, I'd get Brazilian waxes because that's what I thought he'd want. At the time, bald made me feel sexy, but four years later, I rock a full, untamed bush these days. Mostly out of laziness, but also, I like the way it feels having some hair to play with.

41. Sarah, 28.

female pubic hair
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.
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"I embrace the fuzzy wuzzies. My hair doesn’t grow out of control and stays ‘within the lines’, so every now and then when I’m feeling sexy, I’ll have a bit of a trim but I WILL NEVER SHAVE AGAIN. I refuse to walk around trying to discreetly shuffle my legs together to calm the itch. I am open to the idea of waxing and laser for the bikini line, but my partner doesn’t mind my mini bush and I am completely comfortable with my fuzz, so I’m sticking with it for the foreseeable future."

42. Bek, 27.

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"I keep the tiniest little runway strip and everything else is lasered off! I actually just got a Brazilian wax the other day to get rid of the blonde and random hairs the laser can’t get to and I’m loving myself sick. If feels cleaner, sex is better and I’m weirdly obsessed with my almost bald vagina."

43. Hanna, 27.

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female pubic hair
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"When I was single, I was a religious waxer - I’m talking once every six weeks (I am blessed, I hardly have any hair, down there or the armpits). But now I’m in a relationship and ‘comfortable’, boom comes the bush. I wish I could find that long lost motivation. I still exercise and eat kind of okay, but not when it comes to the pube sitch."

44. Loz, 39.

female pubic hair
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"I used to be a Brazilian girl, but my current squeeze prefers things more womanly, so it's a party at the front, business at the back (i.e. a g-string wax).

45. Jane, 22.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"I've had them lasered. I have terrible vaginal eczema and chronic thrush, shaving or irritating the area really makes it more itchy and uncomfortable. If I let them grow, they would irritate the sensitive skin that is already inflamed."

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46. Tia, 27.

bald-pubes
Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

"There was a lot of shame associated with my pubes as a result of my first boyfriend and sexual partner, he didn't like my pubes. I started to shave as a result, but that became unsustainable (itchiness, bumps etc). I then moved from shaving to waxing and then laser. I haven’t really looked back, but think I’ve grown to love it independent of any opinion held by my partners."

47. Kaye, 22.

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"I'm a full bush. Patiently waiting for the day there is laser for gingers."

48. Vic, 35.

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"I sometimes shave mine, but I’m really time poor, so my husband calls me his Amazonian princess when I’m wild and free. I used to wax when I was in my twenties. Now I am older, I'm more comfortable with my body and its hair now."

49. Bel, 25.

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"I have always left a ‘landing strip’ (clipper everything else) because I feel more comfortable than with no hair. It’s easy to maintain and also not itchy. In saying that, I have always felt the societal pressure to have little to no hair down there."

50. Louise, 26.

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"I get sugaring. I hadn't heard of it before moving interstate, but I would never go back to waxing. It's far less painful and I don't get ingrowns - it is slightly more expensive, but this pubic hair removal is actually a relaxing experience and a good option for me as I am too fair for laser."

51. Ath, 26.

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"After six or so years doing full Brazilian wax, I am now doing laser. I’ve been meaning to do it for years, but my turning point was after my last waxing lady gave me too many ingrowns and was too aggressive. Laser is cheaper and quicker, I should’ve done it YEARS ago!"

52. Annabel, 29.

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"My hair is basically nothing, however, I’ve been a bit slack on the old laser recently so I have rogue, super thin strands. It's worth noting I absolutely do it for myself and not for the benefit of my boyfriend. I hate being caught short at the beach."

Share what your own pubes look like by saving the blank image below and using your phone to draw what your lady garden really looks like:

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Top Contributions

lauren2020 4 years ago

I had full Brazilian laser about 8 years ago after paying for waxing regularly since I was in high school. I love it because I’m a bit lazy and only have