Braun, V. , Tricklebank, G. and Clarke, V. (2013) It shouldnt stick out ...

GENDER AND HAIR REMOVAL 9
studies, but is usually at higher end of this range (Bercaw-Pratt et al., 2011; Herbenick, Schick,
Reece, Sanders, & Fortenberry, 2010; Riddell et al., 2010; Rigakos, 2010; Tiggemann &
Hodgson, 2008; Toerien et al., 2005; Weigle, 2009). Studies that have assessed more-than-bikini
pubic hair removal report between 32% and 64% of women removing most or all pubic hair
(Riddell et al., 2010; Rigakos, 2010; Tiggemann & Hodgson, 2008; Toerien et al., 2005).
The proportion of women removing pubic hair often decreases with age in cohort
samples (DeMaria & Berenson, 2013; Herbenick et al., 2010; Tiggemann & Hodgson, 2008;
Toerien et al., 2005), although we cannot be clear if this primarily reflects changing norms or
age-related factors. For example, in one study of 2,451 U.S. women, the younger the women, the
more likely they were to have removed pubic hair (and more of it) in the last month: 58% of 18-
24 year-olds had been without pubic hair at least once in that time, but only 11% of women over
age 50 had been without pubic hair (Herbenick et al., 2010). Instead, 52% of women over 50 had
not removed any pubic hair; only 12% of 18-24 year olds had not removed any pubic hair (also
see Weigle, 2009). In the one U.S. study that systematically explored the effect of ethnicity on
pubic hair “grooming” among women 16-40 years old (DeMaria & Berenson, 2013), White
women reported the highest rates overall (86% current grooming). Current pubic hair grooming
was lower among Hispanic and Black women (66%). Among Hispanic women, it was higher
among those women born in, or more acculturated in, the United States, suggesting an influence
of U.S. culture (cf. Fahs & Delgado, 2011) and thus social norms.
Pubic hair alteration is also seemingly now very common for men. Research in the
United States and Australia reported that a significant majority (62%-83%) of men have removed
and/or trimmed some pubic hair at least once (Boroughs et al., 2005; Martins et al., 2008a;
Smolak & Murnen, 2011), with less than half removing any pubic hair with any regularity