Pretty "down there"

Before you head blindly into reading this post, please bear in mind that it involves subject matter for the more mature reader (compared to most of my other posts). If you're squeamish or easily offended, you might want to sit this one out.

You wanna know who knows more about pubic hair management than anyone else in your life? It's the person who does your pap.
I did a month-long placement at a sexual health clinic in December and I'll tell you, I saw trends in lady-part styling. Of course in the interest of professionalism, I was completely non-judgmental about the whole thing (... no really, I was - to each her own), but I couldn't help but notice. Approaches included:
* moderate overall trimming
* overall buzz-cut
* completely bare
* hair on the mound, not on the lips
* hair only on the outer lips
* the porn-popularized runway strip
* a postage stamp amount of hair above the clit hood, and
* the let-it-be natural approach (which was surprisingly less common than one might guess)...

And I want to say that if the hair management thrills you, I'm cheering you on.
But with that being said - now here's the lesson - please, PLEASE (!) don't hurt yourself.
If you are open to advice, I offer the following:
* If you're going to remove hair, please do it for fun or sensation, but not because of outside pressure. Forget about porn imagery and go for real-life sexy! There's nothing hotter than a woman who's happy and self-assured.
* If you're using a razor, the sharper it is, the less likely you are to cut yourself. Use a good shaving cream (I like Kiss my Face, especially now that it's paraben-free), or hair conditioner if that's all you've got.
* If you're sensitive, be sure to have a good soak in the tub before you shave - this will soften the hair, warm up your skin and open up your pores to make the area more receptive to hair removal.
* If you're thinking of using any other hair-removing agents, consider the advice I give for all body care products: aside from some natural soap, if it's a product you wouldn't put in your mouth, don't put it on your skin!
* Speaking of soap, keep it simple. Nothing specialized, nothing fragranced, and no vigorous scrubbing - anything but mild soap and a good rinse with water will challenge the natural bacteria that keeps everything balanced, and create a less desirable environment between your legs, not a more desirable one.
* Now this is the most important: If you have any suspicious (read: unusual for you) bumps, sores or itchiness, put down the razor, and get thee to a sexual health clinic (or knowledgeable family doc) -- STAT! If it happens that you have herpes, for example (and yes, even if you've never had an outbreak before), and by shaving you nick off the top of a herpes lesion (sore), you can spread the virus virtually any and everywhere your razor touches next. I feel strongly about warning you because it is unfortunately not an uncommon thing and the insanity (read: undeserved pain experienced by the shaver) must be stopped!
* And finally, resist shaving day after day - the constant irritation of running a razor over your skin won't allow for non-stop smoothness anyhow. If you get ingrown hairs, give the area a break, and exfoliate very, very gently with a warm damp exfoliating glove or face cloth.

Okay, now go out there (or invite someone into your bed), with pride for your lady parts! (And if you want more info of this intimate nature, please let me know in the comments and I'd be happy to oblige with further posts.)

(Disclaimer: I came across the pic above on some random blog and it cracked me up! There was no photo credit, so I can't offer one.)