Believe it or not, people have been styling their pubes since the dawn of time. The ancient Egyptians diligently removed their pubic hair with sharp flints, pumice stones, or via a proto-waxing process. The ancient Greeks also removed it all—often by plucking out each hair individually, or even burning it off. During Elizabethan England times, people prized pubes, celebrating—and adorning art with—the full bush.

But what should you do with your pubic hair?

But what should you do with your pubic hair?

First off, it’s good to know the basics.

Why You Have Pubic Hair

As it shakes out, our between-the-leg gardens do serve a couple of key purposes. Pubic hair protects the genital area from friction during sex, and from the transfer of unwanted bacteria. It also helps spread pheromones, those chemical indicators of attraction. Evolutionarily, the arrival of pubic hair also signaled a readiness for sex and mating.

Popular Pubic Hair Trends Of The Last 60 Years

In order to know where you’re going, it’s important to know where you’ve been. Which is to say, let’s take a look at the most popular pubic hair trends of the last 60 years.

When it comes to pubic hair styles, many people assume that the biggest game-changer was digital porn. In reality, however, it was the bikini. With its 1946 invention, suddenly everything was on display in a way it never had been before, and people decided it was time to clean up downstairs. However, this attention to grooming faded, as you might imagine, with the arrival of the 1960s and ‘70s, where styles became decidedly more lax. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction in the late ‘80s and ‘90s with the arrival of the fully bare Brazilian wax trend, which first popped up in New York City in 1987.

With the 1946 invention of the bikini, suddenly everything was on display in a way it never had been before, and people decided it was time to clean up downstairs

If you’ve paid even a tiny amount of attention to mainstream porn, you may guess that everyone continues to be going all-Brazilian-all-the-time. But as it happens, pubic hair trends have continued to wax (as it were) and wane throughout the 2000s and 2010s. With celebs like Amber Rose and Gwyneth Paltrow promoting their full bush, some have heralded the return of the 1970s aesthetic.

In reality, however, people are embracing a range of pubic hair styles—from full bush to slight trims to landing strips and, yes, the old Brazilian classic.

How To Make Your Own Pubic Style Choices

Regardless of what style is “in” or which celebrity is raving about their newest pube-crafting choice, the most important thing to remember is that you should only do whatever makes you feel sexy and comfortable. You don’t need to let the pubic-hair-style police—or your partner’s wishes—be the deciding factor in your personal pube choices. Your human garden is yours to grow as you see fit!

You don’t need to let the pubic-hair-style police—or your partner’s wishes—be the deciding factor in your personal pube choices. Your human garden is yours to grow as you see fit!

If you do choose to style your bush, experimentation is a good place to start. Some people only remove the hair that falls outside their underwear lines. Others wax or shave their hair into a small triangle or a thin, vertical stripe on top of their pubic bone—or wax everything away altogether. Then there are those who buzz their hair to a more manageable length without using a razor or wax, which can be the least irritating way to tame your pubes and avoid red bumps or ingrown hairs that can be caused by waxing or shaving.

How To Remove Pubic Hair Safely And Effectively

When it comes to pruning your pubes, there are four main options: trimming, shaving, hair-removal creams, and waxing. Trimming is the safest and totally pain-free bet, although if you’re looking for a shorter style or to bare it all, it won’t cut it. Waxing, on the other hand, definitely will, but if you’re looking to take off more than just what falls outside your bikini line, it’s best hiring a professional who can remove your hair with care.

When it comes to pruning your pubes, there are four main options: trimming, shaving, hair-removal creams, and waxing

Hair-removal creams, also known as depilatories, work by dissolving individual hairs. And while they’re generally painless, it’s important both to make sure that the brand you’ve chosen is suitable for the pubic area, and that you’ve not left it on the area you’re looking to de-hair longer than the timeframe it recommends (or it can start dissolving your skin along with the hair!).

And if you’re opting to shave your hair down there, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

Shaving Your Pubic Hair

Before heading south with a razor, be sure to trim as much as you can, which will spare your razor and allow you to do your most precise work. Soaking in warm water for about five minutes prior to beginning your masterpiece will also soften your skin and hair and aid in the hair removal process. When it comes to the actual shaving component, always make sure you use shave gel or cream, to hold your skin tight as you shave, and to shave in the direction that the hair is growing. Rinse with warm water when you’re done, and apply some baby oil or lotion with aloe vera to your skin to moisturize it.

All in all, the best pubic hair style is one that makes you feel comfortable and sexy—whether that means you go ancient Egyptian, Elizabethan, full Brazilian, or some other never-seen-before style all your own.