Attention Young Women: This is either great news or horrible news.
Bill Maher made a joke about the graphic shown above. He said nobody in America under age fifty understood the ad.
But I digress.
Here’s the great news and horrible news: it’s fairly normal to lose your pubic hair in older age. Great news if, as with leg hair, you’re tired of depilation and are happy that cleaning up in later years will be easier.
Terrible news if you didn’t realize you’re getting rid of something rich and luxurious that you will miss.
Of course, it’s kind of flattering that young women are trying to imitate the post-menopausal demographic. In every other way, they don’t want to look “old.” So maybe this is progress?
Kidding.
It doesn’t happen to everyone, but it’s common. And it doesn’t happy when you’re ancient. It happens in midlife.
In the process of aging, the body undergoes a number of changes…For women, going through the process of menopause causes pubic hair loss due to the change in hormone levels. (Livestrong.com)
Yes, I AM embarrassed to be writing about this, but here’s what I care about more than my own red face: the way women are made to feel shameful about their natural, beautiful bodies. We tend to arrive at menopause furious to realize we were far more beautiful in our youth than we ever knew, and now it’s gone.
It’s your choice what to do with yourself, but I never heard about this until I was over fifty, and maybe you haven’t either.
Now that you know, you may decide to resist any and all ridiculous arguments or pressure or influence as to what you should do with your body. If you are so inclined, let your freak flag fly. Cancel your upcoming waxing appointments. Be proud of that lustrous thick mound of hair. Because you may not have it forever.
Too funny Lynne. Thanks for the laugh. The key to a happy life is to like you said “resist any and all ridiculous arguments or pressure or influence as to what you should do with your body.”
If possible! And that’s one of the cool things about getting older: you find the strength to do so.
Lynne – Your sense of humor is fantastic! The “bottom” point of hair loss in that area for women is: No longer need to wax to wear a bikini. For men: No big deal, either way.
Thanks for weighing in, Bob! Always great to hear from you.
Happy Birthday to your mom!
Now let’s get serious. Have always had thick hair on my head, legs, and , you know, the other place. All have gotten thinner. And Roxanne was so right. Those stinkers find their way to your chin. I have even had a curly black one grow out of my ear! No No’s don’t work on these hairs. All I can say is keep your sense of humor. Laughter is always the best medicine and to be able to laugh at yourself is a gift.
In the series Grace and Frankie when they find a chin hair, they pull it and then make a wish!
“We have nothing to fear except fear itself”, said Winston Churchill a long time ago. Still applies, especially when we worry about losing our beauty.Your title made me look—just like Bill Maher to bring this up!
I love that guy.
I’m definitely in the camp that thinning pubic hair is a good thing. Unfortunately, I think a few have relocated to my chin.
But to your more serious point about how our perceived beauty wanes…as Ghandi said, we have to be the change we wish to see in the world. I applaud your efforts to affirm our beauty at ANY age. May more of us listen to and really hear your message. XO
Only a passion to help would explain my willingness to write about this topic!
I think your post’s reasoning can be applied to every part of beauty and aging. Looking back at pictures of myself at a younger age, I wonder why I was so critical of my appearance and marveled at how beautiful I looked. I try to apply that thought every day now because I realize that today I look great and I will not look like this next year on this date.
So true, Bernadette. My mom is thriving at 91 (her birthday was yesterday) and whenever I get a little sad about getting older, I think of what she’d do if she could go back to age 62. I think she’d run down the street screaming with joy. Possibly naked.