Pubic Hairstyles

Sharon Noble, an author of contemporary erotica, is our guest today. Her latest is Velvet and Topaz, a contemporary erotic ebook, released on January 18th. You can find it here.

So, Tuesday I discussed our hair limit, but apparently, I missed a very important part of the human body where there is hair. Sharon has graciously agreed to, ahem, cover this neglected part in this post. Yes, my husband has asked me to go bare or get a landing strip. My response: Only if you get yours waxed, too. (g) Needless to say, it isn't going to happen. (g)

Thank you, Sharon, for helping me out with this missed portion of the body and coming to visit us today. (g)

Thanks, Marci, for the opportunity to talk about a topic that, not surprisingly in my household, came up at the dinner table last Thanksgiving. We had a mixed group of about 10 sitting around after devouring a turkey, just having coffee and talking aimlessly. When the topic of pubic hairstyles came up, I came to attention and gave it my full focus. I'm always willing to learn something new. I didn't actually provide any input because to do so would have exposed my lack of knowledge in the sophisticated nuances surrounding the subject. I've been writing about people who don't barber their bodies, but, since I write contemporary romances, perhaps I should know something about what's out there. I haven't taken a lot of notice of this aspect of sexuality. Am I hopelessly out of date? I always thought pubic hair was nature's way of decorating out bodies, just like the hair on the rest of our bodies, but clearly not everyone agrees.

For those of you who write period romances, it probably doesn't enter the picture at all. But my guests talked about preferences for no body hair at all – ghastly in my opinion. Apparently some men shave off every single hair on their bodies except for eyebrows and head. Repulsive to me, but attractive to some women (I guess). Apparently women are shaving their vulvas in any number of inventive designs, taking their lead from the popular porno stars. And those piercings have to hurt. Although, if my vulva were bare, I'd probably glue a ruby on it somewhere – just for the hell of it.

So do any of you write about vulvas who have been treated to a Brazilian wax job? Do your heroes prefer vulvas naked, shaved to a landing strip, decorated, dyed some designer color, or au natural? Of course, it depends on the context. A female scientist working in the Amazon jungle isn't going to have the same aesthetic as a movie star who does naked scenes, so I get that. But do we need to address what seems to be a new aesthetic with wide preferences? Are they having fun or setting a new standard for pubic hair? I admit I've had the impulse to dye mine orange at Halloween, but I stifled that impulse out of consideration for the delicate skin underneath. Who would have ever thought we'd be considering hairdos for an area of the body that has heretofore been considered beautiful “as is.”

Then there's the topic of the merkin (hairpiece) for those who have scanty pubic hair. Yes, ladies, they do exist. My oldest daughter is a wig maker for film, TV, and stage, and she recently made a fluffy merkin for an actress who had a naked scene but didn't want her own privates exposed. My guess is that she didn't have pretty pubes. Those of you who write period romances probably know more about this than I do. Apparently merkins have been around for hundreds of years. Do you write about them in your novels? Is this a topic that might inject a sense of fun into a romance novel? I didn't ask my daughter where she got the hair to put in the merkin. I didn't want to hear the answer.

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A little portion of the blurb from Velvet and Topaz:

When Caroline Benning's husband of 18 years divorces her on the eve of her 40th birthday, she is devastated. To boost her spirits, best friend Marjory treats Caroline to a month-long trip to England where they can indulge their long-held passion for Tudor history. History comes alive when the friends visit Hampton Court Palace, mingling with costumed reenactors populating the palace and the grounds, and they are virtually transported to 16th Century England and the court of Henry VIII.

One man in particular, a dark, bearded cavalier in black leather and velvet moves Caroline to unexpected sexual longing - so much so that she returns alone the next day just to see him again. In a shadowed closet adjacent to one of the bedrooms, they make love unlike anything she has ever experienced...

Read more.