Doctor warns anyone shaving 'down there’ to avoid one major risk as Kim Kardashian’s x-rated underwear sparks debate

If you've been on the internet for even a minute this week, chances are you've come across Kim Kardashian's new range of SKIMS underwear aptly called the Ultimate Bush collection.

Doing quite literally what it says on the tin, the X-rated undies are basically thongs complete with artificial hair designed to look like an 80s-style bush, and they come in a variety of different hair textures and colours, including Sienna Blonde, Clay Black and Cocoa Ginger.

Now, I fully support rocking a bush (it's natural, after all), but it's an extremely funny concept to think of Kim flogging these undies at £34 a pop (yep) despite her and the rest of the Kardashian clan forking out a fortune on hair removal procedures over the years.

Additionally, the lingerie only really works if you're somewhat, if not totally, shaven 'down there' in the first point - which kind of defeats the whole point?

But it's not just the Kar-Jens. Whether it's waxing, plucking, threading, sugaring, lasering, electrolysis, epilation or your bog-standard Veet jobby, the global hair removal products market size was estimated at a colossal $3.60 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach an even more insane $6.30 billion by 2030 - something which no doubt adds exponentially to the pink tax.

Now, everyone's grooming habits are their own - whether you sport a constantly preemed pubis or whether you embrace the au naturel look, but there are some risks involved when it comes to shaving down there.

Without getting into the debate surrounding patriarchal beauty standards and misogynistic health myths regarding female body hair - which is a whole other story - Tyla sat down with intimate health expert Dr Shirin Lakhani about the medical issues associated with the grooming habit.

She begins: "Whether you choose to shave your pubic hair or not is completely up to personal preference and choice. However, when completely removing public hair, there is an increased chance of inflammation or infection due to microtrauma, skin irritation, or ingrown hairs."

According to the expert, frequent shaving or waxing doesn’t always lead to bacterial or fungal infections.

However, she warns, removing hair can disrupt the skin’s natural defence mechanism and skin barrier.

"Shaving can cause micro-abrasions that bacteria and yeast have an easier time entering, whereas waxing is more abrasive and can cause more inflammation and disruption to the skin barrier, causing more irritation to the area," Dr Shirin says.

"The public region is an ideal environment for fungal overgrowth due to moisture and humidity, which, if your skin barrier is already broken, can cause irritation or infection."

The doc also outlined that repeated public hair removal can cause damage to the skin barrier, which acts as the skin’s first defence mechanism against bacteria, yeast, pathogens or allergens, for example.

"This can lead to inflammation and sensitivity in the skin. It can also increase trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), leading to dryness and potential chronic irritation," she added.

Dr Shirin tells Tyla that pubic hair removal can lead to chronic skin issues, such as pigment changes, ingrown hairs, scarring, or irritation, such as contact dermatitis. It can also make the skin barrier more vulnerable to infections.

She added: "Using shaving products such as shaving foam around your pubic area can also impact the vaginal microbiome and pH level. However, there isn’t enough evidence to conclude whether this has any impact on reproductive health."