2024-01-22 23:00:00
news Many women think that their pubic hair is unhygienic. However, a new study suggests just the opposite. Bikini hair may protect women against recurrent urinary infections. Extreme hair removal of the genitals (full hair removal) increases the risk of infection.
See also the article: Cystitis: causes, symptoms and treatments
Do you often suffer from cystitis? Extreme, or even complete, genital hair removal could explain your problem. A significant discovery at a time when antibiotic resistance is increasingly complicating the management of urinary infections.
See also the article: Does goosebumps make hair grow?
Pubic hair against urinary infections?
A study by researchers at Jagiellonian University in Poland looked at the hair removal habits of 2,409 women (between 18 and 45 years old) and the occurrence of urinary infections over the past year. It appeared that women who waxed or shaved at least once a week had a higher risk of developing recurrent urinary infections: at least 3 cystitis per year. On the other hand, the figures were not significant for isolated urinary infections.
See also the article: Shaving and hair removal: does hair grow back faster?
Protective bacteria in pubic hair
To explain the results of their study, the scientists put forward the hypothesis that pubic hair harbors a microbial community that is protective for urogenital health. In women, different species of Lactobacillus are present in pubic hair. These bacteria could confer “antimicrobial protection” by preventing colonization by other microorganisms. Indeed, Lactobacillus have a strong inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli bacteria, the most common causative agent of urinary infections.
Previous studies carried out on bearded and unbearded men in hospitals have already demonstrated the protective effect of hair. In 2014, research found that the skin of shaved men was 10% more likely to harbor Staphylococcus aureus colonies and 3 times more likely to be colonized by strains resistant to methicillin (antibiotic). A more recent study highlighted the fact that bearded men had bacteria on their faces capable of inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
See also the article: Skin bacteria, our allies for aging well?
Extreme hair removal affects the urogenital microbiome
Excessive pubic hair removal could therefore cause an imbalance in the urogenital microbiota. The protective bacteria would no longer be able to combat the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. The latter would therefore have a clear path to ascend into the urinary tract. This observation has already been made for the vaginal microbiota. Complete hair removal can in fact influence the microbial population of the vagina and promote the appearance of mycoses (proliferation of candida albicans), vaginosis, itching or even irritation. It therefore seems plausible that extreme pubic hair removal could negatively affect the colonization of the urogenital microbiome as a whole.
See also the article: Vaginal infections: causes, symptoms, treatments
Sources :
Last updated: January 2024
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