Rare pubic-grooming data reveals injuries, odd habits, and nicked bits

Be careful in there. (credit: TJStamp)

Trimming and shaping the shrubbery down below can be dangerous business, according to a new study.

Combing through survey responses from a nationally representative group of 7,456 US adults, researchers at University of California, San Francisco, found that 76 percent (5,674) were pubic groomers. Of those, one in four reported injuring themselves at least once from the below-the-belt beautification. Minor lacerations were the most common type of injury, accounting for 61 percent of those reported, followed by burns and rashes. But 1.4 percent of groomers reported severe enough injuries to require medical attention. That includes antibiotics for infections or surgical interventions, such as stitches and incisions to drain an abscess.

With the data, published Wednesday in JAMA Dermatology, the researchers hope to draw attention to the hairy problem—and pluck out factors that may contribute to injuries.