A few questions involving the 'down there' area (girls)?

How to clean? while bathing you wash the area like you wash the rest of your body. . . and as often as possible depending on use. . . . Odor can transfer to clothes due to fluid absorption. Change of clothing is also desirable on a daily basis or as needed when it gets soiled.

I thought they went over this in 7th grade? Everyone matures at different paces. Some girls start as early as 11 or 12 and others 17+. As for “sculpting,” that’s your choice, many guys like shaven, but some like the natural look. It’s really for aesthetics and if they have a guy that appreciates the look.

Again, everyone’s different. I’m not a girl, but from my experiences, some girls have a natural musk. Although it may not be unpleasant, it’s noticeable.

Please at least trim it. Nobody likes a bush. But some people shave it, or even cut festive shapes in theirs. LOL

—Because of the many functions of down there, there will always be a smell, to one extent or another. I have to wonder: how often do you shower? That has a BIG impact on it.

…and doesn’t your health class cover this, or hasn’t mom mentioned it?

princessa must be a pre-teen to be asking these questions, especially the last one.

@njnyjobs On another question, she wanted to buy a laptop.

@ArtiqueFox definitely a kid . . .

This little article has some information about odors and what NOT to do about them. It’s short, so I suggest giving it a look.

In general I think it’s safe to clean “down there” with a normal soap. I would recommend avoiding soaps with a lot of harsh chemicals or perfumes since they can cause irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Shaving down there is kind of unnatural, since obviously hair is there for a reason. It protects the vagina from getting too dirty and helps with keeping the correct temperature down there, which is important for fertility. Discharge also helps flush out foreign materials and such and are completely normal. Shaving pubic hair can also lead to irritation and redness while the hair is growing back, which is both uncomfortable and unsightly. Trimming the hair is okay if you want, but it’s kind of a personal aesthetic choice.

Honestly though, if you’re asking when people even begin to get pubic hair, you shouldn’t worry about cutting or shaving it. Just let your body do what it’s supposed to do naturally, and try getting your hands on a book about puberty to learn more about this stuff.

Some odor is normal, but it shouldn’t be strong or noticeable if a woman bathes regularly and wears clean underwear and clothes. If the smell is strong or unpleasant, it could be a sign of infection.

As for cleaning, just regular soap on the exterior of the pubic region is completely sufficient. If you scrub or use too much soap, you can throw off the natural balance of your body and cause problems.

Shaving, waxing ouch, or trimming pubic hair (which starts to show up around age 10 or even later) is a personal thing. If you’re going to be wearing a bathing suit, you probably want to shave your bikini line so you don’t have hairs sticking out of the suit. Anything more than that is entirely up to you.

Regular soap is fine unless you have sensitive skin. If you start itching, burning or breaking out, something like Cetaphil might work better for you. Stay on the exterior, but do be thorough. There are several folds of skin where bacteria can hide and cause odor. If odor is a concern, use a baby wipe to freshen up throughout the day. Odor can be more noticeable during your period and scented pads or tampons do not mask it.

Just for the record my sex ed classes were really basic and never covered caring for your womanly parts

Yesterday I mentioned douching, so I’ll go ahead and do it again today. I don’t know much about it other than you can smell like a summer rain.

@hug_of_war Good point. However, my health class of last year covered that. But, you may have something…the gal could attend a health class that needs updating.

Cleaning the female genitals should be done gently with mild soaps in order not to upset the natural ph balance ‘down there’. Douching is silly and can cause an upset in natural bacteria that without becoming an infection will still change the smell. Depending on what a female eats, how much water she drinks, if she smokes or takes medications, the natural body odor/sweat smell ‘down there’ will be different from female to female. Also, coming off a menstrual cycle then the smell is often different for a few days. Face it now, it’s a garden ‘down there’, all kinds of changing smells that don’t necessarily mean anything’s wrong. As far as the hair growing, the more hair then the more smell gets absorbed and held so trimming and shaving will make it easier to wipe down and a little less musky but not much.

@Neizvestnaya Off topic, I guess, but can using a douche cause a yeast infection?

@mrentropy
I’m not sure but my ob gyn advised against it when I had wanted to douche after periods. Could be because isn’t a yeast infection an overgrowth of otherwise already present bacteria that went wonky? Never had one yet… I’ll hold you responsible now if it does happen~

@Neizvestnaya Well, that figures.

I think everyone already covered most of the questions.
People have different smells, and for the most part they’re all healthy and fine. If you are truly concerned that your (or er, your friend’s) smell is abnormal, ask a doctor. Believe me, “does my vagina smell normal” is by far not the weirdest thing they’ve heard that week, probably not even that hour, so don’t be embarrassed.
There are also very thin lightly scented panty liners you could wear if you’re self conscious. I don’t know if they actually do much, but they might give you peace of mind.