New Style Idea

Please be assured that I am wholly aware there are more important things to worry about right now than the state of your nether regions. Maybe you've never even thought about removing your pubic hair. I don't know your life! But in the event that you - like me at age 13, during the delightful stage known by endocrinologists as puberty - are plagued with the question of how to shave your vulva (the anatomically correct term for your hoo-ha, since the vagina is all internal), there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, don't do what I did and drag your razor back and forth across the skin - first in the direction of hair growth, and then against the grain - as many times as you need until it's all smooth, like my decidedly cooler ninth-grade friend told me to. This, I can attest, leads only to unsightly ingrowns and tiny red bumps that will make you feel like a plucked chicken. Instead, follow these pro tips from CC Ades, co-founder of Pacific Shaving Co. Trust me: your bikini line depends on it.

Step 1: Gather the Goods

When choosing a razor for this sensitive area, consider the number of blades. "When it comes to the pubic area, less is more," she said. (You know, just to be safe.) "You don't need a 12-blade razor like you might for your legs, because that will just irritate the skin."

The magic number, then, is somewhere between three and five blades. The non-negotiable? "You have to have a sharp razor blade - that's the first thing - and that you replenish the blade when required."