BARE- NAKED LADIES

You might feel fresh and clean after you’ve been blitzed with a Brazilian wax, but is less hair (down there) truly more hygienic? A niche study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections in 2013 found a link between shaving or waxing and an increased risk of Molluscum contagiosum, a pox virus characterized by raised bumps or growths. In some cases, hair removal was also associated with an increased incidence of warts, cysts, scars, ingrown hairs and folliculitis, a bacterial skin infection. A 2012 study in Urology found that between 2002 and 2010, pubichair-grooming-related injuries increased fivefold, with laceration being the most common type. Keep things sterile by making sure that your waxer never doubledips the applicator. If shaving is your go-to, change razors at the first sign of dullness, says Dr. Jody Levine, a dermatologist with Venus. “For most women, that’s every eight to 10 shaves.” MARILISA RACCO