Although it isn’t talked about a lot in the open, having hair on your butt is as natural as having hair on your arms, legs, or head.
Even so, you likely have a lot of questions about butt hair like:
- Why do we have it?
- Why do we have hair in our butt crack?
- Is it normal?
- Do men and women have butt hair?
- Are sex partners turned off by it?
- Should you remove it?
- Can it be removed safely?
Like any other hair on your body, you can remove butt hair if you want to, but you certainly don’t have to.
Our video below explains everything you need to know about butt hair:
If you decide to go the removal route, some methods are better than others.
Key Takeaways:
- Just about everyone has some amount of butt hair; it’s completely normal.
- Genetics, hormones, medications, and certain illnesses can impact how much hair you have on your butt.
- Too many people make others feel bad about their butt hair, including romantic and sexual partners.
- There are several ways to safely remove hair from your butt, but none of them are perfect, and all have some downsides.
- You don’t have to remove the hair from your butt crack or cheeks unless you want to.
For something that’s so natural (and so small), many of us have big feelings about our hairy butts.
A two-part study of women from diverse backgrounds revealed that there is “overwhelming negativity toward women growing body hair.”
Society has conditioned many of us to believe that women in particular should be hairless from our necks to our feet, so it’s no wonder that having hairy butts may bother us.
Still, it’s important to know why the hair on your butt is there, and that it’s natural.
If you choose to remove it, it should be your choice.
Butt hair removal comes with its own costs and even risks, so before you attack your butthole with a five-blade razor, make sure you understand why your butt hair is there in the first place — and how to safely remove it.
Why Do We Have Butt Hair?
The surface of your skin is home to more than 5 million follicles capable of growing hair — and your butt is no exception.
How much hair you have depends on a variety of factors, from your genetics to the medications you take, to hormonal imbalances caused by menopause, weight gain, and/or pregnancy.
However, excess butt hair can also potentially indicate an underlying health condition, especially if your butt was once relatively smooth — and now it isn’t.
Excessive butt hair may be a sign that you have:
- Cushing’s syndrome (caused by stress and high cortisol levels)
- Hirsutism (excessive body hair occurring in women)
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Ovarian cysts
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (caused by high cortisol levels and excess testosterone)
- Thyroid issues
- Side effects from medications
- Tumors (only in rare cases)
Hair on your butt may also be caused by:
- Genetics
- Certain medications
- Hormonal fluctuations
Not all butt hair is the result of a medical condition.
Each person’s skin, including on their butt, is covered in millions of follicles that can produce hair naturally.
Butt hair may be like a fine peach fuzz that you can barely see.
It can also be dark and coarse — or something in between.
That being said, if you notice a sudden change or increase in your butt hair, a conversation with your doctor may be in order.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the potential causes of butt hair.
How Genetics Affect Butt Hair Growth
Most people can thank their parents for the amount of hair on their butts.
Genetics play a large part in how hairy (or hairless) we are.
This is true for the hair on your head as well as your booty.
Which Medications Can Cause Butt Hair Growth
Some medications can increase how much hair grows on your body, including your butt.
Medications that can cause excess hair growth can include:
How Cushing Syndrome And Other Adrenal Diseases Affect Butt Hair
Adrenal glands produce androgens, which are responsible for hair growth.
Therefore, illnesses that are related to the adrenal glands can affect hair growth all over the body, including butt hair.
Cushing Syndrome is the most common adrenal disease that can impact how much hair is on your butt.
Adrenal tumors and hyperplasia can also cause extra hair growth.
How PCOS And Other Ovarian Conditions Can Cause Butt Hair Growth
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) wreaks havoc on the bodies of many women and people assigned female at birth.
One symptom of PCOS is the amount of body hair you have, including extra or thicker hair on your butt.
PCOS causes the body to overproduce androgens, which can cause an overgrowth of body hair, including on your butt.
Other ovarian conditions, such as ovarian tumors and hyperthecosis, may also result in a hairier butt and body.
How Typical Hormonal Fluctuations Affect Butt Hair Growth
If you’re a woman or a person assigned female at birth, you may be all too familiar with hormonal fluctuations.
They start during puberty, of course, but they can occur anytime, including during pregnancy and menopause.
These hormonal changes can cause your body hair to grow thicker and darker, including on — you guessed it — your booty.
Is It Normal To Have Hair On Your Butt?
Butt hair is completely normal and just about everyone has it.
Most people have a fine covering of “peach fuzz” (called vellus hair) all over their bodies, except for certain areas such as the lips, labia, anus, backs of the ears, palms, and soles of the feet.
During puberty, this hair is often replaced by darker, longer, and thicker hair (known as terminal and androgenic hair).
This hair develops in humans during puberty due to the increase of androgens that are secreted by the testes and ovaries.
The purpose of these androgens is to increase libido and sexual arousal.
They are also responsible for developing male genitalia and female secondary sex characteristics, including pubic hair, enlarged breasts, and widened hips.
But they also cause the growth of butt hair.
What Do People Really Think About Butt Hair?
Some people may not realize they have hair up their butt crack, while others are embarrassed by it.
Here’s what someone on the WHI forums had to say:
“I’ve noticed I have black hair in my butt crack since I began puberty. I never tried to shave it, for fear it would be stubbly and itchy. I’m very very self-conscious about it and although my boyfriend loves my butt, I’m terrified that he’s going to somehow see inside my buttcrack.”
It doesn’t help that sometimes people’s partners do have an issue with their butt hair.
Another user on the WHI forum said:
“Recently my husband brought to my attention that I have hair between my butt cheeks and that it’s very very unattractive and one of the reasons he does not get turned on enough to want to have sex with me.”
If your partner says something like this to you, your problem isn’t the hair up your crack.
The problem is that they would say it to you despite the fact that butt hair is completely natural — and they probably have it, too.
For every person who is embarrassed or turned off, you’ll find another person who embraces butt hair, doesn’t care, or even likes it.
Personally, I don’t think of my partner’s hairy butt as a problem.
It’s simply a fact of life and part of what makes him who he is.
The reasons I care about him and want to get naked with him have nothing to do with whether he has butt hair or not.
That being said, I prefer to remove my butt hair when I get a Brazilian wax every few weeks.
But I don’t do it because I think it’s unnatural or because my partner shames me for it.
For me, it’s about personal preference and loving smooth skin — that’s all.
How To Get Rid Of Butt Hair, Safely
You don’t have to remove your butt hair, but if you want to, it’s important to understand your butt hair removal options and know how to do it safely.
While we don’t recommend depilatories or hair removal creams, there are many other options, each with its own benefits and downsides depending on your personal preferences and budget.
Trimming
One way to remove excess hair from your butt cheeks (or crack) is to trim it.
All you need to do is pick up a pair of scissors or an electric trimmer and snip off the hair as close to your skin as you (safely) can.
Trimming butt hair can remove hair from the surface of your skin but doesn’t reach the hair beneath it.
This means you’ll still have some hair on your butt and may have to tend to it more often.
This method works well to trim a very hairy butt, but it won’t leave you baby-smooth and depending on your flexibility, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do on your own.
Should I Trim My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Trimming is an easy, affordable option and is pain-free, as long as you don’t get too close to your anus or poke yourself.
- Cons: You won’t remove the hair at the root, so your butt will still be hairy. Plus, it’s easy to cut yourself, especially because the butt isn’t an easy place to access on your own.
→ Shop Hair Cutting Scissors At Amazon
Tweezing
Tweezing is great for eyebrows, chin hairs, and stray hairs on your nipples.
You can also use tweezers on your butt — to a certain extent.
It’s fast, easy, and will remove the hair from the root, but it’ll be a painful process.
Depending on how much hair you want to remove, it could feel like death by a thousand cuts tweezes.
If tweezing is your best (or only) option, try taking a hot shower first.
Your hair follicles and pores will open and soften, which will make tweezing your butt hairs a bit easier.
Be careful, though, as ingrown hairs are always a possibility, and an ingrown hair on your butt can be painful and difficult to deal with, especially if it’s closer to your anus.
Should I Tweeze My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Tweezing is easy and fast for a stray hair or two and will remove your butt hair from the root.
- Cons: Ingrown hairs are a possibility, and tweezing becomes more painful the closer you get to your butt hole. It may also be impractical depending on how much hair you’re trying to remove.
→ Shop Tweezers At Amazon
Shaving
Shaving butt hair is another inexpensive and easy option.
To shave your butt hair, take a hot shower to soften the hair follicles and open your pores, apply a gentle shaving gel or soap, then let a razor do the work.
But keep in mind that it’s pretty easy to nick yourself with a sharp razor, and even small cuts can lead to serious infections, especially in an area like the anus.
An electric shaver might be a better option, especially for your butt crack — and bikini trimmers/shavers tend to be small enough to reach the area a little more easily (and safely).
Shaving can be difficult to do on your own and often leads to ingrown hairs and butt acne (aka buttne).
And within just a few days, you’ll be dealing with itchy stubble on your once-again hairy butt cheeks, in your crack, and near your anus.
Once you shave, you either need to commit to doing it regularly or commit to spending a few days or weeks in itchy hell as your hair grows back in.
Additionally, some shaving creams can irritate delicate anal skin (which is also why shaving cream shouldn’t be used as lube), so you’ll have to find a shaving cream or soap that works without discomfort.
An all-in-one electric shaver is perfect if you don’t mind the upkeep and the bonus is that you can use it on any intimate area — safely — without messing around with shaving creams or bare razors.
Should I Shave My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Shaving is easy to do and is likely already accessible if you regularly shave other parts of your body.
- Cons: You need to be careful with shaving as nicks and cuts are a very real possibility, as are ingrown hairs and razor burn. Plus, shaving only removes hair from the surface of the skin, so it’s extremely temporary.
→ Shop Razors At Amazon
→ Shop Electric Razors At Amazon
Waxing
Waxing is a popular and effective way to remove hair from an entire portion of your body, including your butt.
Waxing pulls the hair out from the roots, leaving your booty smooth for days or weeks.
Plus, if you wax regularly, your hair may also grow finer and thinner over time.
While at-home waxing is an option, it isn’t easy.
A wax that’s too cool won’t be effective, while wax that’s too hot could burn your skin.
It also may be hard to reach certain parts of your butt, leaving you with patches of hair.
Waxing any part of your body tends to be painful for most people in general, but without proper technique, it can be ineffective and painful.
If you decide to wax your hairy butt, consider going to a trained esthetician.
They’re faster, use better wax than you can find in at-home kits, and know how to reduce the pain as much as possible.
Regardless of the method you choose, waxing butt hair typically leaves skin smooth and hair-free for a couple of weeks until the hair grows back in.
Before you can wax again, though, your hair needs to have reached the right length — approximately the length of a grain of rice.
That tends to occur every three to four weeks for most people.
Another downside to waxing is the cost.
Depending on where you live, you may spend $60 to $100+ per waxing session — every few weeks.
Meredith Moore, an esthetician based in Los Angeles, has this to say about waxing:
“Waxing will be painful because EVERY hair has a nerve ending attached.
Plus, your first time is always scary/stressful, which I think can add to the pain of it all. Over time and continued waxing, it gets easier as the hair gets finer and you get used to the feeling/service.
I prefer a hard wax in the genital region, but any proficient professional will be good with whatever type of wax they choose. The key is finding a good one.”
Should I Wax My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Your butt will be hair-free and smooth for a couple of weeks because the hair is pulled out by the roots. You can also pay an esthetician to wax your butt, that way you’ll know it’s completely hair-free and your risk of injury is lower.
- Cons: Waxing is fairly expensive and adds up quickly. You also have to wait a few weeks between waxes because you can’t remove the hair as soon as it grows in. And while an esthetician can help reduce the chance of ingrown hairs and tell you how to prevent them, they’re still a very real possibility.
→ Shop Waxing Kits At Amazon
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved and permanent method of hair removal.
It will thin your butt hair out over time, and your hair will likely eventually stop growing back.
During electrolysis, a small needle-shaped electrode is inserted into each hair follicle and an electric current is applied to terminate the hair at its root.
While it is permanent and has effective overall results, it takes around 15 to 30 treatments to complete and delivers a painful stinging sensation with each prick of the electrode.
For the safest electrolysis treatments, make sure you see a licensed professional — this cannot be done at home.
It can be expensive and requires repeat visits to achieve permanent results, so it’s not an option for all budgets.
Should I Get Electrolysis To Remove My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Electrolysis permanently removes the hair from your butt because it eventually stops the hair from growing back.
- Cons: Electrolysis can be expensive and painful, and the treatments can take up to a year to complete.
Laser Hair Removal
Like electrolysis, laser hair removal is best done by a professional.
But unlike electrolysis, it isn’t permanent.
Even after many sessions, you may need to have it done again in the future.
Laser hair removal on your butt is expensive and can be painful.
Plus, there is a risk of burning, scarring, redness, swelling, and even permanent skin damage.
Should I Get Laser Hair Removal For My Butt Hair?
- Pros: Laser hair removal is an effective method for removing butt hair, and it substantially slows regrowth.
- Cons: Treatments can be expensive, and it isn’t a permanent solution for hair removal.
Should I Remove My Butt Hair?
Whether or not you remove your butt hair (or your nipple hair, leg hair, or even armpit hair, for that matter) is a personal choice.
There’s no right or wrong answer as to whether you should or shouldn’t remove it.
And although over 20% of women say they undergo pubic hair removal based on their partners’ preferences, you shouldn’t feel pressured into doing something you don’t want to do.
If you like your butt the way it is, but your partner doesn’t, then maybe it isn’t the butt hair that needs to go.
A good partner will love you for all your parts, hairy bits included.
On the other hand, if removing it makes you feel better in your own skin, go for it — it’s your tush!
In Conclusion
Butt hair is completely natural for most people.
Even when extra hair is the result of medication or hormonal changes, there’s nothing inherently wrong with having hair on your butt or up your crack.
But if you don’t like it or would prefer smoother skin, you have plenty of options to remove it.
The key is to find a safe method that works for your budget and personal preferences.
Whatever you decide, don’t let anyone make you feel bad about the hair in or on your butt!
You’re beautiful the way you are, and you don’t have to remove a single hair unless you want to.
