I don’t care what anyone says when it comes to a sign of aging that you are never fully prepared for; it’s got to be the first time you catch sight of gray hair — I don’t mean one that’s on your head (although that can be a bit of a trip too); I mean, when one creeps up in your pubic region. I remember the first time I got wind of one of my own. Whew, chile.
And don’t even get me started on how my waxer won’t let me forget the fact that now I have more than just a couple of ‘em, which is wild because the gray hairs on my head are still pretty minimal…all things considered. And althoughgenetics and good old-fashioned aging are the biggest causes for what makes our hair go from its original color to silver, gray, or white, I was actually surprised to learn there are several other health-related factors that can have our pubes going lighter (especiallyif it’s sooner or at an accelerated pace).
If you’re curious to know what those things are, here are the seven leading ones.
1. A Fungal Infection
GiphyIf you’ve never heard ofWhite Piedra before, consider it to be your “something new” for the day. Basically, it’s a type of fungal infection that directly affects your hair shaft to the point where it looks like you have pearly nodules that are all over your hair strands.Some other symptoms of this infection are your hair will end up feeling dry, brittle, and gritty and your scalp might feel painful or really itchy. Although this infection can show up anywhere hair grows, it’s most “popular” when it comes to eyebrows and eyelashes, mustaches and beards, and yes, where your pubic hair grows.
And y’all, while Google wants you to think that you can self-diagnose and cure everything on the planet if you sense that you could have this in your pubic hair, it’s best to get a confirmation from your doctor. A prescription-based shampoo or oral medication may be needed to thoroughly remove it.
2. A Vitamin B12 Deficiency
GiphyA nutrient that’s essential when it comes to keeping your nerves and red blood cells in good condition is vitamin B12. Some signs that you’re not getting as much of it in your system as you should are unexplainable fatigue, a loss of appetite, weight loss, vision issues, and feeling irritable.
Know what else lets you know that you need to get more B12 into your body? Yep, you guessed it: gray hair, including gray pubic ones. Since B12 helps to keep your red blood cells thriving, when there’s not enough of it in your system, that means your hair follicles can end up becoming malnourished — and that can reduce how much melanin they produce.
That’s why it’s a good idea to have a diet that’s filled with vitamin B12-enriched foods like tuna, salmon, fortified cereals, yogurt, and eggs, and, if need be, that you take a B12 supplement as well.
3. An Imbalanced Thyroid
GiphyWhether you’re dealing withhypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), they both can result in premature graying. That’s becausewhen your thyroid isn’t as balanced as it should be, that can affect not only the growth cycle of your tresses, it can impact how much melanin is produced, too. So, if your pubic hair seems suddenly whiteand you’ve got signs of hypothyroidism (fatigue, constipation, dry skin, muscle weakness, and/or an irregular period) or hyperthyroidism (increased heart rate, weak nails, restlessness, increased appetite, and/or more than usual bowel movements) — don’t underestimate any of this. Speak with your physician so that they can figure out exactly what is going on.
4. Vitiligo
GiphySomething that you may have never considered to be a reason for gray pubic hair isthe skin condition vitiligo. Yet, when you stop to consider that it’s what happens when your skin starts to lose its pigment in noticeable amounts, it makes all of the sense in the world. Although research continues to be ongoing, what we know for sure isvitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder that oftentimes can be more managed than actually “cured;” however, there are a variety of treatments available, from creams and oral medications to light therapy and surgical procedures.
Since white patches on the skin, loss of pigment in your mucous membranes, and premature graying are all symptoms of vitiligo, if you’re noticing all three of these things happening at once, make an appointment to meet with your doctor as soon as possible.
5. Pubic Lice
GiphyIf you’ve ever heard that Black people don’t get lice, the truth is a bit less — pardon the pun — black and white than that.The fact is that, although it can be more challenging for lice to grasp onto our tighter curls (when our hair is in its natural state) and the hair products that we use can oftentimes cause lice to slip off before making a (temporary home), don’t sleep — we can still get it; and not just on our heads.
When it’s lice in your pubes, the “street name” for it is crabs. Although they have a reputation for being an STD, the reality is they aren’t. Crabs are tiny insects that can be transmitted through sexual contact; however, you can get them in other ways as well. It’s also important to know that crabs can show up on hair that grows on the chest, armpits, facial hair, eyebrows, and eyelids, and the symptoms include extreme itchiness, irritated skin, discolored spots on your thighs, abdomen, and buttocks, a low-grade fever and small white dots (which are actually lice eggs…chile).
If any of this is going on, make an appointment with your doctor. If they confirm that pubic lice is what’s happening, they will provide you with a list of things that you must do over the next 10 days or so. Oh, and they might recommend that you get tested for STDs…just to be on the safe side (because if someone is having sex with you while ignoring a lice problem, there’s no telling what else they may have going on…feel me?).
6. Smoking
GiphyAt this point, who doesn’t know that smoking (tobacco) is absolutely not a good idea? When it comes to your hair, specifically,smoking is problematic because it negatively affects blood circulation to your scalp, it can stagnate your hair growth cycles, it may cause your hair follicles to become inflamed, it can potentially make your hair dry and brittle — and yes, it can result in premature graying. A part of the reason is thatnicotine has the ability to actually cause build-up on your hair follicles. When that happens, it can result in a loss of hair pigmentation…even in the genital region. Just one more solid reason to quit if smoking is your thing.
7. Stress
GiphyIf someone has ever told you that you’re giving them gray hair, as the old saying goes,there is truth in all humor. Although you might’ve always chalked it up to being nothing more than a very popular myth,stress can indeed cause your hair to lose its natural pigment. That’s because, when you are stressed out, your system releases a chemical called norepinephrine. When it enters into your hair follicles, it “attacks” your melanocyte stem cells which is where your natural hair color resides. So, if you’ve got more than a few gray pubes popping up all of a sudden — pause and ponder how much stress you’ve got going on. Believe it or not, that could actually be the culprit.
___
The reason why this type of article was important to write is the reality is we can learn a lot about our health via our hair — yes, even our pubic hair. If, at the end of the day, yours is the result of nothing more than time doing its thing,you can always dye it or remove your hair altogether. Or you can make peace with your gray pubes like I’ve chosen to do.
I mean, my waxer (and my mirror when I do my vaginal self-exams) says that she’s fly with some salt ‘n pepper. Who am I to debate the truth? #Elmoshrug
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by InspirationGP/Getty Images
RELATED
While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
Feature image courtesy
The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
I remember calling my grandmother, who has since transitioned, and hearing the passion in her voice when she explained how she’d never thought she’d see something like this happen and how much it meant to her. As I reflect, I realize it’s a combination of memories like this that undoubtedly encouraged my will to vote.
However, as an adult, my reasoning behind the practice has developed. It’s no longer just about “the right thing to do.” I feel a responsibility to myself and my future to know the issues, how they impact me, and make a difference for others.
In the times we’re in, there's so much “news” everywhere. It’s hard to distinguish fact from opinion and bias from beliefs. This is why it was such a pleasure speaking with Jara Butler, Chief Impact Officer of Supermajority. Supermajority is an organization focused on making women the most powerful voting bloc in the country. During this authentic and informal conversation, we talked about so much.
I learned about her time working with the Obama campaign and how she masterfully worked in multiple industries, and we shared some of our favorite female rap moments. However, in the snapshot you’ll read, we focused on the issues. Jara walked xoNecole through what’s most affecting women of color in this election and what we can do to be more aware. Whether you’re a politics girlie or like me, just trying to gain more insight, hopefully this convo connects with you.
Uwe Krejci/ Getty Images
xoNecole: Let’s just jump right in. What are some of the most popular issues that you hear Black women discussing related to this election?
Jara Butler: Our sister organization, the Supermajority Education Fund, recently did some research specifically looking at young women in the age group 18 to 35, and young Black women identified their economic well-being as a priority. Right now, we're in a place where a lot of us, especially young Black women, are finding that meeting those basic needs are harder and harder.
Secondly, is Project 2025. I think Black women see it as not just something that could happen, but actively happening. For example, we’ve all been watching the case with the Fearless fund, and how it's been targeted. We know Black women are very entrepreneurial. We can go back to Madam C.J. Walker and others who have opened the door for all of us to achieve. But if those barriers are in place, we're just not going to be able to meet that.
Lastly, Repro is a very big issue. But I think looking at it holistically and not just about abortion is important. Black women are more likely to talk about this from a perspective of our reproductive health care and the lack of access due to medical racism. As a Black woman myself, who's over 40, a lot of the changes that I am making in my life are because I have to do everything I can to put myself in a position, because I know no matter what my economic status is, if I walk into a medical office, there's a good chance I'm gonna face medical discrimination. Breast cancer screenings, colon cancer screening, ovarian cancer screening, cervical cancer screenings - all of those are part of that network of reproductive health.
xoN: Another issue I’d love your insight into is our missing girls. I think it's so unbelievable how much this is swept under the rug. There are so many stories about Black women that are continuing to go missing; I don’t understand how that’s not a bigger conversation. Is this something that can be pursued on the government level and what can we do to bring more attention to this issue?
Jara: We have this list of majority rules on our website, and my favorite one is: that our government represents us. I think that we have to continue to apply pressure to our government to meet our needs. And again, women are the majority of voters. Black women, especially, are the most reliable voting bloc across all groups, and our interests right now are not being met. So yes, there is something that we can do, but I also am a big proponent of us having these conversations.
My great-grandmother was enslaved, my grandmother was born into Jim Crow, and I watched my mother face economic insecurity. I say that because, as a Black community, we have to have an internal conversation to talk about these issues, and we have to do it upfront. I think we have to get into a position of realizing that we do have power, and how we activate that power.
Our power comes from being Black folks because Black people organizing has been enough to shake up and scare people. There were laws that prevented us from congregating together, even at church, because they knew what would happen when we got together. We have to get back into that. It's not that we are not doing it, but the urgency needs to be greater. And finally, we have to get away from depending on one individual to take us there. It's gonna take all of us.
"Our power comes from being Black folks because Black people organizing has been enough to shake up and scare people. There were laws that prevented us from congregating together, even at church, because they knew what would happen when we got together. We have to get back into that. It's not that we are not doing it, but the urgency needs to be greater."
xoN: I agree completely. Now, when we started, you mentioned money. So let’s talk about it. So many of us are starting businesses and getting degrees, and I love to see it. But everyone seems to still be having a lot of the same issues around finances. What are some of the underlying reasons behind this debt that we're dealing with, and how can voting influence these challenges without getting into the individual candidates?
Jara: Hello! Let’s talk about the money! Black women have been told that if we want to move ahead, we have to have that master's degree. We have to be twice as good. So we met that measure, right? But in order to do that, we have to pay for it. Up until about the 1970s college was absolutely affordable. You could work one job and pay for college with some money left over. That has changed.
Realistically, student loans are a barrier. They are a barrier to access housing. They impact our credit, and really and truthfully, depending on how much your loans are, they could affect you paying rent. It basically creates a cycle of debt. And I have real problems with people who say, get a degree in something that's going to make money. It’s about your skills, and if you have the skills, you should be able to earn a living. That covers that.
But the fact is that student loan debt continues to increase, and there have been attempts, more than once, to try to relieve some of that pressure. The reality is that this is a squeeze. It is a conundrum, and we see efforts by the current White House administration to try to alleviate those things, even when they are stopped.
But truly, Congress needs to step in and support this, but I would take it a step further. We should be considering and looking at what it would look like if we had free community colleges. Because what we have now is two generations of borrowers, because older millennials’ children are beginning to age. Black women have the highest degree of second-degree secondary education, but we carry like 1.7 trillion in debt or something like that. I can't remember the exact number, but basically, the majority of the student loan debt is ours.
FatCamera/ Getty Images
xoN: Speaking of college, obviously there’s a lot of discussion around affirmative action in the schools and the undergoing changes. How important is it to consider this topic, and are there any new laws or policies being proposed around this that we should be aware of?
Jara: Oh my goodness, affirmative action is one of the things that we saw that our sister site, the Supermajority Education Fund, found last year as a number two issue for young women. I actually hypothesized that it was a real thing, and it was. And the reason for that is that affirmative action as a whole has been something that benefited white women more than any other group.
However, what is happening is that we’re using the word DEI in a way that is derogatory. I’ve heard people refer to it as: “didn't even earn it.” And as a Black woman who attended an amazing school, I remember being in class and having someone make that comment, knowing my grades were higher than theirs.
The fact of the matter is that we would not need these policies if we lived in an equal and equitable society. It doesn't do us any harm for us to face the facts that this country was built off the backs of enslaved people and the blood of indigenous people, and off the sweat and the tears of immigrants. But because we are unwilling to face that, we now are demonizing programs that are actually meant to create some symbol of balance.
xoN: Finally, I’ll close with this, what can we do to provide information to young people, and how do we combat all of the less than researched info?
Jara: One thing I encourage is to look at the source. At Supermajority, our social channels are information-based. We strive to provide up-to-date accurate information that is digestible to all. Media literacy is something I believe in, and unfortunately, it is something that we have a responsibility to continue to share with the community at large. So much of our world is centered on immediate info, a lie spreads faster than the truth.
We just saw that with the Olympic women's boxers, and we have to ask ourselves often: is this information accurate? Who is telling the story? Most importantly, how am I an original contributor? Not everything said needs to be shared, and not every thought needs to be public.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Delmaine Donson/ Getty Images