Workin' Out With My Merkin Out

A quick historical sketch of the merkin:

A merkin is a pubic wig that first appeared around the 1450s. Its original intent was to cover up the unsightly sores of syphilis. Syphilis outbreaks occurred frequently in the 1500s, causing huge numbers of deaths but also keeping merkin-makers in business. One early and common treatment for syphilis was mercury. Patients would drink, inhale, or inject mercury with the hopes of curing their STDs. In fact, mercury remained the common treatment for syphilis and other skin diseases until the late 1800s. And while people waited around for their sores to heal, they'd simply slap on some fake fur and it'd all be good! 

At the same time, merkins made their acting debut with the Elizabethan theater companies, in which only males where allowed to perform. Young boys would take up the women's parts and use the merkin to conceal their genitals during the sex scenes. As another curious blogger put it, "nothing ruins the effect of femininity like a huge cock."

Prostitutes from the Renaissance to the Victorian age wore the merkin to simulate the full fluff. They would often times shave their pubic hair to prevent and treat lice and other STDs. This practice was so widespread, that dirty humor of this era often included jokes about peeking under a whore’s merkin.

These pubic wigs were most commonly made out of horsehair or sometimes monkey hair. A lucky few owned vagina toupees made from real human hair, barf.

In recent years, the merkin has made a surprising comeback. 


Today, you'll find actors like Kate Winslet, who donned a wig in her film The Reader. Jake Gyllenhaal also requested one for his sexy scenes in his movie Love and Other Drugs. I'm sure the porn industry has a field day with pubic wigs. And more people are using wigs to enhance their sex lives-- note: this trend is called vajazzling. 

So, to summarize: back in the day, you ought to have been extremely suspicious of someone with too much muff fluff for they were obviously hiding something scary (surprise! syphilis penis!) but today, you are encouraged to get really creative with your genitals--you know, bedazzle them with rhinestones, wacky colors, fun shapes, scratch-n-sniff stickers. It's like being a kid all over again. Fun stuff! Very neat! 

In one episode of 30 Rock,  Jenna Maroney considers donating her hair to a  charity called 'Merkins of Hope' after Locks of Love rejects her hair for being too covered with chemicals for sick people to wear.
Hahah and THATS why that show is the best.


Proud to be A merkin?