Here’s an interested fact; men spend more time and money on hair removal than women, according to a study by Fragrance Direct.
That may not come as too much of a surprise, since most men shave their face every day, and cut their hair every couple of weeks, which is way more often than most women. But what was surprising, was that both men and women spend around the same amount of time on body hair removal each year.
So everything from the neck down – arms, legs, chest, back, stomach, feet, underarms, arms, feet, hands, and pubic hair, both men and women spend around 28 hours a year on removing or trimming hair on these body parts.
Since we spend so much of our lives on removing body hair, from head to toe, it’s important to deploy the right tools and technique for optimal manscaping.
Whether you trim hair for comfort, or to look good, or you need smoother skin for sports, there is a clear path to get you there. So let’s walk through the best tools for trimming hair from the neck down.
The Benefits of Manscaping
Whether so many men are choosing to trim their bod hair for athletic reasons, personal preference, or aesthetics, there has certainly been a cultural shift in recent years. Goes are the days when men would undo their top shirt buttons to show-off their hairy chest.
Hairy chests on proud display used to be a sign of manliness – today, it’s looked at with disgust, some even find it offensive.
Manscaping has many benefits, including feeling cleaner, keeping cooler in summer, and looking better for the opposite sex (or whichever way you swing). While hair exists on our bodies for a reason, removing it can limit space for bacteria growth and give the soap a better chance at getting you clean.
If you are one to go to the gym, trimming your hair can help enhance muscle definition. You can even trim your hair in specific ways to lend towards a specific presentation of your body.
Most Common Male Hair Removal Tools
The most common tools used for trimming male body hair are:
- Trimmers
- Razors (manual and electric)
- Wax
- Sugar wax
- Depilatory creams
- Tweezers
- Epilators
- Laser hair removal
You are probably familiar with all of these tools, but you may not have considered using them on yourself. Each one serves certain functions, and they all have pros and cons.
Trimmers
The most familiar tool on this list is trimmers. These can similar to clippers that barbers use, like those you would use on your head hair, but they are slightly smaller and used for less dense hair cutting, such as the chest, legs, beard, arms, and pubic hair.
There are generally two types of trimmers available – ones that are used to trim beards and stubble, and body hair trimmers that are designed for chest, back and pubic hair trimming.
Getting yourself a multi purpose body hair trimmer is the best way to tackle all body hair from the neck down, and are even built to trim hair around those delicate private parts, without causing cuts.
Razors
If you think you can remove all you body hair with a disposable razor, you’re in for a hard time. Using a manual razor blade to shave hair from your body would take forever, as the blades would become clogged with hairs after every stroke, it just wouldn’t be possible.
Even with an electric shaver, you’d still struggle as they are not suitable for cutting long hairs. Think of electric and manual razors as tools for finishing off, after shaving the bulk of the hair off with a trimmer, to get a final smooth finish.
Waxing
If you want or need your skin to be completely smooth, waxing is a good option – although you should have a high pain threshold. This method rips hair out from the root, and hairs take longer to grow back, with ends that are much finer.
If it sounds painful that’s because it is. This is the price you pay for less itchiness and irritation in the regrowth phase, but you should have results that last about a month. It’s also quit a messy process, and to get it done properly, you may have to pay a professional.
Sugar Wax
Sugar wax is used in the same way as other wax, but it is known to be less painful.
You can make your own sugar wax at home and even buy some premade mixtures, but going to a professional at least once can help ensure the process works well for you.
Depilatory Creams
Depilatory creams are popular due to their effectiveness and ease of use. Just apply the cream, leave it on for the specified amount of time, and wash it off when you are done. The chemicals in the cream will have weakened the hair at the root enough that the hair falls away.
If you struggle with ingrown hairs you will be happy to know that this method results in about 80% fewer ingrown hair. While this is great news for your chest and back, the chemicals may cause irritation around the private area. Always do a small test area first, before applying cream to the whole area you want to de-hair.
Hair removal creams are popular amongst women, as they’re usually marketing towards women and found stocked in the female cosmetics isle. That said, brands like Veet have seen the gap in the market, as they watch the main body hair removal market gown, and responded by releasing hair removal creams geared for men.
These cream are super easy to use, simply cover your body in your chosen cream before you shower. Leave the cream to work its magic, then step into the shower and wash all the cream off, and the unwanted body hair goes with it – doesn’t get much easier than that.
Tweezers
If you have unruly eyebrows then a good pair of tweezers can go a long way.
Unfortunately, this is the only thing they are good for when it comes to manscaping. Most other areas are either too vast or too sensitive.
Epilator
An epilator is a tool that removes hairs at the root in bulk – think of it like mechanical waxing, and they are more popular with women than they are with men. With that said, beauty manufacturers are waking up to the fact that more men are looking for tools to remove body hair.
Of course, men can use an epilator, but because men have thicker and more dense body hair, they need to choose a premium machine with plenty of power.
Also like wax, the results last a month, so in the end, you must weigh the pros and cons.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is the longest-lasting method listed, but it still is not always permanent. Instead of stopping regrowth, you are just reducing the number of hair that regrows at any given time.
Most men who go with this use it on problem areas like their back and shoulders because they can be difficult to manage regularly.
Manscaping by Region
Depending on the area you are working with you may need different tools, but most areas have more than one way to handle them.
By using these methods you can deal with hair growth in these regions in the most effective and comfortable ways.
Eyebrows
Not everyone wants to handle their eyebrows, but those who do should keep in mind that you want two separate brows. Take care of any hair in between the brows with a razor, tweezers, or wax.
You can also use tweezers or wax to clean up any hair that strays from the brow shape. Use scissors to trim hairs rooted in the brow that have grown too long. Some trimmers come with an eyebrow attachment that lets you comb over the brow to clean it up.
Ears and or Nose
The ears and nose are two sensitive areas that have hair growth for a reason. Because you want these hairs to be able to trap dust and pollution you need to focus on trimming them and not plucking or waxing.
Use rounded scissors or a specialized nose trimmer to get into these nooks. Do not trim too much, or you will find out just how important the hairs here are.
Neck
Most barbers will clean up your neck when you get a haircut, but you might need to manage this in-between cuts as well.
Pick a spot at the font that is closer to the top of your neck. The space underneath it should be cleaned up.
If you have short hair, make it fades out to your skin nicely on the back of your neck. This is less of an issue if you have long hair, but most like to clean up the area anyway.
Armpits
When talking about reducing bacteria growth, armpits are the first area that comes to mind. Even just trimming the hair down with clippers can reduce any body odor you put off.
If you want to remove the hair completely you can wax or shave after trimming it down. Shaving is easier to do, but waxing lasts longer and reduces itchiness as it grows back.
Chest and Stomach
The chest is one of the most prominent areas for male body hair. Trimming can enhance muscle appearance and cool you down, but it can improve how shirts fit on your body.
For the most part, trimming works fine. Simply use clippers to reduce the length of the hair when it is dry. You can even contour the chest using specific patterns, but most opt for trimming and shaving down the hair on the stomach.
If you want to remove hair from your chest and stomach area completely then waxing is your best bet. Once again, shaving will result in coarser regrowth than can be uncomfortable between your skin and clothes.
Shoulders and Back
Your shoulders and back are the areas you do not want to deal with often. You can try a trimmer, but depilatory cream will be the easiest to use apart from someone assisting you with wax.
The shoulders and back area are key candidates for laser hair removal, especially if you find yourself tackling it often.
Related: Back Hair Shaver
The Nether Regions
When working in this sensitive area a body groomer is going to be your best friend. If there is one spot you absolutely do not want to risk nicking or cutting, it would be the groin.
If that is not close enough you can go in with a razor after trimming the hair down. Take your time, use a ridiculous amount of shave cream, and go in with cold water to keep the skin taught.
Butt
You do not want to shave this area. Clippers or trimmers with a short guard are effective without risking ingrown hairs or uncomfortable regrowth.
If you are brave enough, waxing is the best tool to use here.
Legs and Feet
Apart from waxing, shaving is the easiest way to deal with leg hair. Try to schedule it for after a shower or bath so you are working with softer hairs, and then apply an aftershave balm to protect the area.
Use a depilatory cream or wax on your feet. Shaving the area will usually leave noticeable blunt ends because of how the hair lays, and that defeats the purpose of removing hair here.