Manscaping 101: How to Trim Your Body Hair

Body hair is an unspoken issue for men. Often, especially among Hollywood actors, there's a tendency to shave it all off. After all, if you've spent years developing a killer chest and abs, you're gonna want to showcase your hard work. It's led to a mild taboo against body hair.

Yet, many women go wild for a man with a hairy chest – even if a hairy back is more of a niche taste. So, should you shave your body hair as a man? And if so, where do you even start? Here's your introductory course on manscaping.

To Manscape or Not to Manscape

That is the question. It really all comes down to how much body hair you have and what kind of aesthetic you're after. That's right – your body hair is as much a comment on your personality as the hair on your head. Whether you shave everything off, trim back certain areas, or leave it all as God intended, it is up to you. 

Generally speaking, most men who shave focus on a few core areas:

• Pubes
• Chest
• Back
• Legs

Most men have experimented with shaving at least one of these areas at some point. You might be a serious cyclist who shaves your legs or just loath your chest hair. Hell, you could let it all grow back in the winter before shaving it off in the summer – like some hairy hibernating creature. 

Of course, you might want to ask your partner. The research is a little divided on whether women like body hair or not. In one bizarre study in Finland, women's preference for men with body hair changed over their menstrual cycle. When women's fertility peaked, they preferred men with less body hair. Women's preferences for body hair correlated closely with their partner's body hair status, indicating that it's a key factor in women's dating choices. So, yes, it matters much more than you think.

But there's probably one commonality – regardless of whether you've got hair or no hair, what you have should be well-groomed, clean, and tidy. 

Trimming Your Body Hair for Men

Planning on shaving your body? Remember, it can take weeks or months for your hair to grow back, so be sure about your decision. Let's go through each area:

Eyebrows

Everyone needs to use a pair of tweezers on their eyebrows once in a while. Unlike for women, it's a pretty simple part of body grooming for men. Just remove the stray hairs that go outside the normal shape of your eyebrow. You'll want to remove any hair in between your eyebrows – and you might even consider trimming the longer hairs to avoid that bushy appearance.

Ears and Nose

Your ears and nose go together. Generally, people use the same kind of tools to get both hairs. It's often not a big problem in younger men. However, as you get older, your nose and ear hairs become more noticeable. 

You can either use tweezers (ouch!) or an electric trimmer. These devices are pretty easy to use – turn them on and move them gently around inside either your ear or nostril. 

Chest and Back

Now, we're coming to the more optional section. If you're grooming your chest, you can either go fully shaved or trimmed. Those blessed with voluminous chest hair might consider cranking their electric trimmer to a suitable setting and working their way across the entire chest. 

On the other hand, if you're going clean-shaven, you might try a razor and shaving cream instead. You'll get a much closer shave, saving you from repeating the process every few days. 

Your back is usually quite hard to reach. Thankfully, there are plenty of specialized back razors with extended handles that help you get to those hard-to-reach places. We recommend removing back hair – especially if there's quite a lot. Alternatively, you might use a hair removal cream that works within 5-10 minutes. Just rinse off the cream and hair after the time.

Arms and Legs

Most men – even those who shave their chest and back – leave their leg and arm hair (including their armpits). It's part of being a man. However, if you're an athlete, bodybuilder, or just prefer being hair-free, it's best to shave with a disposable razor. It's the only way to get that silky, smooth feel.

Some men opt for waxing over shaving. There's no doubt it works – and the results last – but it's by far the most painful option.

Below the Belt

When it comes to your pubes, there are a few musts and a couple of maybes. The first must is to trim the hair around the base of your shaft. Not only does it look better (and bigger…), but it is just polite to whoever ventures that far down. 

Some men might take shaving the base of their shaft a bit further, removing all the hair from their balls. This is a much more… dangerous endeavor. We recommend applying plenty of shaving cream and using a wet razor – electric razors will nick your sack. 

As for the bush and the rest, that's up to you. Sometimes, you might want to remove it all; others, just trim back your bush. The final, maybe, is your perineum and backside. Glancing over the area with an electric razor is sensible. It'll remove any longer hairs without leaving you with an uncomfortable rash.