Hair Removal Trends For Men

Too Much Body Hair?

Can you imagine getting a bikini wax alongside your woman? Neither can we. However, men have come a long way since the days of showing up to work in an unbuttoned button-down that revealed an army of hair fighting its way past the nape of their necks, haven’t they? While you likely won’t go the Brazilian route, you might be surprised (or not) to hear that men are taking it off their body hair, that is.

Is it weather-related? Is she hinting at it? Or, have you been curious about how you would look with less hair? Whatever the motivation, men have already arrived at this point. Between waxing, shaving, electrolysis, tweezing, trimming, and laser hair removal, men of all ages, sizes, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, and professions are getting rid of excess body hair.

The Men’s Grooming Salon is here to help by bringing these hair removal trends for men to your attention. We’re not advocating waxed legs or arms, but we do advocate taking the time to do your homework to figure out what’s best for you.

Waxing and sugaring
Waxing is a hair removal trend for men that involves spreading hot wax on to the desired area, and then applying a strip of cloth or muslin onto the wax, rubbing it and ripping off the strip in one fell swoop wax, hair, root, and all. Sugaring is similar to waxing; only it uses sugar paste (which usually consists of a mixture of sugar, lemon, water, and even citric acid and gum Arabic) instead of wax and is a method of hair removal that goes as far back as ancient Egypt.

(According to USA Today, men are not only waxing their backs, but also their bikini lines. Yikes. The goal? Increased sex appeal and a “cleaner” feeling. Would you believe us if we told you some men are even waxing shapes into their pubic regions? Yes, and all of that is done here with us! At The Men’s Grooming Salon in Sydney).

Since some men might be embarrassed about getting waxed at a salon, there are do-it-yourself waxing kits but unless you’re a glutton for punishment, it’s pretty hard to put yourself through such torture and it can get very messy.

If you opt for waxing, go to a professional. If you choose to get your genital area waxed, keep in mind that most spas and aestheticians simply wax the areas surrounding your crown jewels — so only the regions around and above the base of the penis get the royal treatment. Men are also booking appointments at salons or spas for eyebrow waxes. With guys like David Beckham boasting nicely shaped brows, it seems men aren’t settling for less.

Guys, this really isn’t about becoming a pretty-boy, it’s about not walking around with a unibrow. Makes sense. Don’t aim for a perfectly arched eyebrow, but waxing is a good way to get rid of eyebrows that are out of control.

Ideal parts to wax: Eyebrows (unibrow), back of neck, back, chest, genital area, toes, and knuckles
Pain factor: 8/10
Bottom line: With repeated use, hair gradually becomes thinner because the roots are weakened, but the hair will grow back, albeit at longer intervals. So, if you want to lessen the hair that grows on your toes or chest without permanently abolishing it, this would be the ideal way to go.

Electrolysis
While electrolysis sounds more threatening, the premise behind this method is that a needle zaps the hair at its root and kills it. Electrolysis offers permanent results, but, of course, there is no guarantee and effectiveness varies from guy to guy, hair follicle to hair follicle. This procedure must be performed by a professional electrologist and requires weekly appointments for optimal results. The upside is that electrolysis weakens hairs at the root and eventually eliminates growth.

Ideal parts to zap: Eyebrows (unibrow), sporadic hairs on face or neck
Pain factor: 6/10
Bottom line: Since it’s significantly more expensive and more time-consuming than waxing (it could take up to a year to eliminate body hair completely), save the electrolysis for your unibrow or other small patches of hair that you want to get rid of for good.

Laser treatments
Laser treatment involves a laser beam basically killing the hair follicles. Results depend on your skin pigmentation and the colour of your hair (dark hair absorbs the laser energy, making it easier to treat), so you will first need to find out if you are a good candidate for the procedure. The best results occur with men who have fair skin and black hair. Keep in mind that you cannot receive treatment if you are tanned, as a tan messes with your skin’s pigmentation and can lead to blistering or permanent discoloration. This is why darker-skinned men might not make good candidates; thus, consult with a practitioner or dermatologist first.

While laser hair removal offers a permanent reduction in quality or quantity of hair, it’s also the most expensive method, with each session possibly running you a few hundred dollars. The total cost depends on the size of the desired body part, as well as factors like hair density and number of treatments required.

Hair Removal
Laser hair removal requires several sessions and although it’s expensive, it can be considered an investment, as you will never need to worry about hair removal in the desired area again. Just ask your woman how many times she’s had to go for a wax and you likely have a pretty high grand total. Laser hair removal is especially popular for athletic men who feel that their body hair hinders their performance, and even men who want a tattoo on their back, for example.

Ideal parts to laser: Back, unibrow, nape of neck
Pain factor: 7/10 (it kind of feels like an elastic band flicking your skin)
Bottom line: This is the mother of all hair removal methods in terms of price and efficiency, so keep in mind that while your back might be a good place to eliminate hair for good, you might not want to say a permanent goodbye to other hairy parts (in which case waxing might be a better alternative).

Tweezing
With the help of a trusty pair of tweezers (the sharper, the better), pluck away at the hairs you want to eliminate.

Unless you have lots of time on your hands and can take the constant pinching sensation, save the tweezing for those smaller regions that are covered with excess hair (or for ingrown hairs). Of course, this method is far from permanent.

Ideal parts to pluck: Eyebrows (unibrow), nape of neck
Pain factor: 4/10
Bottom line: Spending more for high-quality tweezers is worth the price. Don’t forget to keep up with regular maintenance.

Trimmers
When it comes to body hair that you’d like to keep short, electric trimmers can do the trick with no pain, fuss or mess.

Ideal parts to trim: Ear hair, nose hair, nape of neck, pubic hair, arms, legs, the possibilities are endless.
Pain factor: 1/10
Bottom line: A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. There are so many electric and non-electric trimmers out there for a guy to choose from, so go for it.

Between the various hair removal trends for men, there is no reason for a guy to let his pubic area grow out of control or his unibrow to attract attention. You could always stick to shaving, but there are some areas that require more care and shaving can cause irritation and razor burn.

Try the method that best suits your needs and your budget.