According to Sarah Stefanson’s recent article on AskMen.com, manscaping is the new buzz word for metrosexual men and may soon become as normal a practice for men as hairless legs are for women.
What’s “Manscaping?” It’s the removal of hair in places such as the chest, underarms, shoulders, back and genital area. Some men remove it all, including “down there” while others focus on just the most rampant of hairy spots such as the chest, shoulders and back.
Here are some manscaping tips for your man (and you!) to consider:
- Remove the hair first that looks the worst
At one time, lots of chest hair was “the look” (think 1970’s) of the manly male. In some subcultures in America, that’s still the case. However, even though most women love to run their fingers through a bit of chest hair, the carpeted look is definitely out. Judicious (and careful!) shaving can solve the hairiest chest problems, but if your man is going to do this for the long-term, we recommend laser hair removal for the best results. Shaving leaves stubble, risks cuts and nicks, and becomes a real drag on one’s grooming time. Laser hair removal, on the other hand, can select the right areas to remove hair, leaving a little bit for that finger-running!
- Shoulder and Back Hair is a no-no
Even in the 70’s, shoulder and back hair was—there’s simply no better word than this—icky. It’s unsightly in anything but a full-coverage shirt (and can show through white ones), looks nasty at the beach or pool, and suggests a Neanderthal or worse, a simian—that’s ape in normal-speak.
- Hairy necks are out, too
A little hair at the front of the neck is a nice little teaser, but a full neck of hair that continues behind the nape of the neck in the back is unattractive.
- Armpits?
Unless your man is a competitive swimmer or bodybuilder, even the most metro of metro-sexual men leave their armpits hairy. Having said that, if your man has a forest that foments bacteria and contributes to underarm odor, a little bit of laser can do the trick, leaving enough to avoid accusations of femininity while getting rid of enough hair to make applying deodorant effective.
- Going Brazilian?
No woman expects her man to be completely nude of any body hair—especially “down there,” but some athletes do go full-Brazilian to control chafing from their protective undergarments. At any rate, it’s nice for a gal to find a well-groomed area on a man in the nether regions, which can be controlled with a pair of scissors once a week after showering. As a bonus, less hair down there controls the potential for unpleasant odors.
Manscaping has certainly come more and more into the mainstream over the past few years, as men have begun to realize that they have options when it comes to looking their best in the buff. One final piece of advice is to start slow – there’s no need to go from hirsute to hairless in a single session. Trim a bit at a time and see how you like it. You can always do more manscaping later.
