Words: Violet
Gone of the days where it was just women who had to bare the brunt of tweezing, waxing, trimming and shaving. No, no, Gentlemen, these days it is more than just gay men, triathletes and the boys of Geordie Shore. But in this new mine field of treatments, products and procedures, it can help to have a little guidance. How and where you plan to remove hair is obviously a personal preference (yours and your other half’s in fact). From the more obvious chest and back to the more….err…intimate areas of body hair removal we give you our guide to how, where and what you should be removing this year.
Shaving & Plucking
This is probably the most usual form of body hair removal for men who are just getting into the trend of hair removal. Despite the ever increasing rise of the metro-sexual man lets be honest, most don’t actually spend more time on grooming than women (who cares what the stats say), so this quick fix is the easiest option for the man on the run. A 5 minute chest hair trim before hitting the beach, or quick trim down under before a night on the tiles – you know, just in case.
How To: Pretty self explanatory, similarly to how you shave your face, ample amounts of shaving cream in the desired area, shave with the grain to avoid shaving rash and then rehydrate the skin with a specialised cream after to stop the skin drying out.
Pros: The cheapest method of them all, and probably the quickest.
Cons: Very much a ‘quick-fix’, you’ll be left with stubble in no more than a day or two which can be unsightly, uncomfortable and incredibly itchy.
Waxing, Creams & Machines
Next up are the procedures that, no doubt, you’ve heard your girlfriend or female friends complaining about on countless occasions. We’re talking here about waxing – either yourself or at a salon – hair removal creams, and the terrifying machine known as an epilator (literally a machine that grabs your hairs with its tiny revolving teeth and plucks every individual hair out). You may even have found yourself in a Hollywood Comedy-style situation, held down by a group of friends (most likely inebriated) as they test out various agonising treatments on you. Cue: waking up with no eyebrows or a highly mature image of male genitalia waxed into your chest.
Waxing
How To: If you haven’t made the (wise) decision to visit a salon who will know exactly the best way to do this, then we suggest you find a thorough guide to follow, or a very good friend to help you. Pull the skin taught, make sure the wax is warm enough and rip the strip away from the direction of the hair growth in a swift quick movement.
Pros: If you get it done professionally it only takes a short amount of precious time out of your day and can last up to 3-4 weeks.
Cons: Can look rather unsightly for a day after the wax and causes in-grown hairs, also if you do it yourself it can be hard to reach certain areas.
Hair Removal Cream
How To: Simply apply the cream to the area you want rid of, leave on as directed – usually around 10 minutes – and then ‘shave’ away with the provided tool.
Pros: Cheap to buy, quick and easy to do and leaves you baby smooth in moments, all in the privacy of your own bathroom.
Cons: Whilst it lasts longer than simply shaving, it only lasts for about 4 or 5 days, depending of course on how thick your hair was in the first place. It also smells worryingly like burning when you leave on the cream, and a lot of people actually have quite unsightly skin reactions, so be sure to patch test before you go the whole hog.
Epilators
How To: Either plug into the wall, or ideally use a chargeable or battery run one to avoid getting tangled up in wires in uncompromising positions and guide it around, against the grain of hair growth.
Pros: If you can handle the pain, this is actually an incredibly easy way to remove hair – it’s always there, kept charged and can be done in privacy. Leaves the same feel as waxing and lasts a good 2 weeks.
Cons: It hurts like hell. Seriously, there’s no two ways around it, this is not for the faint hearted. Probably best for limbs and chests!
The Professional Procedures
From lazer-hair removal to pulsed lazers, and photo-epilation – this is where it gets serious.
How To: Do some serious research into the best clinics to go to. Have numerous consultations and then let the removal begin.
Pros: Hands down the most effective hair removal that there is. No sticky wax strips, or tangled wires – shaving rashes or blunt razors. The hard work is done for you and you can be hair free wherever you want for…well…ever.
Cons: Extremely time and money consuming. It can cost easily over several thousand pounds and involves multiple lengthy sessions. Only the truly determined hair-removal men need apply.
Now that you know your removal options, stay tuned to find out where it is you should be going bald and the trends that you might not even have considered…
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