Often, men’s and lady’s fashion at any period in time is established by a certain look an actor has in a movie. He may have had short hair, or be buff from months of working out, or the kind of shoes he wears. Manscaping is now de rigueur for today’s man. Grooming the chest, groin and legs makes the body more attractive, but maintaining the chest, abdomen and genital areas requires practice and patience.
The groin in particular is not flat like your cheek when shaving; it is round so you will need to trim on a 360 degree plane. Here, we’ll discuss how to manscape without razor burn and ingrown hairs.
The skin in the groin area is a lot more sensitive than on the face or other parts of the body. Care must be taken when shaving and trimming. If you get cut in this area you will feel it a lot longer too.
The trend has leaned towards little to no hair on the genitals for quite some time. First, it became the norm for women to practice chemical or manual depilatory shaving between the legs; men have now followed suit with cutting and trimming the groin.
Table of Contents
The Tools of the Trade
When it comes to manscaping, you can’t go at it alone. There are some tools you’re going to need in order to get the job done, with as little damage as possible.
Ever since I’ve started manscaping, I’ve learned about the good, the bad, and the ugly. There’s a lot of mistakes that can happen when you’re manscaping for the first time or even if you’re a seasoned manscaping veteran.
In order to get the job done right, you’ll need a few things:
A High Quality Body Trimmer
In order to wack down the weeds, you’ll need something reliable, waterproof and long lasting. That’s why I recommend using the Norelco Body Groom. It’s lightweight, easily portable and lasts a long time. I’ve used the older version of this exact same trimmer in the past, and, while it was a still a high quality trimmer, Norelco has gone above and beyond in this model — and It’s cheaper! You can get it for a really good deal over at Amazon by clicking HERE.
Sensitive Skin Razor Blade
If you’re anything like me, the skin on any place besides my face is extremely prone to razor burn and ingrown hairs. If you’re going to start manscaping with a razor blade for the first time, I beg you to go with Gillette’s new sensitive skin razor.
These razors only have two blades in them, compared to the “industry standard” of having 5 blades for a smooth shave. However, something they did in the way they built these razors are incredible. It’s really saved, not only my face, but my chest and shoulders from itchy, unsightly razor burn, bumps, and ingrown hairs. Seriously! Highly recommended. You can get it HERE.
High Quality Shaving Cream
You’re going to need a high quality shaving cream if you want to minimize the bumps and razor burn from manscaping. Trust me… it makes a difference. I’ve tried products from Nivea, Harry’s, etc., but once again Gillette takes the cake.
I use the Gillette Fusion Pro Glide for Sensitive Skin. If you’re going to shave any part of your body for the first time, you’re going to want to look for items that have the words “sensitive” in them. Otherwise, you’ll pay for it in the long run.
DIY Back Shaving Tool
Hallelujah for this amazing tool. It’s one of my favorite manscaping tools out there. Otherwise, I’d have to ask someone to do it for me. Not a good look.
If you struggle with back hair like I do, you NEED a Bak Blade. This tool has been such a staple in my manscaping routine and it works like a charm.
Establishing a Manscaping Routine
The best way to establish a routine is to trim the hairs on your chest and groin area at the same time, then wait and see when you’ll need to do it again. This is an individual choice. You may like your hair longer or shorter, so you’ll set your manscaping timer accordingly. Some of us grow more hair on their bodies than others, so it really is an individual decision.
Note that you’ll be shaving different parts of your body at different times. You may need to trim your abdomen, for example, every three weeks, but trimming your armpits may only need to be trimmed once every three of four months. Each part of the body has its own unique trimming and cutting schedule.
Men have different amounts of hair on the chest and back in particular. For some men, who might have some hair covering the area of the sternum, but the rest of their body is more or less without hair growth, then it may not be necessary to shave the chest, abdomen or back, at all.
Other men, however, grow a lot of hair on the front and back so will have to shave there once, then check and see how long it takes to grow back.
The back and the groin are two areas of the body that should be manscaped regularly. If you have a hairy abdomen you might want to include shaving there too.
Here are the major areas of importance that you can focus on below the neck.
- The Chest and upper body above the waist and below the neck.
- Your armpits
- Your back
- Your Pubic hair
- Your testicles
- The buttocks
Razors Should Not Be Used At All In The Groin Area
Think about the regimen for shaving with a razor. First, you need to shower to raise the hairs up on the body. Then, you’d apply shaving cream (difficult to do in the groin area). Next, you shave and must stop the flow of blood when you get cut with tissues. Lastly, you have to put on after shave to help close the pores of the skin.
Razors should never come into contact with the groin area, specifically the testicles. The skin protecting the balls is extremely thin and shaving with a razor will likely result in razor burn.
Beard Trimmers are Different Than Body Trimmers
Do not use a beard trimmer to trim any part of your body. Beard trimmers and electric trimmers designed to be used on the body are different.
Beard trimmers come with attachments for shaping the beard and to make the mustache and beard evenly trimmed. Body groomers, on the other hand, have attachments designed specifically for the body, such as body guards, dual sided handles, both shaving and trimming options, and several adjustable lengths.
Body trimmers usually have wider heads, so they can cover more area at once evenly and take less time shaving your body.
The best tools make for the best job, so consider investing in a good body trimmer that will also do well around the genitals.
As I mentioned before, I ALWAYS recommend the Norelco Body Groom. It’s been amazing.
Shaving Your Chest and Abdomen
When we talk about manscaping the chest, we’re referring to trimming it, and not shaving it entirely off. Personal care of the body below the head is not about eliminating all the hair there. If your hair is so thick and long that it can be seen coming through your shirt, then it would be a great idea to trim your chest.
Then again, other guys may elect to go all the way and shave off their chest, back and abdominal hairs completely. If you’re involved in semi-pro sports, lots of guys cut all the hair off. Women are another reason for cutting chest and abdomen hair completely. Some women love hairy men while others are not attracted to body hair. If you have a medical condition that requires you to have EKGs done frequently, for example, you might be better off with no chest or abdominal hairs because such tests require electrodes to be taped to, and then removed from your body.
Should you decide to cut the hairs of the chest completely, once to twice a week may be necessary to keep the skin hair free. Be aware, though, that shaving hair too much will cause skin irritation as well as redness throughout your body.
The best way to remove body hair completely is by using a depilatory cream. This cream dissolves the hair at the root and is designed to remove ingrown hair as well. First, find a patch of skin with hair and apply the cream to see how it works. Then apply to the whole chest and abdominal area.
Another method to remove all hair is by having a body wax. Even for skin that is not sensitive, waxing is a painful process and can cause acne to break out.
The advantage of waxing, however, is that it lasts for up to six weeks before you’ll need to do it again. Make sure you wax a few days before you plan on showing your chest to someone or for playing sports, or for medical purposes.
Both waxing and depilatory cream are obvious ways to avoid razor burn. If your skin is ultra-sensitive and does not respond well to sharp razors, consider using a depilatory cream.
In addition,
Trimming is the best way to go if there aren’t any reasons to shave hair off completely. When choosing a razor, be aware that full body razors differ from beard trimmer and should be used to trim your body instead of your beard trimmer.
Shaving Your Back
The best way to shave your back is to invest in the Bak Blade. It’s been a total game changer for me to have this in my manscaping arsenal.
On the back you can use a depilatory cream or include it during a waxing session. Another way is to trim it with a body hair trimmer.
The hairs on the back are thinner than the hairs on the chest and abdomen, so apply a light touch with the razor, set at its longest at first. Then make the guard setting smaller and smaller by degrees until the hair is completely gone. For me, I’ve found that, unlike chest hair, back hair takes longer to grow back to the same length.
Trimming Your Armpits
Lift the arms away from the body to 180 degrees, wait a moment for the hairs to loosen and then move them back to the sides, your arms pressing into your body. The hair that sticks out can be trimmed away with an electric razor.
The armpit area is more sensitive than other parts of the body. Don’t use a razor in this area because you can get razor burn. Always use an electric razor designed to be used on the body, such as the Norelco Body Groom that I use. I usually put the length on the body groom trimmer to about a 5 or a 6. That way, it looks natural enough, but also well groomed.
Shaving In The Groin Area
The groin area includes the public hairs below the abdomen and above the penis and the scrotum. The first step is to take a shower and let warm, not hot, water run over the genitals and the testicles to make the hairs easier to cut. Pat dry the area after the shower.
Pubic hairs can become a serious inconvenience. The biological importance of pubic hair in the modern age is uncertain. During our evolution, the hair on men’s bodies decreased over millennia, but pubic hair is the holdout.
Trimming pubic hair with a body trimmer is how to manscape without razor burn or ingrown hairs. However, do not ever use a beard trimmer to shave around the genitals. If you wish to remove all your pubic hair, you can use depilatory cream. A body grooming trimmer allows you to set the guards at any level you like, so it is possible to make the hair very short.
You can gather longer pubic hair tufts between your fingers and shave them down, so you have uniform length hair.
When shaving the testicles, remember never to use depilatory cream or any other hair removing chemical directly on the scrotum. Also, never cut the hairs on the scrotum with a razor. As it was mentioned earlier, the skin is very thin on the balls, so you need to take extra care shaving here.
Also, never have your electric grooming razor come into contact. Nothing should come into direct contact with this skin.
Change the head on the body groomer that has more detail. Cut the longer and shorter hairs slowly. Take your time shaving this area. You can take tufts of hair in your fingers and trim then down by step.
In other words, if the hairs are long you can cut the first half inch, then move your fingers down and cut them again and so on until you get as close as possible to the skin without touching it.
Things To Keep In Mind
The body will look more pleasing to look at and be admired by your partner when you know how to manscape without razor burn and ingrown hairs. This is especially true for the pubic area and the scrotum. It’s excellent to surprise your long-term partner with shaved pubes and trimmed balls.
Chest hair may not need to be shaved if it’s contained and there are not long hairs that make it appear unruly. The same does not hold for back hair, though; this hair should be trimmed as often as needed.
Your body as a whole is “programmed” in such a way that it sets the longest length for all your hair, including, beard, top of the head, chest and back hair, armpits, pubic hair and the hair that grows from your scrotum and testicular area.
Chest hairs will grow only as long as this pre-set length and no more. When you shave and trim your chest hairs for the first time, take note of the length of the hair. Then trim down to your desired length. You will know how much to trim over time. You may choose not to trim your chest hair at all.
The most important part of the body to be trimmed is definitely the groin area, followed by the back, then armpits and finally the chest. Make this your order of priority.
- Scrotum (Don’t use any harsh chemicals in this area)
- Pubic hair
- Back (Don’t forget shoulder hairs!)
- Armpits
- Chest
- Butt
It’s important to repeat this here:
DON’T Use any chemicals on your testicles;
DON’T shave your buttocks, especially the crack of the butt. You feel pain every time you walk or sit up if you do. I had to learn this lesson the hard way.
Benefits of Manscaping You May Not Have Thought About
Our body has evolved over the last 2 million years. As millennia passed, the human body began to grow less and less hair. What remains on the chest and the groin is residual. Our ancestors lived mostly outdoors and wore no clothing except in the last 5000 years. Naked, body hair acted as a form of protection against the elements and to capture leaves and droppings that came after eating.
Today, we know that moisture is blocked by body hair. Men in the 21st century spend a great deal of time indoors, and wear clothing over their bodies most of the day. Moisture accumulates and is not let out of the body. It is not hygienic when water or sweat lingers in the hair, because it prevents the body from regulating its temperature.
You sweat less when you manscape your body. The less hair on the body, the less perspiration the body produces. You will feel cooler and remain dryer in the summer heat, and you’ll feel a lot cleaner.
One of the biggest problems that happens as a result of too much pubic hair, is heat rash. This is a condition where, if too much sweat is captured in pubic hair, the skin underneath “breaks out” into a rash that can form bumps and become very itchy. The itch causes you to scratch the hair, making the rash spread and, in some cases, the skin becomes infected.
Trimming your genital area to remove unnecessary hair on your boy is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
We encourage trimming pubic hair rather than shaving it off altogether. You will reap the same benefits of shortening pubic hair as longer hair.
Public hair is a natural buffer against skin abrasion. It is also believed the pubic hair gives off the pheromone musk that improves sexual attraction and desirability.
Because you are perspiring less, you will also have less body odor that’s trapped in hair.
Most of all, trimming your body hair, especially the groin, can improve a man’s sex life. Women usually do not normally tell their male partner that they don’t like to touch their groin area.
Men that groom their genitals, especially the pubic hair and the balls, will likely get more oral sex from their partner, especially if the partner is a female. Women like bodies that are clean and odor free, so trimming or shaving the public hairs means less odor is trapped in the hair.
Penile sensitivity goes way up when there isn’t a hair barrier as well. The movement that accompanies sexual intercourse causes the body to perspire from exertion, but if there is less hair around your genitals, there will be less sweat.
After coitus, your pubic hair cantinas a lot of moisture that only a shower can rinse away.
The less hair on the groin and the body, the better sex will be. Shaving or trimming also shows that a man is considerate of his partner, what she lies and what she doesn’t. She is likely to show her appreciation because you thought about her.
Finally, you’ll gain a lot of confidence by manscaping. Taking care of the health, hygiene and appearance of your body will make you respect and appreciate your body much more.
You will feel better, remain cooler, your body will be cleaner, and you’ll feel younger and have greater energy.
