Male Body Hair Removal - Are You Tough Enough?

A few generations ago, male body hair was the sign of masculinity, as was pipe-smoking and mutton chops. As body image for men has changed, male body hair removal has become mainstream. What are the best ways for men to get rid of unwanted hair?

When it comes to hair removal, yanking out unwanted hair on any part of the body can be excruciating, even for the toughest of men. And depending on the hairy body part in question, the process feel like downright torture.

Here are the hair removal choices available to men, which coincidentally, are the same ones women have been using forever:

• Shaving - Familiar and convenient, but the smooth skin doesn't last long. And the returning stubble can be as sharp as chin whiskers.

• Plucking & Epilating - Time-consuming and many find these methods painful. On the good side, epilators are readily available and you can use them in the privacy of your home (so no one can hear your shrieks of pain).

• Electrolysis - Deadens the hair follicle by zapping each hair follicle one at a time. A little painful on the skin, and a lot painful on the wallet!

• Waxing - Painful but longer-lasting than many other methods. A variety of hair removal waxes and kits are available.

• Hair Removal Creams - Pain-free (provided you're not allergic) and easy, relatively cheap, but also messy and smelly.

• Laser Hair Removal - Less painful than waxing and can result in permanent hair reduction for some men. At-home laser hair removal devices are available.

Attitudes have changed towards male body hair for aesthetics reasons as well as for hygiene reasons. Back in cave-man days, body hair was useful for retaining heat close to the skin. And body odor was possibly considered to be an attractive scent.

Today, the furrier you are, the more showers are required to get rid of sweat and trapped body odors. However, frequent showering can lead to dry skin. Going smooth helps the skin breath and the body to remain cool. And you won't feel like a piece of human sandpaper to your partner.

What to Expect

Removing body hair is not new for some men. It's been a ritual for athletes to eliminate wind resistance (track & field), to reduce water resistance (swimmers) and to prevent chafing (cyclists). When was the last time you saw hairy gymnasts or bodybuilders in competition?

The effectiveness of any hair removal treatment depends on many things:

• Hair Thickness - Thick hair usually has deeper roots and is more painful to extract.

• Hair Density - It's nice to have full head of hair on your scalp but not your back. The more unwanted hair you have, the more painful it'll be when the entire crop is ripped out.

• Skin Type - Guys do have sensitive skin and some treatments such as creams can cause rashes, blisters and even burns.

• Pain Threshold - Tough guys will have their torture limits tested. Removing hair from the forearm is more tolerable then removing hair from the genital area including the scrotum and the penis.

Sometimes guys need a little help. When it comes to male body hair removal, first talk to your doctor or dermatologist and then start sampling the different methods to find an effective one that fits within your pain tolerance and budget.

Additional Reading:

• Back Hair Removal
• Hair Removal for the Stomach
• Epilation for Men
• Male Facial Hair Removal
• Hair Removal for Chest
• Penis Hair Removal
• Hair Removal for the Scrotum