Hair removal for men: Shaving, waxing, laser removal and cream – how do they work and which one to choose
We’ve explained how each of the different hair removal for men options work and which are the best products to use on your face, back, pubic area and body
M anscaping – the term commonly used to describe all sorts of hair removal for men – is now very much the norm. Whether you’re after a Ken doll-esque smooth finish, or to make your face and body hair trimmer and neater.
However, without the right tools to suit the job, achieving the look you want can be frustrating and possibly painful, especially near your genitals. That’s before you even factor in the many and varied ways in which you can remove the hair. Yet hair removal comes with a number of benefits.
Having less hair on your body is likely to reduce your body odour because there’s less sweat getting trapped. Hair removal for men can even be a health benefit by reducing the risk of fungal infections from trapped moisture.
Getting rid of hair can make your muscles look bigger and more defined; your legs, chest and arms may benefit here. Having less hair around your cock and balls is going to make your package look bigger and getting rid of all your pubes will also mean your sack won’t stick to your leg as much, so there are practical benefits too! Just bear in mind when it comes to your pubic hair, keeping a little bit is best because those hairs secrete proteins and pheromones, which help your sexual attraction.
Believe it or not, manscaping can also be good for your mental health, too. As much as getting a good hair cut on your head, or using skincare products on your face, reducing the hair on your body can make you feel more confident and boost your self-esteem.
MBman tip: Men’s hair is often much thicker and coarser than women’s, so hair removal products specifically for women may not work as well as you might hope. The risks of getting your manscaping wrong can involve you getting an infection or irritated skin, ingrown hairs or cuts so it’s very important to make good hair trimming choices.
FURTHER READING: Hair loss: What you need to know about losing your hair and male pattern baldness
Hair loss treatment for men: What to look out for?
Hair removal for men options range from removal creams to shaving, waxing, using clippers or laser treatments to get rid of your unwanted hair. If you want to make that job easier and ensure your skin remains blemish-free, you’ll also want to invest in some extra tools and products.
With nearly all these men’s hair removal methods, you’ll almost always have to pre-trim the area first. In the same way, you wouldn’t tackle a beard with a razor, you need to get rid of the mass of hair before you trim or shave to a shorter length.
A warm bath or shower beforehand is highly recommended because it will help make the skin soft and supple. It will also open the pores, which is best before applying a razor to your skin. You can read more about this in our guide: How to shave your face, head and balls like a pro, according to science. If you’re shaving your balls, the warm water will also stimulate blood flow, making them loose and more flexible.
Hair removal for men: Which method is best?
Getty Images/iStockphoto
The choice of hair removal method has a lot to do with the body part you’re removing hair from. Shaving is very common, but is by far the most hazardous. It can also cause folliculitis or ingrown hairs by blocking your follicles. However, it’s cheap, easy and fast, which may well appeal to you. The downside with shaving is it doesn’t last long and you’ll need to continuously keep it up if you want to maintain the look it gives you. Plus the hair regrowth may be itchy and uncomfortable.
FURTHER READING: How to buy an electric shaver for men: Foil, rotary, cordless or wired?
If you aren’t able to repeatedly dedicate time to your hair removal, then waxing will appeal to you because the results can last for up to three to six weeks. The other plus is, the more often and longer you do it, the finer the hair will appear. However, if you’re a total wuss when it comes to pain, you’re either going to have to suck it up, or bow out here. Waxing is painful, especially the first time you get it done. Also, maybe test how you get on in a small area before coating your whole body with wax! Once that stuff is on your body, there’s no going back.
Using electric clippers to manscape, with a blade designed for your particular body part, is a low risk way to remove unwanted hair. Although we wouldn’t recommend you use them directly on your balls in case they catch the skin. You can buy trimmers that have been specifically designed for your balls, or if you choose to clipper your balls with a standard trimmer, just make sure to hold that skin very taut. Using clippers for your manscaping means there’s little chance of ingrown hairs, less risk of cuts and it’s easy to do at home.
Electrolysis and laser hair removal for men are the hair removal options with the longest effects. Both of these procedures target the hair follicles directly to prevent hair growth. Electrolysis involves inserting a probe into a hair follicle and sending an electric current through it. Laser therapy delivers mild radiation to the hair follicles. The downside is, these options can be pricey.
1. Editor’s Pick: Manscaped The Lawn Mower 4.0
£90 | Buy now
Manscaped Shaving your balls isn’t an easy task so unless you’re extremely limber you’ll want to ditch the razor and use a trimmer instead.
Using a trimmer to remove or tame your body hair means you’re a lot less likely to cut yourself and have less chance of ingrown hairs. Using a clipper also means it’ll irritate your skin less and you won’t have to deal with the stubble growing back through.
Another benefit of using a trimmer instead of a razor is you can choose how short you want your hair to be. It can also be used all over your body, so there’s no need for extra tools. This particular trimmer comes with replaceable ceramic blades and is easy to charge in its wireless dock.
The Lawn Mower 4.0 trimmer has four adjustable guard sizes, so you have a lot of choice of how short you want your hair to be. It also has replaceable ceramic blades and a wireless charging system.
Hair removal can be a messy job, so using the Lawn Mower 4.0 means you do your hair removal in the shower because it’s waterproof. You can give your crown jewels or your chest hair a trim and the clipped hair will disappear down the drain, making it really easy.
However, if it’s maybe your first time trimming below the waist, you’re probably better off standing in front of the mirror (with good lighting) so you can properly see what you’re doing. You’ll want to pull the skin tight (especially on your sack) to get a decent shave.
Buy now from Amazon
2. Budget Buy: Nad’s Hair Removal Cream for Men
£7.25 | Buy now
Nad's This is a hair removal cream specifically designed for men’s hair and skin. Nad’s hair cream for men works by breaking down the keratin (the protein structure of your hair) leading to it dissolving. The hair can then be wiped away.
If you’ve got sensitive skin, the shea butter, almond oil and cucumber fruit extract of this Nad’s hair removal cream will help keep your skin nourished and less likely to react. The results don’t last long because you’re only getting rid of the hair on the surface and not from the root, so it’ll only be a matter of days before the hair returns.
When putting on hair removal cream you don’t want to rub it in. Instead you spread it on thickly, like putting butter on your toast. Make sure to only leave it on your skin for the time it specifies. This hair removal cream for men doesn’t have the nicest of smells, but no hair removal cream really does.
You can use it on your chest, back, legs and arms. However, if you’re wanting hair removal cream for your pubes, you’re going to want to choose a product like No Hair Crew’s Intimate Hair Removal Cream for Men (£9.95). If you do opt for putting the Nad’s – or any other hair removal cream – on your genitals, make sure to do a test area first and get it off as soon as possible if you feel any burning.
FURTHER READING: How to get rid of ingrown hairs – and stop them happening in the first place
Buy now from Amazon
3. Luxury Buy: Sk:n Laser Hair Removal
Approx £47 (eyebrows) – £765 (full body) per session | Enquire now
Getty Images/iStockphoto Laser hair removal for men involves using a specific beam of light that bypasses the epidermis (the outer layer of your skin). By targeting the hair follicle it disables the strand’s reproductive cycle. It’s therefore a long term hair removal option that prevents future hair growth in the area treated.
You’ll need to have around 6-12 sessions about 4-6 weeks apart (depending on which area of your body you want treated and your skin tone) to see long term effects. This can be pricey, but when we’re talking about using a laser on your skin you’re not going to go for the guy offering you a cheap deal!
Plus, using laser hair removal for your manscaping is a great investment because it’ll leave you smooth and virtually hair free for longer because it’s directly damaging the hair follicle.
The effects of laser hair removal can last for at least two years. You’ll then possibly need maintenance sessions to get rid of the hair permanently.
FURTHER READING: Hair loss treatment for men UK: From supplements to powders and shampoo, here are the best hair loss and growth treatments
Find out more
4. Safety razors
From £13 | Buy now from Amazon
The Barbarossa Brothers Getting a nick or cut on your face or body isn’t great, but getting one on your balls is a whole different story! Ideally, you’re going to want to invest and get yourself a safety razor, which will minimise the skin dragging and will shave with one blade instead of 3-5 blades.
You’re not going to want to use the same razor you use for your face on your balls, so it’s worth getting a designated razor that’s suited for the job. We recommend the King C Gillette safety razor (£13), as well as the P1R8 double edge safety razor (£35) because each will only shave as far as the surface of your skin and not any deeper, so you’re less likely to get razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
A safety razor means you can customise the length of your hair. If you don’t want to go too close to the skin you can do a single-pass trim, but if you want a closer shave you can run another pass over the area.
These particular safety razors are designed so that the weight of the handle means you don’t need to put any pressure on it to work.
Instead, by holding it at a 30° angle and letting gravity do the work, it glides over your skin. If you’ve not used a safety razor before we highly recommend experimenting with one on your face first before you designate it to tackle your balls.
Buy now from Amazon
5. Aevo Waxing Kit
£29.99 | Buy now
Aevo If you can’t afford laser hair removal, but want something that lasts longer than shaving and hair removal creams, your best option is to wax your hair away. We’re not going to lie, it’s going to hurt when you first do it. But the more you continue to do it, the easier it gets.
Obviously, some areas of your body are easier to wax yourself than others. If you’re wanting to wax your legs, arms or chest then this hot wax hair removal kit for men means you can do it yourself at home.
In the Avevo waxing kit you get wax beads, spreaders and the wax heater. There’s no need for waxing strips because once you spread the wax on (in the direction the hair grows) it hardens and it’s the solidified wax itself that you pull away sharply (in the opposite direction of the hair growth).
There’s a digital display to show you how hot the wax is and when it’s ready to put on your skin. It has a low melting point, so it’s less likely to burn your skin. It might smell a bit bad when you’re heating it up, but that goes once you start putting it on your body.
It’s probably best to leave your sack and crack to the professionals though and book yourself a wax at a salon or clinic. There’s no need to be shy as they’ve seen it all before numerous times.
Buy now from Amazon
6. Parissa Men’s Wax Strips
£8.32 | Buy now
Parissa If you’re new to waxing, you’ve got small areas to remove hair from, or maybe you’re travelling, these wax strips are really convenient. They’re already pre-lined with wax, so it’s not messy and you won’t need anything other than your hands to warm the wax.
You simply rub the strip between your hands to make the wax soft, tear off the backing paper and place it on your hair in the direction it grows. Once pressed onto the hair you’ll want to (most likely wince in anticipation) and whip the strip away in the opposite direction.
You’ll get some aftercare oil in this pack of waxing strips to help remove any leftover wax and soothe your skin. Because waxing is pulling out the root of the hair you can expect your skin to remain hair-free for 2-6 weeks, although this varies from person to person.
The bonus with these strips is they’re made from natural ingredients and the strip is made from eco-friendly cellulose that’s biodegradable.
Buy now from Amazon
7. Nad’s Nose Waxing Kit
£12.99 | Buy now
Nad's Before having a go with this waxing kit you’re going to have to estimate what your pain threshold is…
These wax sticks are going to make your eyes water and once they’re in, there’s no going back. But you will get rid of more hair, for longer, with this method.
You need to give your nose a good blow then use your microwave to warm the wax. After testing the temperature of the wax on your arm, add wax to the tip of the stick provided and put it inside your nose.
After 90 seconds (and no longer than two minutes), pull the stick down quickly, taking your nose hairs with it. You’ll then need to finish off by wiping the inside of your nostril with the antibacterial wipes provided.
Just so you don’t take your tash stubble with it, there are some face stickers in the box you can use to form a barrier to the wax.
As well as ridding your nose of unruly hairs you can use this wax to help get out any blackheads on your nose. There’s a helpful instruction video with the link we’ve included above.
Buy now from Amazon
Hair removal tools: Other essentials
In addition to the hair removal for men products and methods above, there are a couple of optional extras that will make the process easier.
Bump eRaiser Exfoliating Mitt
£13.95 | Buy now
Bump Particularly if you go down the shaving or waxing route, you may well experience ingrown hairs. They can be caused by waxing or shaving too often, not shaving in the right direction, or by a lack of exfoliating. That’s why this exfoliating mitt will be a great tool to add to your hair removal kit.
An ingrown hair occurs when the sharp end of the hair grows back into the skin, rather than rising up from it. It will likely result in a red bump, a sore, or cause itching. They can appear anywhere on the body where you remove hair. The problem with ingrown hairs is that they can often cause infection, darkened skin, or scarring.
You’ll want to use this mitt prior to shaving or waxing and then a week or so after hair removal (otherwise you may risk irritating sensitive post-hair removal skin). It works by preventing the hair from becoming trapped under dead skin cells.
You’ll want to wash as usual and use this exfoliating glove in a circular motion across your skin. If you like to use fake tan this mitt will also come in handy when trying to remove it.
Buy now from Amazon
Aquasentials Easy Lotion Applicator
£12.99 | Buy now
Aquasentials If you’ve got a back hair problem, don’t fancy waxing, but have no one to help you apply hair removal cream, then you’ll need one of these helpful lotion applicators.
Perfect if you live alone, or don’t want to involve someone else in your hair removal. If you like to self-tan it’ll also come in handy for that too.
Buy now from Amazon
MORE LIKE THIS
Best advent calendar for men 2024: Our pick of the best men’s grooming and skincare calendars
Everything you need to know about Ozempic for men – side effects, costs and results
Best men’s razor UK: Our pick of tried-and-tested razors for men
Dandruff: What is it, what causes it and how to get rid of dandruff for good
Men’s skin vs women’s skin: Are there differences or is it marketing BS?
Sex toys for men UK: Our pick of the best cheap and luxury male sex toys
We’ve tried and tested 10 of the best condoms for men from Durex, Skyn, Hanx and more
Men’s hairstyles 2024: The best hairstyles for men you need to ask your barber for
Barbers across the UK join forces to get men talking about mental health
How to get rid of back acne: The back acne products and treatments that actually work
