Hair Removal - A Smooth Move?

In the world of body hair, there are no rights or wrongs when it comes to your personal preference, but if you are going to strip off all of that undergrowth, there are definitely things that you can do to ensure that you minimise the hassle, the pain and any of those unwanted after effects. 

The easiest way to endeavor relieving your limbs, chest, or your dangly bits, from their bushy outcrops is probably to grab a razor and start hacking through the hairs; razors are readily available, you can buy them without a single eyebrow being raised and you can do it all in the comfort of your own bathroom. You may well, justifiably, feel pretty handy with a razor if you have had years of blearly-eyed facial grooming at the bathroom basin in the early hours, however, if you’re going to tackle your tackle, you will need to keep your wits about you. 

The skin around your genitals is particularly sensitive and thin, the hair around them is particularly wirey and tough. You could get yourself into some rashy-red scrapes if you don’t follow a bit of men’s hair removal best practice here: 

Make sure that your razor is sharp, a disposable one only lasts about 5 shaves (and heaven knows the world does NOT need more of them lying about in landfill) if you have a bladed reusable, you need to change the blade at least every week. If you allow your razor to become blunt, you risk dragging away at the skin, pulling the hair growth in the wrong direction and ultimately, creating the perfect opportunity for the hair strand to be cut roughly and to subsequently grow back awkwardly through the upper layers of skin cells causing red lumps and bumps. 

The knack is to go slowly, to make sure that you have had a good 5 minutes in a warm shower before you start to soften the hairs up, and to hold your skin taut whilst following the natural direction of hair growth with the direction of your razor. Use shaving gel or hair conditioner or shower gel as a lubricant to allow the razor to glide across your skin easily and to help you to see where you have already shaved and where you may have missed a bit. You can also buy yourself an exfoliating mit / glove for the shower and treat your skin to very regular smoothing sessions which will help to deal with ingrowing hairs, whether caused by shaving or by waxing. 

As quick and easy as shaving can be to give you a beautifully smooth body, the downsides can be enough to put people off using it as a method to remove a large areas of body hair. The regrowth is relatively fast, expect to be noticing body stubble as quickly as within 24 hrs. It’s a non-stop task once you’ve started. Added to this, 80% of people will experience itchy regrowth, which, when focused in the groin area, can prove to be a bit awkward in the office. 

Waxing is an option which attests to be far less likely to make you scratch away at your pants in the regrowth days - but it requires a professional to get you started and will undoubtedly cost you a whole lot more than a little plastic razor. The difference with waxing is that unlike the razor, which will cut across the hair shaft in a ninja-like swipe leaving a blunt surface to emerge through the epidermis, waxing aims to remove the whole hair shaft right down to the dermal papilla bulb. This obviously gives you significantly longer between sessions while the hairs grow back and they will not appear to re-emerge as harshly as razor-cut hair. If you are thinking about waxing, the industry gold standard for intimate waxing is Lycon. Yes, you can buy strip wax sheets to try at home yourself, but unless you are really naturally proficient (and brave) you will pull at your skin creating trauma and encouraging the ingrown hair problems. Plus, those scenes in comedies where guys are writhing in agony getting waxed with strips - it’s pretty much all true. 

Lycon is a very pliable hot wax hair removal treatment which is impregnated with beneficial plant extracts to leave skin really soft and hair-free. It is significantly less painful then other methods of intimate hair removal. 

If you search ' Hair male lycon waxing ' and put in your postcode, you should be able to find salons in your area which will be able to book you in and get you started feeling silky smooth and sensational. Remember, if you have never been to a waxer before and you are feeling self-conscious, that it is their job! They have trained for this. They want to do this and you will be as un-shocking to them as any work based interaction is for you. Go and make friends with your waxer, if you find a decent one, it’s going to be the start of a good relationship in your life. 

Finally then there are those dubious scented hair removal creams and lotions - but before you think they sound like the ultimate option in both privacy and comfort - maybe read this now legendary review from one intrepid customer trying to give his partner a little smooth surprise: 

Veet -- the Men's Hair Removal Gel Creme (from hell) . . .

Got any opinions on hair, hair removal, top tips or tricks to share with other Moot fans? Leave a comment, and let’s start talking to each other.