We are pleasantly surprised that 50% of the entries into the Simplify My Life contest to date are in fact from men. It would seem that men are starting to feel the same way about body hair as us women! It’s hot, itchy, kids are embarrassed, girlfriends don’t like it…there is a plethora of reasons as to why they want their body hair gone. If you think about it, when’s the last time you saw a shirtless poster boy in low cut jeans, chiseled abs and….chest hair????
Whatever the motivation, men of all ages, sizes, sexual orientations, ethnicities and professions are getting rid of excess body hair. So, if you or your man is thinking of ways to rid themselves of hair, we share with you some thoughts on different methods. Of course, our preferred method is permanent laser hair removal but we understand if you are not quite there….yet.
WAXING & SUGARING
Waxing is a hair removal trend for men that involves spreading hot wax onto the desired area, and then applying a strip of cloth or muslin onto the waxed area, rubbing it and then RIPPING it off in one fell swoop (think 40 year old virgin). It pulls the hair out from the root and hence will last for a good 3 weeks. Sugaring is similar to waxing, only it uses sugar paste instead of wax.
According to USA Today, men are not only waxing their backs, but also their bikini lines! Yikes! The goal you ask? Increased sex appeal and a “cleaner” feeling. Not everyone offers this service though, so you will have to call around.
Ideal Parts to Wax: Eyebrows (unibrow is not a good thing), back of neck, back, chest, genitals, toes and knuckles
Pain Factor: 8/10
Bottom line: the hair will grow back, albeit at longer intervals. The expense you put out will be approximately every 6 weeks for as long as you want the area to be hair free.
ELECTROLYSIS
The premise behind this method is that a needle zaps the hair at its root and kills it by heating it. Electrolysis is a permanent result, but, of course, there is no guarantee and effectiveness varies. It generally requires weekly treatments for up to a year.
Ideal Parts: eyebrows, sporadic hairs on face & neck
Pain Factor: 6/10
Bottom line: More expensive up front. Very time consuming, best suited for small areas.
LASER
Health Canada approved, laser treatment involves heating the root and killing it permanently with the passing of a laser beam and in our case laser and radio frequency (same as electrolysis). The number of treatments needed are dependent upon how much hair you want gone in the treatment area. There is no 100% removal but for a good 80% reduced it’s on average 8 treatments for a man with lighter skin color and dark hair.
Laser hair removal offers a permanent reduction in quality and quantity of hair but it is costly upfront. It requires a commitment of consistently being treated every 8 weeks or so for best results and approximately 6-8 treatments for satisfactory reduction. It’s an investment as you will never need to worry about hair removal in the desired area again. Just ask a woman how many times she’s had to go for a wax and you likely will have a pretty high grand total.
Laser hair removal is especially popular for athletic men who feel that their body hair hinders their performance, for men who want a tattoo in area that is covered by hair, for fathers who take their kids swimming and are embarrassed and finally for pleasing their ladies who want to cuddle up to a stubble free chest.
Ideal parts: Back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, nape of neck, unibrow, arms (sorry, but we don’t do the genitalia)
Pain Factor: 5/10 for the strong at heart, 7/10 for most men
Bottom line: this is the mother of all hair removal methods in terms of pricing and efficiency.
So there you have it. Men are indeed taking it off and we as women are loving it! At least I am. Next month I will uncover Body Hair Turnoffs where men are concerned. I welcome your feedback and comments. In the meantime, be well.