Maintaining proper hygiene should be of utmost importance in a man’s life, and manscaping rightfully stands above all in the said department. Especially after the lifting of the pandemic lockdown, it is essential for men to get back into proper grooming and manscaping if they lagged behind on these the last two years, now that the social life has returned back to normalcy.
What is Manscaping?
Manscaping essentially means getting rid of or trimming your body hair to the shortest length possible: on your chest, back, underarms, as well as your pubes. You have many options to manscape with, such as using a razor or a trimmer, or if you want to opt for the best, using professional service for waxing or laser hair removal should be considered.
Embracing your body hair is a personal choice and while there is nothing wrong with that, many people, regardless of gender, prefer their partners to have a clean shaved body, or at least well groomed and maintained, for reasons such as hygiene and sexual preference.
Some excess body hair (in armpits or pubes) can trap bacteria, and if you do not clean said areas properly, it can lead to an increase in body odour and even potential infections.
So it is always important to keep such sensitive areas clean. In simple words manscaping is getting cleaned up, smelling good and feeling confident in your own skin.
Benefits of Manscaping
1. You will look better
Whether it’s your pecs, abs or your manhood, a well-groomed body looks cleaner, younger and much better defined, and you will not only look better but feel more confident!
2. It’s more hygienic
Hair in closed off regions in your body such as the nethers traps a lot of sweat and creates a bacteria-fostering environment even with a small amount of physical exertion or in warmer weather. Since such areas barely get any sunlight or air, they become infested with bacteria, which in turn causes odor and more dangerously, can easily lead to infections. Trimming or shaving helps you avoid moist conditions where you’re susceptible to such problems and keeps you cleaner.
3. It can improve your sex life
While a small part of the population does like the natural look, studies claim that a much higher percentage of women prefer their male partners to be well shaved and kept in the nether regions. Manscaping helps in projecting you as a disciplined man in the eyes of your partner, making you more attractive in more ways than one.
How can you Manscape?
Now that you have understood the importance and benefits of manscaping, here are some tips on how to manscape different areas of your body.
1. Skin Prep
Most men who want to manscape already know how to shave their face and know how important it is to prep the skin beforehand for a comfortable shave. You do not want the razor scratching on the surface of your skin and hurting you, for example.
To prepare your skin, you need to make sure that the surface is absolutely clean of any dirt or oil as it can obstruct the blade from running smoothly over the required skin surface. Have a warm shower and use a body wash that does not dry your skin. You can always exfoliate your skin before a body shave. Not only does it remove the dead layers of skin but it also smoothens the surface so the razor blades do not catch on anything other than unwanted hair.
2. Shaving the Back
Back hair is one of the least liked and least comfortable places on the body to shave simply because it is too hard to do it on your own. It is due to these obvious issues that most men tend to get professional help in this regard. Shaving the hair on your back will not make you look good undressed but also feel good as it is far more liberating and hygienic.
Epilation is a great option when considering back hair removal. Just like waxing, epilation removes the hair from its root and therefore takes longer to grow back. If you do not like the process of epilating, shaving using a good quality shaving foam is always present to you as an option.
3. Shaving the Chest
Unlike back hair, you do not need to shave your chest completely unless you really want to. A bit of trimmed hair on your chest can seem manly and looks natural as well.
Prep your chest just like you did your back and go for an electric body trimmer to trim the hairs before going for a shave if you do not like the way it looks.
4. Below the Belt
Shaving the pubic area is one of the most uncomfortable regions of the lot. How short you go is up to you but whether you shave it down completely or just trim it, tidying up that area should be made a part of your regular grooming routine. The most important tip is to pull the skin taut to avoid nicks and press lightly, just in case it causes irritation.
5. Post-shave care
After completing the shaving part, you must rinse the shaved areas with cold water and clean up the leftover pieces of hair and shaving cream residue and then pat your skin dry with a towel. After that, apply a moisturizer or a balm to rehydrate your skin so that it does not feel dry and irritated.
Manscaping should be part of you overall personal grooming and maintenance routine. Take care of your beard and your skin as well as your body hair and you’ll look and feel a million dollars.
