Manscaping
The media is showcasing male celebrities with smooth chests and backs and with their chest hair trimmed and “styled.” Hugh Jackman sports “The Tree,” with a shaped patch of hair on the upper chest and a trail leading down to the stomach. Tom Selleck and Simon Cowell keep their chests and stomachs trimmed with defined lines down the sides in a style called “The Rug.” And Robbie Williams keeps his upper chest hairy but well-trimmed and his stomach area smooth.
Since this seems to be the trend, how many men ages 20 to 49 would you guess groom their body hair? According to Gillette Co., one in three men shave their body hair. Phillips Norelco says it’s 50%. And a study by Braun found that over 70% of men admitted to trimming their body hair.
Reasons for “manscaping” include hygiene, keeping cool in hot weather, and pleasing a mate. According to the Braun study, close to 1/3 of men who “manscape” spend more than 20 minutes on it at a time. And would you believe that only 25% of men manscape for their significant others? The other 41% do it to boost their own self-confidence.
Men, both gay and straight, are realizing that women are not the only ones who look better when they put some effort into their grooming. While you can shave or trim your body hair at home, spa services make it easy to get the look you want without all the hassle.
Waxing is a hair removal method that pulls hair out from the root, leaving the skin smooth for up to three weeks. This method is good for less sensitive areas, like the eyebrows, back and chest. Electrolysis is permanent hair removal that is accomplished by destroying the root of the hair with an electric current. Laser hair removal requires multiple treatments spaced six to eight weeks apart to permanently reduce dark, course hair.
If you want to style the area around your “man parts,” either shave carefully, or numbing medication can be administered to this sensitive area and then the hair can be removed with a laser treatment.
As they say
- “An empty stable [armpit] smells better than a full one.”
- “Sweaters are meant to be bought, not grown.”
- “When there’s no underbrush [down below], the tree looks taller.”