Waxing for men might be an unusual subject because, well, I’m clearly not a man. But I am a women who has experienced waxing at a beauty salon and who has used cold facial wax strips for years.
And I’m an epilator girl who has epilated a very large part of her body since she wash 19. For those of you who don’t know, epilators remove hairs from their follicles, too, just like waxing does.
Epilators are a cheaper, easier to use alternative to waxing at home. In case you’re interested in finding more, read my reviews on the best epilators, which also comprises everything you need to know about epilators.
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Waxing for Men: Should Men Wax?
Now,
Back to waxing. Should men wax?
I don’t see why not. Why shouldn’t men wax if they want to? Why shouldn’t men shave all their body hair if they want to remove unwanted hairs just like we do but in a painless way? If they like their body hairless just as much as we do?
Having a hairless body is no indication of anything, especially not of one’s sexuality. It’s just an indication that you don’t like a hairless body and you do something about that.
That’s all there is to it.
I think that people are beautiful and sexy either way. With or without hairs.
I just prefer myself as hairless as it gets but that just about me, I’m self-centered, and I think that going hairless or letting body hairs grow as they want is a personal choice that should be just about you, not your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, wife.
The question isn’t should men wax.
One of important questions when it comes to waxing for men is: how much pain and discomfort are you willing to put yourself through in order to remove unwanted hairs, be it from your legs, arms, underarms, intimate area, back, chest and abdomen?
At least I’m spared from the chest, back, and abdomen areas. I’m really thankful for that.
For the back, there is an alternative to waxing, a painless one. There are do-it-yourself back shavers.
The other question when it comes to waxing for men is: are you satisfied with a hairless body for a couple of days as long as it’s painless or do you want smooth skin for 3 weeks on average even if the hair removal method is painful?
To give you some examples:
My boyfriend likes having his whole body hairless from time to time but if you were to ask him about waxing for men he would simple say “you must be crazy”. Because waxing is painful for everyone and he is definitely not into that. So, he opts for shaving with a razor or using an electric shaver.
Well, he is definitely sexy with a hairy body, I love the whole look. And he is just as sexy when his body is hairless – the muscle definition definitely stands out more. I have no preference, just as it should be. That’s all about him and what look he wants to go for.
My brother waxes just his chest and abdomen at a beauty salon because he works out and during the summer he definitely likes showing off. Well, I accept his vanity, he is 9 years younger than me and he works out hard so I’m glad that he is proud of that.
He said his first waxing experience, which happened when he was in high school was painful but not something he couldn’t handle so he kept going back to the beauty salon regularly.
This summer, during the pandemic, he gave up on going to a beauty salon and didn’t try waxing at home.
Men are more likely to go to a beauty salon to get their chests and backs waxed.
I have friends who go to a beauty salon just for a male Brazilian. They just want that body part hairless and they don’t mind the pain or the fact that their nether region is exposed to an esthetician.
Women are definitely not bothered, why should men? Getting a male Brazilian has definitely become more popular and estheticians are happy to help everyone.
Some go to a beauty salon just to have their ears waxed.
There are many categories when it comes to waxing for men.
So, should men wax? Yes, as long as you aren’t bothered by a bit of pain (it’s definitely not as exaggerated as they show in some comedy movies), they want a hairless body or body parts that last for longer than a few days, and they’re willing to spend some serious money to achieve that.
Shaving is very cheap compared to waxing at a beauty salon.
Waxing at home is much cheaper but a lot more complicated. We’ll be talking about that in this post about waxing for men.
Waxing for Men: What You Should Know Before Your First Waxing Session
I’ve already touched on some of these points in the should men wax section but let’s talk about what you should expect from your first waxing session.
1. Waxing Is Painful
I’ve already talked about this in my introduction.
Waxing means removing hairs from the root. Pulling the hair from its follicle where there are nerve endings.
If you have been shaving and you want to switch to a slightly longer-lasting method, it’s going to hurt the first time quite a lot.
It also depends which areas you want to get smooth.
The underarms are obviously one of the most sensitive areas, together with the intimate area.
I don’t know about the back and chest but I reckon it’s not nearly as painful. My brother didn’t describe the sensation as being unbearably painful.
If you haven’t used any hair removal until now, your hairs might be a bit long for waxing.
It they’re too long it’s going to be a lot more painful and no esthetician would want to wax someone whose hairs are too long. That’s why you should trim them.
The hairs should be at least 1/4 inches long. Between 1/4 and 3/4 inches is the ideal length. About the size of a grain of rice.
2. Go to a Beauty Salon for Your First Waxing for Men Experience
Or someone who has handled wax before.
This is pretty important because the strips need to be pulled fast and parallel to the skin.
The wax also needs to have a certain temperature.
Otherwise,
Most of the wax remains on your body, you make a mess, and few hairs are removed, while still being more painful than it should be.
All professionals have seen enough men sitting on their table so they definitely know what they’re doing.
Just take deep breaths and try to relax.
Don’t stress about it before actually experiencing your first waxing session. It’s nothing extraordinary. Not extraordinarily painful and not life changing, either. It’s just hair removal and you should regard it like that.
One thing that salon waxing definitely is: waxing at a beauty salon is expensive.
If you find the cost too high, you can try the next time at home. For the back, you definitely need someone.
If you want to wax your intimate area but aren’t exactly sure that you could handle the pain, try another area first. Try the underarms. It’s still a very sensitive area, the pain is comparable in my opinion, but it’s a much smaller area so it will be done quickly.
After that, you can decide how you feel about getting a male Brazilian wax.
Getting a male Brazilian also means that the professional will be touching you everywhere (ass, penis, testicles). The skin needs to be taut (stretched) and some body parts must be hold to not get in the way. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
If you are relaxed and try to concentrate your mind on something good, the pain will be less intense and that’s your objective.
It’s what I totally do when I go to the dentist. I also treat my dentist as a close acquaintance and that creates a relaxed atmosphere.
Treat your first waxing for men experience exactly like that.
3. Waxing for Men at Home: Choose Hard Wax
If you want to wax at home, first watch many YouTube videos. You definitely need to study a bit before attempting your first waxing for men at-home experience.
Waxing is not exactly the easiest hair removal method.
It’s not like shaving and using an epilator is more straightforward than waxing but also a bit more painful.
It would help a lot if you had someone with you who’s completely used to waxing at home.
Another crucial aspect is the type of wax that you should use.
There’s only one answer to that: hard wax.
Whether it’s microwavable hard wax or the type that needs a warmer, hard wax is the way to go.
Hard wax handles coarse hairs without breaking them.
In general, men have coarse hairs and hard wax will be able to pull them from their follicles.
There are even waxing kits for men + women. But the Cirepil The Original Blue Wax Beads are my first recommendation, they’re totally awesome, these wax beads work for all types of hairs.
It also sticks just to the hairs and not the skin, which makes it less painful.
One more thing:
Always test the temperature of the wax. You don’t want it to burn your skin.
Apply the hard wax in small thick strips in the direction in which the hair is growing.
Let the wax cool down and once it hardens, grab a small corner and pull directly with your fingers in the opposite direction of hair growth.
The secret is to pull the wax strip without any hesitation. A swift pull and the hairs are gone.
4. Always Apply a Moisturizer After
The chest and back areas require a bit of attention because otherwise you might suddenly suffer from a breakout.
After all the hairs are removed, remove the residues using oil (baby oil or any other type of oil).
Then,
Apply a rich moisturizer to comfort the irritated skin.
5. Exfoliate
This step is just as important.
Always exfoliate before removing the hairs.
After exfoliation and before waxing,
You can apply talcum powder or baby powder to absorb the moisture so that the wax can stick better to the skin and hairs.
Make sure to exfoliate 2-3 times a week. You can use a body scrub at the end of a shower.
There’s also the Tend Skin Care Solution, which is a very good chemical exfoliant that can also be used after shaving to prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
It will hopefully keep your skin free of ingrown hairs and the skin feels and looks amazing.
Even if you don’t wax your back, I think it’s good to consider exfoliating your back, as well.
What About Face Waxing for Men?
I’m all for waxing for men.
I certainly appreciate men that take good care of themselves and their bodies.
However,
I advise against face waxing for men.
I don’t agree with men waxing their beard. That’s where I draw a big bold line because bleeding will definitely happen. Skin damage can occur.
The hairs are incredibly coarse, with strong roots, and the skin is unbelievably sensitive.
Those who can’t grow a beard, those with sparse fine hairs might go to an esthetician and ask for their professional opinion but I still advise against it.
It’s painful and it can cause breakouts and I just don’t see the point when for those with sparse hairs shaving is very quick and is only necessary once a week maybe.
Should men wax? Absolutely, if they want to. Waxing for men is one option if you want hairless body for more that a few days but it’s also a pretty expensive hair removal method so, if you’re interested in other hair removal methods for men, check out my post on the best manscaping tools.
