Many men want to remove their excess body hair and are discovering that waxing is the best choice to get the clean, smooth look they want with the least amount of maintenance.

Waxing for Men

The most common areas that men
need waxed are:

• back and shoulders
• chest and stomach
• ears and nose
• groin area
• legs 

Men cite several reasons for wanting to be waxed.  Many state that they simply feel cleaner when their hair is removed.  The friction and irritation that hair causes under clothes while working or during sports is another common complaint. 

Wanting to look good is another good reason why men choose to wax. Removing hair makes the skin look firmer and more toned.  Muscle definition is more pronounced on smooth skin.  And while many women like a bit of hair on their man, very few think that patches of hair on the back are attractive.

Waxing the genital region, or the male Brazilian, is becoming one of the most popular waxing services for men.  While it may make you cringe to think of it initially, the truth is that there are techniques which make it quite tolerable.  Plus, the hair on the scrotum, for example, is rooted very shallow and isn't so hard to remove as you might think.

Trust me.  You do not have to be a man of steel to get a Brazilian done.  And as the days pass without hair down there, you will love it.

There are two secrets to waxing delicate skin like the scrotum.  The first is to use the right wax and the second is to stretch the skin as tightly as possible.  Fortunately, with a bit of assistance, the delicate skin of this area can be stretched and held firm.  There are also special techniques I use for prepping the skin which help to protect it.

One of the biggest benefits of waxing any body part is that the hair grows back softer and much less dense.  There is no stubble and itching like shaving produces.  In addition, shaving is notorious for producing ingrown hairs and waxing can reduce or eliminate that problem.

If you wax on a regular basis, which is usually about every 4 to 6 weeks, there is progressively less hair to remove and the process becomes quite easy.  Your skin will react less and your mind will be much calmer.  It truly does get easier as time goes on.

Waxing is not as painful as it is portrayed in movies and television.  They do that because it's funny to watch someone scream. 

That’s not the way it really happens, however.

Yes, it does sting for just a moment when your hair is removed.  But it dissipates very rapidly when pressure is applied. Very few men will reject waxing because it is too painful.  In my experience most men say, “Wow.  That wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected!”

90% of men tolerate waxing quite well, but waxing is not for everyone. If men are going to have trouble with waxing it is usually because their skin becomes too irritated afterwards.  This sometimes happens because the hair of men is so much thicker, coarser and deeply rooted than that of women.  I take special care to calm the skin after waxing and give you home care suggestions to help avoid problems. 

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Waxing for Men, continued

(check out the page in this folder called "Why does my skin turn red after waxing?)

Waxing the back is usually well tolerated by men and is not particularly painful. 

The lower back is quite easy to wax.  Around the neck and in the pectoral region it gets a bit more sensitive, so we keep the skin as tight as we can.  However, if you have a lot of hair all over your back, be prepared to have redness and a bumpy rash for maybe a couple of days after you wax.  The first time you remove hair the skin will be the most sensitive.  It will get easier and less irritated each time you wax. 

The chest is another area that can be irritated for a couple of days after waxing the first time, so you need to plan accordingly. 

If you have a lot of chest hair I will want to talk to you about the wisdom of waxing your chest.  Sometimes I will not recommend it.  It is the only area of the man’s body that I feel very cautious about. 

If you don’t have a lot of hair it is easy, and men who wax regularly have no difficulties.  But men with a lot of hair are bound to have a fairly strong reaction to the removal of that much hair.  If you take good care of your skin you can sail through it.  But some men decide against waxing their chest because it causes too much irritation.

Another area that is popular with men is their nose and ears.  After men get to a certain age, they can start growing long, bristly hairs in their ears and their noses.  It hurts to tweeze them out one by one, and how would you even begin to tweeze your own ears?  The good news is that we are now able to wax these odd-shaped areas with hard wax.  

For the nose we line one nostril at a time with wax and wait for it to harden.  Then a short, sharp tug takes all the hair away at once.  You'd think it would really hurt, but actually it is pretty easy.  I tried it on myself because I couldn't believe it either.  

Ears are even easier to do than the nose.  They barely hurt at all to have the hair removed.  With both of these areas, the hair starts growing back slower and thinner after just a few waxing sessions.

If waxing is something you have been thinking about, I encourage you to give it a try but with one piece of advice.  Go to someone who specializes in men’s waxing such as myself.  The products, techniques and after-care are different for men than women and you want someone who has experience in your personal needs.

I offer a private, clean setting where you will feel comfortable and safe knowing that you are receiving the best care possible.

Judy Zifka, Esthetician
50th Avenue Salon

Portland OR

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