Body Grooming 101: A Complete Guide on Where Men Should (and Shouldn't!) Shave

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The topic of male body grooming is a highly debated one. Everyone wants to weigh in with their two cents on the question of where and how should men shave. 

These debates can leave men feeling confused and insecure about their body grooming habits. In this article, we'll break down where men should save, along with manscaping tips for each area of your body. 

In the end, you'll be able to make an informed decision about your grooming habits and whether or not you want to adjust them. Let's get started!

Body Grooming Where Men Should Shave

Where Should Men Shave? 

The question on everyone's mind is: Where should men shave? 

The short answer: Wherever you want to. 

Trends in body grooming have changed over the years. Having a full beard and thick chest hair was once seen as a sign of "manliness." Recently, more men have taken to removing body hair in key places to accentuate muscles, increase sports performance, show off tattoos, or just because they feel like it. 

These trends come and go. At the end of the day, what actually matters is your comfort and what you want your body to look and feel like. 

Maybe you're most comfortable doing no body grooming at all. That's great! Maybe you want to remove excess hair from your back or try shaving your armpits. That's fine too! 

Your ultimate goal with manscaping should be maximizing your enjoyment of your body. Remember, you don't have to trim or grow your body hair for anyone but yourself. 

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's go over popular areas for body grooming and the best ways to remove hair on each. We'll also go over manscaping tips so you can get the results you want with minimal irritation and breakouts. 

Back 

The back is the toughest area for hair removal when it comes to body grooming for men. It is difficult to see where you are shaving and to do it yourself you need a specific back shaver with a long handle. 

Fortunately, we've got you covered with our BAKBLADE. Our flagship product makes it easy and safe to shave your back yourself. 

These unique blade cartridges are designed to give you the closest, cleanest, and safest shave on the market. The one-of-a-kind design of our patented DRYglide blades gives you an incredible shave, wet or dry. 

BAKBLADE's comfortable grip and ergonomic handle allow you to shave hard-to-reach places with ease. It also has no batteries or moving parts. This puts you in total control of your body grooming routine. 

Go over each area at least twice with the blades to make sure you aren't missing any big patches. 

If you'd prefer to keep some of your back hair, have a partner use a body trimmer on you. Take the trimmer down to its lowest setting, and go against the grain with it.

Waxing is another option that can provide long-lasting smoothness. However, waxing can be quite painful.

It's always best to get waxed by a professional to avoid causing ingrown hairs, acne, or infections. Back waxing typically runs anywhere from $40 to $100 dollars per treatment

The pain and expense of back waxing are the primary reasons that most men chose to shave their backs instead. And there's no better back groomer on the market right now than the BAKBLADE. 

Chest 

Shaving your chest is great for getting a cleaner profile, especially when wearing low-cut shirts or V-necks. It can increase your muscular definition and help you show off those hard-built pecs. 

However, traditional shaving can leave you feeling rough and bumpy after only a few hours. Chest hair tends to grow back quickly. That means you'll have to shave half your body every day to get that smoothness. 

The most sustainable option is trimming your chest hair with a body groomer. This helps you keep it at a short but flexible length that can show off your muscle definition without leaving you feeling like sandpaper. 

If you're seeking that dolphin smoothness, depilatory creams are a good option. These creams dissolve the hair at its root and keep your chest hair at bay for a few weeks before it starts to regrow. 

Unfortunately, these creams are very harsh. They do have to be chemically potent enough to dissolve your hair after all. Some men end up having bad reactions to depilatory creams that result in burns, blisters, stinging, itchy rashes, and skin peeling. 

Before using a depilatory cream, test it on one patch of hair to see how you react. Wait a day or two to make sure your body won't react poorly to the cream. 

If you have no adverse reactions, go ahead and use the cream to take off all your chest hair. Make sure you are following the instructions exactly to avoid burns and rashes. 

If depilatory creams don't work for you, waxing is another good option. Waxing can also leave you looking swimmer-sleek for several weeks.

However, as we mentioned above waxing is often time-consuming, painful, and expensive. Be sure you're prepared for both the stinging and the bill if you decide to wax your chest.

Legs 

Athletes like swimmers and cyclists have been shaving their legs for decades. Originally, this practice was to reduce drag against water and air currents and give them a leg up on the competition. 

Nowadays, tons of men chose to shave their legs for both athletic performance and aesthetics. Less leg hair means that muscles are more defined and easier to spot. If you've been hitting the squat rack lately, you deserve to show off those toned thighs. 

Shaving or trimming leg hair helps many men feel cleaner and look less unkempt. Body trimming for men is all about what makes you feel confident and powerful.

If you've been considering shaving or trimming your leg hair, go ahead and give it a shot. After all, it's just hair. If you hate it, it will always grow back. 

For trimming your leg hair, use a body groomer on a low setting and cut against the grain. If you are shaving your legs smooth for the first time, use a fresh razor and plenty of shaving cream. 

Start by shaving with the grain to remove a majority of the hair. If you still have some prickly spots, or simply want a closer shave, lather up again and shave carefully against the grain. Make sure to rinse out your razor after each stroke. 

Waxing and depilatory creams are also options for leg hair removal. But overall, they're unnecessary.

Leg hair is typically not as coarse as chest hair and grows back at a much slower rate. You can expect your shave to keep you smooth for at least a few days.

Legs are also not irritated as easily as areas like the chest or back. This means that ingrown hairs and adverse reactions are much less frequent. 

Armpits 

The armpits are one area where the benefits of shaving body hair are most evident. 

Shaving your armpits is an excellent way to reduce body odor. Because hair is porous it holds onto sweat and smell that comes with it. Harrier armpits also produce more sweat due to increased heat retention. 

Clean-shaven armpits don't hold on to sweat as hard. This not only helps reduce body odor but reduces sweat stains on shirts as well. Many men shave their armpits because it helps them look and feel cleaner. 

The armpits are a sensitive area, so being cautious when shaving or trimming is crucial. If you're particularly hairy, or just want to trim your armpit hair down a bit, start with a body groomer on a low setting and shave against the grain. 

If you want to go totally smooth, use a fresh razor and shaving cream. Just like with your legs, begin by shaving with the grain. Once the majority of the hair is removed, you can shave a few strokes against the grain for extra smoothness. 

Before shaving your armpits, make sure you have the right tools. You don't want to give yourself ingrown hairs or razor burn in such a sensitive place. 

Shaving cuts on the armpits are also highly prone to infection because they are located in a damp, warm, and dark location. Make sure to treat any cuts or razor burn immediately and stop shaving if you experience irritation. 

Because the armpits are so sensitive, we don't recommend waxing or using depilatory creams there. Stick with the razor or trimmer. 

Butt 

Similar to the back, the butt is a difficult area to groom. It's hard to reach, hard to see, and often difficult to shave. 

Fortunately, the BAKBLADE can also help you shave the exterior of your butt. Simply use it the same way you would shave your back. Take extra care when you get close to the crack, and don't use it to shave inside. 

If your goal is to trim inside your butt crack, use a groin groomer with extreme care. This area is surrounded by bacteria, which can lead to serious infections if you use the wrong tools. 

Trimming your butt hair helps you avoid major hygienic concerns like dingleberries and butt sweat. These issues are smelly and uncomfortable, but can also be eliminated with proper hygiene. Shaving your butt isn't strictly necessary to fix them. 

The inside of your crack is also an incredibly sensitive area. This makes shaving nicks more painful and the chafe from regrowing hair more irritating. That's why we recommend trimming the hair inside rather than shaving it smooth. 

If you do want a smooth interior, head to a professional waxer to get it done. This helps minimize the risk of cuts and infection. 

Depilatory cream can be fine for the exterior, but never use it inside your crack. The burning is just not worth it. 

Groin

This is the most sensitive and delicate area of your body. If you want to shave or trim your groin, make sure to take extra caution and use the right equipment. 

Trimming groin hair helps reduce sweating and body odor in that region. It also makes some men feel more confident. Just make sure you do your research and have the right equipment before attempting it for the first time. 

For this area, put the razor away. Use a specialized groin trimmer to carefully remove unwanted hair. The closer you get to your genitals, the more gentle you need to be. 

The area around the genitals can be carefully shaved, but only use a fresh razor and shave with the grain of the hair. Shaving against it often leads to ingrown hairs and razor burn. 

For the genitals themselves, never use a razor. If you want to remove hair there, use a groin trimmer on a low setting. Make sure the trimmer has a specialized head so you can avoid catching thin skin between the teeth. 

Many depilatory creams and similar products aren't approved for use on or near the genitals. Waxing in this area can also be incredibly painful. However, if you want a completely hairless look, a professional wax is the best and safest option to achieve it. 

Hair also tends to grow back faster in the groin area than in many others. This means that if you want to keep from experiencing itchy regrowth, you'll have to shave this area every two to three days.

Body Grooming Takeaways 

The purpose of body grooming is to make you feel confidant and help you enjoy your body. The only one who gets to decide where you should and shouldn't save or trim is you. 

Now that you know exactly how to groom the different parts of your body, you can experiment with what feels good for you. 

For the best body grooming tools on the market, check out the different products and boxes that we offer today. Let BAKBLADE help you look and feel your absolute best!

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