A Guide To Manscaping

Manscaping for All

Once the province of metrosexuals or professional athletes, manscaping – or waxing of body hair – has moved into the mainstream.

Whether it’s for a significant other, taking a gym routine up a notch or simply wanting a personal tidy-up, an increasing number of men are taking part in the odd bout of manscaping.

Here, we will debunk some of the myths surrounding men’s grooming and how the average man can benefit from it.

Manscaping: Why all the fuss?

The push behind the growth in men’s grooming has a lot to do with lifestyle. Living in Australia, we’re blessed with a temperate climate that encourages outdoor activities.

However, a lot of men aren’t confident taking their shirts off in public thanks to excessive body hair. Manscaping helps them feel more comfortable with their bodies.

Another reason is that it helps show off results from the gym. Muscle definition, and development, is easier to see when the hair is removed. A lot of personal trainers trim or wax so they can monitor their results.

Aesthetics aside, manscaping also has some hygiene benefits. Removing excess hair aids in preventing body odour, can help reduce skin problems such as acne, and help prevent chaffing.

Continuous waxing also encourages the hair to grow back finer. While hair is inevitably still going to grow (only laser treatment stops it altogether), waxing reduces regrowth to one hair per follicle. This means the procedure is subsequently easier – and less painful – after each time.

What does it involve?

Waxing is relatively painless and requires little preparation, although if the hair is particularly long it’s typically clippered it before hand.

Once the wax is removed, an after-wax oil is applied to help break down any remaining wax. The best after-wax lotion is one infused with tea tree because tea tree is an antibacterial and helps prevent infected hair follicles or breakouts occurring.

What happens afterwards?

It’s important to avoid the gym, a sauna or swimming in chlorine for at least 24 hours after a waxing treatment. Because waxing opens the hair follicle, sweat and chlorine can irritate the skin. A tea tree-based wash helps to fight breakouts.

After about three to four days, you should begin exfoliating. As hairs are finer after waxing, they find it harder to come through the skin, and so removing dead skin will help prevent in-grown hairs.