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Hi boys and girls! I was asked by Get Lippie if I would write a guest post and the brief was left totally open to allow me to write what I like! Well……recently over at The Chap Blog I posted an ‘Interview with Diane Wood AKA Queen of Shaves’ and here was her final answer.
“I can’t stand when men do not trim or shave down south! It’s unhygienic and unattractive. Most women know how to keep their love rug trimmed so men should take the time and do the same.”
So this got me thinking, should men Manscape?
Is it really hygienic?
Is it necessary?
And is it attractive?
To answer the first question…..personally why not! If it makes you look good and feel good then go ahead. I’m sure it suits some more than others, and because it gives the illusion that your tackle is bigger it may even give confidence to some. As mentioned already, in the past I’ve removed my chest and stomach hair, but never have I gone lower than my belt. Personally I’m not sure that I would want to and the idea of any type of razor anywhere near that area scares me to death. However, looking into this I have found it’s actually more common than you might think. From Body Builders to models to the general guy on the street has done it, or at least has tried it, or thought about it. Curiosity got the better of me and I bet that there’s many guys out there who’s been the same!
Is it more hygienic like Diane Woods suggests? I’m not sure…..Surely if you clean down there every day then it’s clean. As long as you don’t have fleas or lice then there’s nothing wrong with a little hair.
Is it necessary? Well it is in some cultures and religions. But I think for the most it’s down to preference. However be warned that the hair growing back will feel uncomfortable and itchy. This certainly put me off from ever trying to remove all the hair again.
Is it attractive? I think I’m the wrong person to ask, I’ll leave that up to you the reader to decide? But, it did get me thinking! Instead of removing it all together may be guys should tidy it up and make it look more presentable. It’s acceptable for ladies to do it so why not the boys! What do you think?
If you are about to enter the world of Manscaping especially going below the belt; just remember your skin down south is thinner, more sensitive and a lot more stretchy than the rest of the body so trim or shave, either wet or with an electric razor. Never ever wax or use a hair removal cream in that particular part of your body. I can only imagine you’ll most certainly regret it.
So there you have it, my thoughts about Manscaping! For me trimming is more acceptable but what do you think?
Thanks for reading and please leave a comment!
The Chap : )
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Get Lippie says: Personally, I find hairless men slightly ... and I'm sorry to be saying this ... but for me it's a no-no. I like a hairy chest. I'm not against grooming and cleanliness, but ... well, if I were a gay man, I'd like bears, put it that way.
I can't believe I've just admitted that. Thank goodness I'm out of the country! What do you think?
This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
Nice to get a male perspective on things, great post! Personally I am right with you on the bear thing - although I draw the line at hairy backs, bit more neanderthal than I am comfortable with! I think trimmed is good, have never seen a totally hairless male "area" but can only imagine it would look as attractive as those hairless sphynx cats!
ReplyDeleteI think completely gone might be strange (erm...never really experienced that? WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT THIS!?). However you can get "man-waxed" at places like Ministry of Waxing or sugaring in SoHo if you really want to go "all the way". I am definitely anti-hairy back. And hairy necks. That's just weird. Then it's like a carpet!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I just wrote that.
xo
sara
I don't mind a tidy man but hairless men are weird. They remind me too much of action man and ken dolls from my childhood. If I see a man with no hair I kind of assume they've probably got welded on plastic pants!
ReplyDeleteTidied up yes... totally hairless... odd! Looks freaky and pre-teen.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar view on the femscaping question too.
I like men to be men, it would drive me crazy if my other half spent more time in the bathroom than me. There is nothing wrong with hair on a man, having a little trim in places is fine but prepubescent is not a good look.
ReplyDeleteFrom a therapist point of view which will go against everything I have said above! I do not like hair on the back and legs, I find it really difficult to massage without smearing the client in product.
The first time I massaged a hairy man I had an image in my head of Ross from friends with the leather pants as I had to use a couple of different products, one being talc! Gave me nightmares for a long time!
Hey, im a male follower of the thechapblog from twitter and liked his article, so i thought I’d throw in my twopenniesworth. Sorry for the essay…
ReplyDeleteI keep things quite short & tidy in the ol' manscaping region, but have never plucked up the guts to take a full wet shave to it. Personally, I do it because I prefer the way it looks and feels. And i do a lot of cycling so it means less rubbage! Plus if you have multiple bits of jewellery it’s nice to have it on show! :P
However the main reason I’m chipping in on this subject is not to talk about my own cock & balls, but a much more interesting subject: Everyone else’s genitals.
Girls: Can you believe in 2011 that removal/tidying of male genital hair is still a discussion that is a surprise to see publicly?
For those of you that do trim:
Think back to the age where you started shaving/trimming-
Why did you do it?
Was it because you wanted to? As thechapblog says of boys 'If it makes you look good and feel good then go ahead' - or was it because at some point in the past a boy asked you too?
Why should a girl be expected to be tidy up 'down there' and yet when a boy takes his pants off look like he just step out the woods?
Boys: For the love of god why not??
Is it a question of your own manliness? - does having hairy genitals make you feel more of a ‘man’?
Most male expressions of 'manliness' in the media and on billboards have all their body hair shaved, chest, armpits etc - so surely it cant be that.
Why the hell isn’t there tips and advice about this in nuts (which I can't stand btw) magazine for example?
Why is it such a cultural norm that a girl is almost expected to trim in order to better express her 'femininity' in the eyes of general society than men are.
I understand and fully support the notion that ‘If it makes you look good and feel good’ because that is the reason why anyone should do anything to their own bodies, from wearing make-up to tattoos & piercings. But that statement towards men just doesn’t stack up in reverse. In any given pub in Briton tonight some bloke will be sharing a sexual conquest story with his mates and complain that she wasn’t 'tidy'…… and he is quite frankly probably a hypocrite.. And almost definitely a wanker.
…But maybe I’m making too many assumptions about boys and girls?? But I really only can go on my own experiences and perceptions..
??
jaymo
If a man chooses to manscape I think I would be fine with it but I like my men to be proper hairy (except on the back - urgh!)And as for totally hairless it just screams pre pubescent to me and that is so NOT a turn on.
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at the bear comment L!! Great post. I'm neither for nor against Manscaping. I would definitely recommend waxing rather than shaving for comfort....well obviously not during the waxing but you know what I mean. I think hair removal cream is fine too just as long as you use one designed for the bikini area. Just for that extra masculine touch! You'll be Speedo ready in no time ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Manscaping, not something I really think about and if a guy wants to stay "tidy" good for them. However a word of warning, men for some reason are at more risk of ingrowing hairs when regrowth starts, these can get infected and result in abscesses. If you want to shave just keep an eye out for any boils. In fact even if you don't shave watch out for them! If you do get a boil and it has not gone after a few days please go to the GP! The GP sees hundreds of them so no need to be embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to shave make sure you go with the direction of your hair and don't dry shave-Ouch!
xxx
I'm loving the comments, and really pleased it's started a discussion and people are liking my post. I seriously think a trim is a good thing, and yes back hair is weird.
ReplyDeleteThe chap ?:^)
I much prefer no hair "down there" on a man. Its neater and tidier and lets be honest if we have to make the effor so should they!!! Totally up for manscaping!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm just going to say this - if you want me to lick it, you better trim it. I already floss twice a day. If you don't want it licked, don't worry about it. End of. (For me)
ReplyDelete