The Benefits of Body Waxing for Men: Why More Guys Are Embracing Smooth Skin

Do men really groom?

That’s the question I get asked most often when I tell people what I do professionally. The look of surprise is often accompanied with a barrage of questioning. What do they get waxed? I’ve been specializing in male intimate grooming services since 2006. If it were not for the guys giving me a shot I would have probably given up by now.

Guys were my first repeat customers. I did not catch on with the dolls until circa 2009. Before that I was just a daddy’s girl that was “passionate about waxing it”. It’s now 2024 and while it seems like a lifetime ago. My passion for waxing backs, cracks, and sacs has not let up one bit. I cannot imagine doing anything else. This is what I was born to do!

I am pretty sure that you stumbled on this page because you are in the process of researching possible grooming options. I am not here to knock down any single person’s path to do what works best for them. I just desire to communicate in a way that helps you make a decision that is best suited for you in the long run.

To Shave or Not to Shave

Some guys choose to shave and for years I shaved before I learned to wax. Every once in a while in case of an emergency I will shave (later regret it) my lower legs or under arms. I do know there is a greater risk of injury with shaving than with being professionally waxed.

Story time: More than a decade ago I was rudely awakened on a Sunday morning to a text thread from one of the mom’s that my daughter is friends with. Her husband had nicked his “boys” while shaving. “HELP (insert name) is bleeeeeding bad. He cut himself shaving” I offered to meet them at my studio as it was located in downtown Rochester to assist with stopping the bleeding. A few minutes later she responded with “I don’t want you to see my man’s junk! Can I just use your stuff and you show me how to do it?” You never ask to touch a professional’s tools.

I read her message and thought to myself @#$%^ you texting me. I don’t give a $%^& about your man’s junk. At the time I had a really good therapist and the inner child work I was doing was helping me respond instead of react. Instead little Tiffy lashing out. The older, more emotionally intelligent version of myself just replied “okay”, put my phone on mute, rolled over and went back to sleep. This woman is the kind of person that makes her lack of planning your personal emergency. The story ends with her husband wearing one of her pads, him bleeding for most of the day from the nick, and me not responding to any more of her texts.

I have no clue how many of you have nicked your scrotal sacs while shaving, but the way y'all be slicing up your faces. I can only imagine. Personally I am not a fan of men shaving that part of their body because of the greater risk of injury. If anything, trimming with trimmers is a safer option than shaving in my unsolicited opinion. As a professional with close to two decades of experience with intimate grooming. I really dig those WAHL peanut corded trimmers. The cordless ones were meh. They tend to lose power after so many uses, but the corded ones are perfect for trimming body hair. The trimmer is small enough to get in those tight spaces.

Depilatory Creams Doing Their Thing

I’ve known of a couple of guys that have used depilatories. When I say depilatories I am talking about products like Veet and Nair. They are also a method of hair removal. Personally I would not recommend it because the skin on the scrotal sac is thin and its texture can vary from smooth to wrinkled. I’ve personally used Nair much of my life before becoming a waxer, and I liked the result. The one downside to using depilatories is that they smell like rotten eggs, and can cause irritation and burning if you don’t follow the directions as stated.

Laser Hair Removal

I personally know several guys that have gotten laser hair removal done,and I still end up waxing them. Why am I waxing guys that have had laser hair removal done? Thanks so much for asking. Let me give you the scoop on laser hair removal. When I say laser I want you to think of a lightsaber. Would you want a lightsaber near your skin? Lasers are highly concentrated beams of light that are used to destroy the pigment in a hair follicle.

My biggest gripe about laser “hair removal” is that it’s not really hair removal, it’s technically HAIR REDUCTION. The overall goal with laser hair removal is to reduce the amount of unwanted hair, not remove it. The way companies market laser as hair removal and not hair reduction is a scam in my opinion. These corporations pay big bucks to lobby so that they can market and advertise their machines and sell you packages. I am just a party of one shouting in a crowded space. Trying to inform as many of you as possible. So that you can make a decision that you don’t regret. It pains me to no end to use the phrase laser hair removal. If you see some inconsistencies on this post where I call what it is “hair reduction” , know that my subconscious is in the driver’s seat.

FYI: in the Great Lakes State laser hair removal falls under medical use. So estheticians that are not working under the care and supervision of a doctor should not be performing the service. Here’s a crash course in the anatomy of body hair. Each hair is located in something called a hair follicle. Blood supply at the bottom of the follicle gives hair its nutrients. The cells that give our hair color are also located at the bottom of the hair follicle. The cells that stimulate hair growth are located ⅓ down from the skin’s surface.

When you do laser “hair reduction” you are using a concentrated light that destroys the pigment cells at the bottom of the hair follicle, but it does not impact the growth cells. Which explains why after some time has passed after getting laser “hair removal”, many people experience their hair growing back only lighter in color than it was before. If hair is void of pigment, blond, gray, or red or your skin is very pigmented. You’re not necessarily a candidate for laser hair removal. I know that there is the YAG laser and it's marketed to be for darker complexions and lighter hair, but I am a hair removal specialist not a hair reduction one. I know of two clients that have had laser hair removal done and they are permanently scarred from being burned by the laser. I say all of that to say that I want for you to make an informed decision. If you choose this route go somewhere safe.

Electrolysis Hair Removal

Next on the list is electrolysis. Yes, I know two guys that have done electrolysis as well. You’re probably thinking, Tiffany, you know everyone that has tried every hair removal method mentioned here. It’s all true! How else would I know what to write about? Unlike laser hair removal. Electrolysis is actually permanent hair removal and the only one that has received this classification by the FDA. According to Infinity Laser Spa “Several manufacturers received FDA permission to claim, "permanent reduction," NOT "permanent removal" for their lasers. This means that although laser treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair.” (May 5, 2022).

I know you thought that we’d moved on from lasers but I had to circle back just to make a distinction between the two. What exactly is electrolysis and who performs it? Well according to the Cleveland Clinic “Electrolysis is a hair removal treatment. A trained electrologist inserts a thin wire into the hair follicle under the surface of the skin. An electric current moves down the wire to the bottom of the follicle, destroying the hair root. The follicle damage prevents hair from growing and causes the existing hair to fall out.

Electrolysis has been around for more than 100 years. It was first invented to remove irritating ingrown eyelash hairs. Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved method for permanent hair removal.” (01/05/2021) While I personally am not a trained electrologist I do recommend their services for individuals that need a permanent hair removal solution.

Waxing is Hair Removal Too

Last but certainly not least is my speciality. Waxing, I prefer waxing to most of the other methods of hair removal (excluding electrolysis), and laser hair removal and hair removal it’s hair reduction, so there that. According to Wikipedia “Waxing is the process of hair removal from the root by using a covering of a sticky substance, such as wax, to adhere to body hair, and then removing this covering and pulling out the hair from the follicle. New hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for four to six weeks, although some people will start to see regrowth in only a week due to some of their hair being on a different human hair growth cycle. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, pubic hair (called bikini waxing or intimate waxing), legs, arms, back, abdomen, chest, knuckles, and feet. There are many types of waxing suitable for removing unwanted hair.”

Men are interested in grooming! They are just quiet about how they do their research and pick their products and services. I certainly hope this post gave you some insight into the options that are available to you.

About the writer: I'm Tiffany Piggée a licensed esthy that specializes in junk waxing (manscaping) and pimple popping (skin care). I dream in color, build one-of-a-kind safe spaces like ME Beauty Republic, make beauty products, and I write stuff (copywriter) that educates and influences people. You can hire me to be your esthetician if you so desire.