12 Pros And Cons Of Manscaping You Need To Know

Ah, the pros and cons of manscaping. Well first let me start by saying this. It’s difficult for me to know at what stage you are in your manscaping career.

Perhaps you’re a seasoned veteran with years of experience under your belt. Or perhaps you’re a wide-eyed beginner with new set of tools that you can’t wait to use.

Or, perhaps you’re yet to embark upon your journey due to the sheer uncertainty of what it’ll be like.

You’ve heard so much about it – always in bits and pieces. Some good. Some bad. But it’s never been laid out in front of you all in one go.

Well folks, that’s exactly what I’m about to do. I honestly cannot wait to do it.

I’m going to give you six pros and six cons of manscaping that you can take away with you.

This is to give you a fair and balanced view on the increasingly popular trend of manscaping.

Regardless of where you are in your journey, being aware of these pros and cons is essential. It could determine whether you start, continue, or stop your manscaping journey.

It’s a lot of pressure. But I’m up to the task.

Before you read on, this post is about body hair removal in general including pubic hair. Although every single pro and con is relevant to your pubic patch as well, I’m using manscaping as a general term here. 

The 6 Pros Of Manscaping You Need To Know

1. It boosts confidence

Finally shedding the man-wool you’ve been sporting for so many years is liberating – there’s no doubt about it.

Especially if you’ve been looking at it with contempt for years, wishing it wasn’t there but not having the guts to remove it.

It often stops people from wearing the clothes they want to wear, or going to the beach out of fear of revealing their natural fur coat.

Now, this doesn’t apply to everyone.

There are plenty of very confident and comfortable men with a lot of body hair – they make it work for them and often it does.

But I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a large proportion of hairy men who feel the exact opposite. They resent their body hair and consider it to be a confidence killer.

Let’s use me as an example. Back when I used to carry a layer of thick hair across my upper back, almost subconsciously it used to stop me from wearing vests and certain T-shirts. Beach holidays also filled me with anxiety.

I didn’t think it was possible to shave your own back and I was too embarrassed to ask anyone to do it for me.

So I reluctantly accepted it and proceeded through life not thinking there was any other choice.

Finally, long-handle back shavers were introduced to me and I went for it. I made the leap, removed the hair and have never looked back.

It made me feel like I’d been wasting so much time sitting on the fence. I felt so much more comfortable in my own skin.

I hear this time and time again. No more fear of someone you care about feeling that patch of stomach hair, back hair or chest hair you’ve been trying to hide for so many years.

Remember that low-cut T-shirt you bought 6 months ago but haven’t had the courage to wear yet? Time to bust it out. 

Oh and the beach? It won’t be feared anymore. Just sun, sand, and good vibes.

2. It suggests efficiency and organization

Picture two men. One with a neatly groomed chest, short armpit hair, shaved back and a thoroughly sculpted pubic patch.

Then another with an undisciplined mane of chest hair, armpit hair hanging out of his sleeves, multiple back hairs peeking out to say hello and pubes so long he could trip over them.

Does this matter?

To some men (and to the people they’re trying to attract) yes it does.

And the reason isn’t what you might initially think. Sure there are plenty that find well-groomed and manscaped men more physically attractive.

But manscaping, and grooming in general, does so much more than give you a few more points on the attractiveness scale.

In fact, there are many who find hairy men attractive. But why do a significant proportion still prefer a well-groomed man who takes his body hair practices seriously?

Well, it’s because it suggests that they look after themselves.

They’ve taken the time to make sure they’re neatly trimmed or shaved, or they’ve gone through the effort of getting waxed.

What else do they care about? What else do they look after?

If they would do that, it suggests they’ve probably also got a good wardrobe, a good diet, a good exercise routine and a solid hold of their finances.

Now, of course, this isn’t always the case. But the little things do matter and you’d be surprised how much people pick up on them and extrapolate.

Also, if they’d look after themselves like that, it’s reasonable for a potential partner to assume they’d look after them too.

Interesting.

3. It increases muscle visibility

There’s something quite upsetting about a man who genuinely has some decent muscle definition that goes unnoticed.

It’s hidden behind a layer of hair that he either doesn’t know how to or is too lazy to remove.

What’s worse is that people sometimes go to the gym, work out and lose motivation because they aren’t able to see the results unfolding.

Manscaping can make you look more toned and bigger just by allowing you to flaunt what you might already have.

You may be pleasantly surprised and not even recognize the body you see in the mirror post-trim or shave.

Plus if you don’t already have it, there’s a good chance manscaping might motivate you to get it.

This might either be because you’re more aware of what’s underneath that hair and what you might have let go over the years.

Or because you’ve had a taste of the aesthetic life and you’re now thirsty for more. You’ll start gyming hard, eating right and maybe even wearing sunscreen.

4. It reduces odor

This just in. Hair collects sweat. Bacteria breaks down sweat. This releases odor.

I’m sure this isn’t breaking news but it’s something often forgotten.

There’s no deodorant or antiperspirant on the market that can reduce odor like a body groomer can.

The sweat treats your chest, armpit, pubic and other hair patches like a haven. A protective coat to cling on to for dear life.

It absolutely loves it and won’t let go.

As it’s broken down by bacteria it releases a scent you’d rather ignore but honestly can’t.

Manscaping removes the amount of hair available to cling on to, reduces the volume of collected sweat and makes things more pleasant overall.

It makes things easier to wash and clean. It’s undeniable.

5. It’s in fashion

TV. Magazines. Movies. The dawn of the modern meterosexual and modern manscaper is upon us.

We can choose to either shy away, scoff at it, or embrace it and capitalize on it.

There’s no denying that a socio-cultural tilt towards hairlessness in males is increasing in prominence.

The days where Sean Connery’s chest rug was considered an aesthetic ideal are no more.

However, that’s not to say there aren’t attractive famous men who are indeed on the furrier end of the spectrum.

But the likelihood of seeing male models on the runways or billboards without perfectly groomed body hair (if they have any at all) is getting slimmer by the day.

Gone are the days where your man-friend saying he was going for a back wax or trimming down his happy trail would draw a curious stare with one eyebrow raised.

The paradigm shift of body hair removal in men is very much in motion. Whether we ride the wave or stick our heads in the sand is up to us.

True story.

6. It feels better

I was toying with the idea of placing this higher up on our pros and cons of manscaping list.

What exactly do I mean by a statement as vague as “it feels better”?

Well many (including myself) think that the feeling of having that patch of hair on your upper back no longer rubbing against your vest is bliss.

The feeling of your chest hair not curling under your shirt, not being tugged by your cardigan and not sticking out above your V-neck is bliss.

It feels smoother, silkier and to be honest it can even feel lighter.

The sensation I’ve just described is very much physical. It’s physical comfort. But the psychological relief is also very significant – this ties into the boosting confidence aspect we’ve already talked about.

But let’s go one step further. It feels better on your partner’s skin too. Now this is something that is of course pretty subjective.

There are a lot of men and women who love the feeling of their partner’s body hair rubbing against their skin.

So this one is really dependent on your partner or soon-to-be partner. It’s worth asking what they actually like and it would make sense to take it into strong consideration.

If like a significant proportion of people they love the feeling of a smooth, shaved or trimmed chest as opposed to a thick coat, it might make sense to go for it.

Unwanted body hair is something which plagues men for years without being acted upon.

The purpose of this site is to let people know how easy it can be when done correctly.

It’s simpler than you think. Feel better.

The 6 Cons Of Manscaping You Need To Know

So I did say this would be a balanced article. The pros and cons of manscaping need to both be heard. Let’s be honest, it isn’t for everyone.

There are those of you who are on the fence, and there are those of you that may have completely disregarded it as an option.

So I’ve listed six very common reasons people give for not giving body hair removal a shot or just not taking it as far as they would have initially liked.

1. It’s time-consuming

Ain’t no doubt about it. 

Shaving, trimming, waxing. It takes time. If it’s not taking time, you’re probably not doing it right.

Sure it’s easy for someone to rush through a grooming session but odds are they didn’t exfoliate beforehand, didn’t carefully determine whether they’d go with or against the grain, didn’t avoid re-strokes, moisturize and the list goes on.

Did they ensure they had fresh blades? Did they vary the length guards if necessary?

I don’t want to make it sound complicated, because it’s not. But to get the best and most desirable results, the right amount of time should be given to it.

At the end of the day, not everyone would be willing to dedicate that amount of time. Perhaps body hair grooming isn’t as high on their agenda and that’s absolutely fine.

2. It can be costly

I’m not talking about bank-breakingly costly. But sure, hair removal products cost money.

Razors, shavers and trimmers vary greatly in price. It’s never a good idea to settle for a cheaper product. For one, it won’t last as long.

Also, your results aren’t likely to be good with a cheap product. It probably won’t have a powerful motor or high quality, hypoallergenic blades. This will increase the risk of itching and razor burn as well.

The mid-range products are usually more versatile and will usually let you craft whatever look you desire.

It’s usually a good idea to go for an all-in-one body groomer with a very adjustable trimmer length. For example, the Philips Norelco Multigroom which will really sort out any of your manscaping needs for a very affordable price. Click the link to check it out on Amazon.

You’d only need the one good trimmer.

3. It can cause itching

It would be foolish to discuss the pros and cons of manscaping without mentioning the itch. 

More of a problem with full-on shaving and less so with trimming. But ultimately, body grooming can definitely cause itching.

This could be for multiple reasons. It could be due to direct skin irritation from the blade, razor burn or ingrown hairs. Or it could simply be due to the prickly sensation of stubble as it rubs against clothing.

I’ve written an entire article on steps you can take to prevent itching when trimming your chest hair. The same principles can be applied all over the body.

Yes, itching is a pain but it can be prevented and alleviated.

I never saw it as a potential reason not to manscape. Just as something I take great care in avoiding.

And you can too.

4. Some might see it as “unmasculine”

I almost didn’t want to include this one because it seems so shallow, outdated and narrow-minded.

But yes, unfortunately there are those miserable enough to have pre-determined ideas on what makes a man a man. And yes, unfortunately they may look down upon those who deviate from that ideal.

Who cares..

Sure these people exist. And you may get those who make the occasional snide comment or sneering remark. These people are not worth your time.

There are others who just see body grooming as over-the-top or unnecessary. It’s not that they see it as masculine or feminine. Just that they don’t see it as something that is worth doing.

But as I’ve already mentioned, times are changing and if anything these people are stuck in a time long, long ago.

Ultimately, I’ve found that a lot of these people are actually fortunate enough to be relatively hairless and so are making a judgment call based on something they haven’t experienced.

The decision to do it is completely yours. The opinions of others should have minimal impact on your decision-making process.

5. Nicks and cuts

They’re considered just a necessary aspect of the grooming game, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

To me, it’s actually just an indication that I’m doing something wrong. Next time, I’ll be sure to do something differently.

Over time you get so good at the game due to these incremental improvements, that you’ll notice hardly ever nicking or cutting yourself at all.

The basics are usually all that’s necessary. Take your time, use fresh blades, avoid re-strokes, go with the grain if possible.

Nothing fancy. Just the usual stuff we preach on this site.

But sure the thought of these nicks and cuts definitely does put people off body grooming. Especially in the more sensitive areas like pubic hair and buttock hair.

Of course, if they do happen it’s important to treat them properly and not let them get infected.

Folliculitis is an inflammation of the hair follicle which can be due to an infection.

However, the right precautions make all the difference in preventing these things from occurring. It’s just about education and proper execution.

Courage, my friends. Take the leap.

6. You won’t impress everyone

As I mentioned earlier, there are those that just prefer the look of a hairier man. That’s OK.

If anything it should give you a confidence boost that your natural look is attractive to people.

The reason I’m saying something which might go without saying is that some people hope that removing their body hair will make those around them as happy as it’s made them.

This isn’t the case. Taste plays a huge role.

Should it make any difference to you? In general, no. But as I explained earlier, it kind of depends on who we’re talking about.

If someone close to you or someone you care about would rather you didn’t remove your body hair, then that might potentially play a role in your decision.

But ultimately, it’s up to you my friend.

Conclusion

There you have it. The pros and cons of manscaping I just hear time and time again.

So what should you do with them? Well, hopefully, they’ve given you an insight into what goes through people’s minds when they decide one way or the other.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence wondering whether you should buy your first body groomer, this should have helped you make a decision.

To end this discussion with a particular sentiment, I’d just like to say this. If any of the cons I’ve listed are preventing you from trying out manscaping (body grooming), they can be corrected or prevented by using a good technique, decent products and focusing more on your own opinions than those of others.

You’ve made it to the end of this article. I honestly am in awe of your commitment to the study of body hair removal.

Well played, sir.