Trimming Vs Shaving Chest Hair: The Ultimate Guide

Deciding what chest hair removal method to use is usually even more stressful than the act of removing it. This is usually because men aren’t really taught the ins and outs of hair removal as they grow up. So, which is better – trimming vs shaving chest hair? 

Trimming chest hair is generally superior to shaving it when it comes to comfort, ease, cost, looks, and maintenance.

A lack of understanding is what prevents men from taking that first step forward despite desperately wanting to get rid of their chest fur.

They may try one method, dislike the experience or the outcome, and are then reluctant to try anything else as a result. 

I’m about to compare the two methods in more detail. By the end of it, I want you to have a much clearer idea when making your decision. 

Trimming Vs Shaving Chest Hair: Analysis

These are two easily accessible, extremely common methods of removal. Although people often make the mistake of using the two terms interchangeably, they are very different. 

Trimming refers to cutting the chest hair with electric trimmers or clippers. The device will consist of a body, a head, a blade, and usually an adjustable length setting.

Trimming does give you intricate control over the length but doesn’t quite cut as close to the skin as shaving.  

Shaving is usually done with an electric shaver (foil or rotary) or a manual razor.

Let’s talk through how these two methods stack up by looking at our five factors. 

1. Comfort

By “comfort”, I’m talking about the comfort of the procedure itself, as well as the aftermath. 

Trimming is generally more comfortable to perform. Certain factors do increase the comfort level incrementally.

Having clean, sharp blades as opposed to blunted ones is generally more comfortable. 

Shaving is often less comfortable because you’re cutting close to the skin.

With regard to the aftermath, shaving falls short again. Trimming allows you to cut short, but you can still keep it long enough so that it doesn’t feel like chest stubble. 

2. Ease

The answer to this depends on whether you use an electric shaver or a manual razor for your shaving. 

Yes, using an electric shaver to shave your chest hair is pretty easy. But using a manual razor isn’t, especially if you have a lot of chest hair.

In fact, if it’s long, you’ll probably have to trim it first anyway. So you’ve got double the workload. 

Trimming is more straightforward. You set it to the length you want, and you trim it down. If you want a more nuanced look, you can vary the length in different areas. This can make it look more natural and even. 

3. Cost 

Again, this depends on what you use to shave. Electric shavers are expensive. In fact, they’re generally more expensive than body groomers and trimmers. 

Overall, I think that simply using an electric trimmer/clipper alone is more cost-effective than using an electric shaver or a manual razor plus a trimmer. 

4. Looks

Men with an impressive body may opt for shaving over trimming, simply because they want as clean a finish as possible. It’s no secret that a layer of hair does tend to mask muscle definition. 

Shaving will give you a smoother finish, but it’s temporary. After a few days, you’ll start to notice some chest stubble cropping up.

In general, it isn’t a good look. After a week, you may notice a few short strands sticking through your shirt. 

Trimming gives you very intricate control over hair length. You can choose to cut it short, but long enough to keep it looking natural. 

You can even vary the length in certain areas to make it look even more natural. For example, trimming the thicker areas of chest hair one or two millimeters shorter. 

If you weren’t wanting to get rid of your chest hair completely and just wanted to neaten it up, trimming would be a better option. 

5. Maintenance

Can good results that only last a few days even be called “good results”? The main problem with shaving is that it may feel smooth for a couple of days, but things quickly turn sour. 

Chest stubble starts to sprout, and it doesn’t feel or look good.

Trimming chest hair also requires maintenance, but not as much. Sure, if you’re trimming down to stubble and want to keep it that way, you’ll need to do it frequently.

This is similar to shaving. 

But if you’re trimming down to a reasonable, neat, short length, you could go a couple of weeks or even a month before you feel the need to trim down again.

What About Current Social Trends? 

Removing chest hair has always had a very divisive reputation. In fact, I’d say it was one of the most divisive topics in men’s grooming. 

You may find that reactions from your family and friends range widely.

People tend to have strong views about chest hair.

A general principle of men’s grooming is to avoid trying to please too many people. Focus on yourself, and what gives you the most confidence and comfort. 

If you’re looking for a safe bet with other people’s reactions, I’d say trimming would win once again.

Trimming to a neat, short, length (not stubble) is going to look less obvious and more natural than shaving.

Conclusion

In general, people looking to remove chest hair would benefit from trimming it as opposed to shaving it.

But if you try trimming and aren’t a fan of the results in some way, you could always give shaving a try. There isn’t a huge amount of harm than can be done. After all, you can rest assured that it will grow back.