Is using the same trimmer for your face and pubes OK?
OK so this is a question asked more often than you might think. You’ve got a beard trimmer you love and works wonders for your facial hair.
But you’ve been neglecting a pubic bush that’s been growing to concerning proportions down below.
Can you use a beard trimmer to trim your pubic hair?
Yes. You can use a beard trimmer for your pubic hair. But there are certain qualities a beard trimmer should have if it is to trim down pubic hair without any trouble. High-quality blades, a powerful motor, multiple size guards and ideally a safety guard is necessary.
A beard trimmer such as the Brio Beardscape ticks these boxes very well. You can check it out on
In addition, it is generally accepted that a good old fashioned razor should be used for the scrotum (ball) hairs instead of a trimmer as it’s less likely to cause these nicks and cuts.
Hygiene also plays a part, as some people don’t like the thought of using the same trimmer on their privates and on their faces. But as long as it’s properly cleaned afterwards (which it should be anyway) you should be fine.
That’s the short answer. Let’s strap in and dig a little deeper.
How is beard hair different to pubic hair?
Good news. Grow out your beard and you may notice the hairs aren’t that different from pubic hairs.
The thickness of the shafts, the texture and distribution are pretty similar.
Hate to get into semantics but hey technically beard hair is pubic hair, as it develops after puberty and so should really be considered pubic.
These hairs start off as tiny, mouse-ish hairs called vellus hairs when we’re born. Then when we hit puberty and our testosterone levels rise, these vellus hairs transform into thicker and larger terminal hairs.
Science. Mind-blowing right.
But let’s forget about that for the moment. How does this awe-inspiring fact affect us as manscapers or budding manscapers?
Well, taking this into consideration we can conclude that a trimmer that mows through beard hair should have no trouble doing the same through pubic hair.
As long as we’ve got a trimmer with a powerful motor and sharp blades, we shouldn’t have any trouble zipping through those coarse, wiry pubic hairs.
Essential trimmer features for successful pubic trimming
There are certain features pubic hair has that aren’t necessarily unique but need to be factored into the equation when selecting a trimmer.
We need to think about these features as the trimmer we use should be capable of tackling them and removing these hairs with little to no fuss ideally.
In other words, if we’re going to be using the same trimmer for our face and pubes, they should really have these features.
When we go through the properties we need our trimmer to have however, you’ll notice how they aren’t really specific to “pubic hair trimmers”.
We’d want most of these properties in any trimmer we’d use regardless of the body part.
Let’s go through them one by one.
Basically, you need your beard / pubic trimmer to have:
1. The Right Blades
Old, dull blades aren’t going to work. The coarse pubic hairs will stand tall and laugh at a useless blunted blade.
Fresh, sharp blades are also less likely to cause itching, irritation, razor burn and razor bumps on the sensitive skin around your pubis.
Speaking of which we also want to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction, as this could make a crotch itch so much worse.
Stainless steel and titanium are durable – we all know that. But they’re also unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction and so we love them even more.
2. Multiple Size Guards
Having intricate control over the length of your pubic hair is important. Good beard trimmers usually come with numerous guards and attachments to allow for meticulous trimming and shaping.
It’s usually a good idea to vary the length of the hairs in the pubic area a little for neat and natural-looking results.
For example, trim the hairs above the pubis bone (i.e the pubic patch) down to approximately the same length as your happy trail if you have one.
If not, just trim it down to whatever length you’d prefer.
Also, you can use the different size guards to trim the hairs of the groin area to halfway down the inner thighs. A gradual increase in hair length as you go downwards here really does neaten things up and draw attention to your neatly trimmed pubic patch.
3. Compact and Lightweight
When it comes to pubic hair, you don’t want a trimmer that’s heavy, bulky or uncomfortable to hold for a prolonged period of time.
You want one that’s light and simple to navigate around your pubic area, genitals and inner thighs.
Why hygiene isn’t really a concern with pubic hair
If there’s one thing you take away from this article, please let it be this one thing.
Pubic hair isn’t gross.
It’s kind of unfair that it gets such a bad rep. Yes, as modern manscapers we have a duty to keep things tidy down there just like anywhere else.
But pubic hair shouldn’t be considered any less hygienic than scalp, chest or beard hair simply due to its proximity to the genitals.
Let’s change our mindset.
Pubic hair can actually be helpful for protecting the sensitive skin beneath it from external irritants such as dirt, bacteria and the sometimes harsh material of our clothing.
Sure. It can collect sweat. Just like any other type of hair. Perhaps a little more, but not a lot more. When bacteria break this sweat down it can become pretty unpleasant as we already know.
But as long as you bathe regularly this shouldn’t be an issue. Washing your pubes regularly should ensure that any unpleasantness collecting in the region is corrected and not transmitted to your face via the trimmer.
The point I’m getting at is hygiene in itself isn’t a reason not to use your beard trimmer on your pubes.
As long as you clean the trimmer properly – which should be done no matter what you use it for anyway.
The proper way to clean a trimmer after trimming pubic hair
If you’re going to be using the same trimmer for your face and pubes, please remember this.
Cleaning a hair trimmer properly after every use is essential – no matter what the body part in question is. However, given the tendency pubic hair has to collect sweat it may be slightly more important than usual.
Spreading dirt and bacteria to your face can increase the risk of spots. It’s just not good for your skin.
Also, the thick, coarse pubic hairs can easily clog up the trimmer. For this reason, clean and clean thoroughly my friend.
Cleaning it after every use should also help ensure that the blade stays sharper for longer. As explained above, this is especially important for effective pubic management. Dull blades are of no use in this battle and just increase the risk of irritation.
But how do we do it?
Well for starters, every trimmer is different. You’ve hopefully kept the manual of your beard trimmer where it should give detailed instructions on how to clean it.
If you’ve thrown it away with your TV guide, fear not. We’ve got you covered.
First of all, turn it off and unplug it (if it’s corded). If your trimmer has a little compartment that collects hair, be sure to empty it.
Now, your trimmer should have come with a little brush for cleaning purposes. If not, just use a little toothbrush. Go into the little compartment and gently clean the crevasses. After this, clean on top of and around the clipper blade.
**If your trimmer is washable** you can hold it under a running tap to wash it with cold water. Pat it dry.
Use an alcohol wipe to clean the body and the clipper blade, after which let it dry again.
Final touch. Most trimmers come with a little bottle of oil for the clipper. If not or you can’t find it, a couple of drops of olive oil will do. Gently rub it over the clipper blade using a soft cloth and not your fingers. This should ensure the blades stay clean and sharp.
OK. You’ve officially prepped your post-pubic trimmer for your face. Awesome.
A reason you might want separate trimmers for your face and pubes
So we’ve talked about hygiene and how it isn’t really a reason to double up on trimmers. But there is a reason you might want to consider not using the same trimmer for your face and pubes.
In other words, why you may want to use a great body groomer such as the Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7000 (Amazon Link) for your pubic hair instead.
The more you use something, the shorter it lasts. Over time a once magical do-it-all trimmer will start to wear and tear, become slow and sluggish and eventually stop working.
The benefit of having separate trimmers for areas of your body you will trim pretty frequently is that they have their specific uses. They aren’t expected to do absolutely everything.
For this reason, as long as they’re cleaned and looked after properly, they should really last longer and actually work more efficiently during their lifespan.
Sure there are areas of the body that genuinely need specific trimmers (or at least specific attachments) such as the nose and the ears for practical reasons.
But it sure is tempting to use the same trimmer for areas such as the beard, chest, and pubes. In theory, as we’ve explained there’s nothing wrong with this.
However, no single trimmer can handle that much manscaping. As pros, we really should have multiple weapons at our disposal.
Just something to think about.
Conclusion
Using the same trimmer for your face and pubes isn’t a sin. It isn’t something to hide or be coy about.
People do it and it’s no big deal. As long as you’re doing a good job of the trimming itself as well as taking the necessary hygiene precautions, carry on my friend.
But if you want to take your manscaping seriously and really take things to the next level, it’s important to have a couple of trimmers you can call upon for specific purposes to avoid overworking any single one of them.
At the very least, having a separate body groomer might be a good idea. That way you can keep your beard trimmer for your beard, and your body groomer for your body.
If that’s something you might be interested in, check out the Philips Bodygroom on
There you have it. Hope you found that all useful. What are your thoughts? Beard trimmer on pubes or separate trimmer for pubes?
Ready Sleek founder. Obsessed with casual style and the minimalist approach to building a highly functional wardrobe. Also a fan of classic, vintage hairstyles.
