Manscaping 101

                  There is a popular trend in our culture that encourages both men and women to remove or at least groom all of their pubic and rectal hair. Whether you are a teenager or a mature adult, grooming your genitalia is part of proper hygiene for many people. Although the media widely publicizes the choices that women have to take care of their Nether Regions, there is very little information for our gentleman counterparts. Since I have made a career waxing body hair, particularly the pubic area, I think it is important for men to know not only what options are out there for them, but also how women feel about their ability to properly manscape.

                    I have met countless women who say that men encourage and often insist that they trim their hedges, although they fail to landscape their own shrubbery. A woman should not be expected to do any type of grooming if her man isn’t prepared to do the same. So here are a few of the options available for the men who haven’t taken the time to control the chaos. There are mechanical devices on the market that act like a Roto Rooter.  They grind and grab at the hair in a desperate attempt to pull it out by the root.  In my opinion, it is barbaric the way these devices manipulate the skin and the hair. They can be costly and quite irritating to the skin. But if you have sadistic tendencies, you may enjoy this type of hair removal.   Personally, I think you'd have to be an idiot to try to put it anywhere near your chisel and stones.

  Depilatory lotions are another option. They are designed to dissolve the hair that resides above the skin.  The problem is twofold. Many people are sensitive to the lotions and, in some cases, allergic to them.  Negative skin reactions can manifest as a mild to severe burn on the skin or an acne type of break out. The lotions are also not designed to remove the hair by the root, so when the hair grows back, it can be itchy and stubbly as if you shaved. If your skin is not sensitive and your hair isn't very coarse, this could be a good option for you. Recently, a woman told me her boyfriend went to the hospital with second-degree burns on his testicles. Sounds like a hot mess to me.

                   Waxing is becoming a popular trend on the market for men.  Whether you want to call it a Gentleman’s Brazilian, Manzillian or a Brozilian, waxing involves putting warm wax on your genitalia and ripping it out from the root.  Although it can be painful, you guys are tough, right? I have found that only a small portion of our male clientele break out in a rash or mild acne when they wax and others have no reaction at all.  Waxing gets tricky around the scrotum, however.  The skin is thin and oh so sensitive, so my recommendation is if you choose this route, find an experienced technician who really understands the nuances of your package.

                   There is also the basic act of shaving.  Trial and error works best here.  There are a large variety of razors and shaving creams on the market so you need to discover which brand works best for you and your type of skin.  My advice to my male clients is to remember that you should never shave when you are drunk or in a hurry.  Nothing is more uncomfortable than a cut on your scrotum and nothing is more frightening than rectal bleeding. 

                  A lot of men like to use clippers to keep the hair neat and tidy.  This is always a good idea. Women do not like to meet your member and think that your hair is so unruly that it has the potential to be a breeding ground for miscellaneous particles. A number one blade works for most men. If you find it itchy, however, try a number two attachment.  And remember, if you cut the hair too short, it will be prickly and itch. Your goal is to figure out the right length so that your area is well groomed and not abrasive.

                  So how do we as women really feel about hair around your most precious parts? Face it; we don't want to floss any more than you do.  But we also don't want prickly skin against any part of us.  So if you are going to shave, be diligent, and shave on a regular basis. Our skin is sensitive and doesn’t appreciate getting massaged with sand paper.  Although we understand it can be difficult to navigate around all your folds and bulges, a properly shaved area can be quite appealing. Waxed skin can also be very smooth and sexy. So the question here is "can you take it?"

                   No matter what your approach to manscaping is, please do something.  If it is long enough to pull, braid or knot, it is too damn long. If it looks like a five o'clock shadow, then it isn't short enough. Women spend countless hours and dollars primping their most prized possession, so we expect you to do the same.

M.E. Nesser is the co-owner of the Mark & M.E. Salon in Rochester, N.Y. and Wax It All Salon in Pittsford, N.Y. Her thirty years of waxing has given her enough material to write The Happy Hoo-Ha Trilogy and A Promise of Passion, both on Amazon.