How Do You Feel About "Man-scaping"?

"Man-scaping" is defined as a man shaving any part of his body below the neck. Some men give themselves a little trim to avoid looking like the cavemen from the Geico commercials, some men shave their entire bodies for sports like swimming and wrestling, and some men think man-scaping is the girliest, most un-macho thing you could ever do.

With the arrival of words like metrosexual and many men caring more about how they look, shaving your "netherlands" is becoming more and more common. Consider this: sales of men's grooming products topped out at about $11 billion in 2001. That seems like a lot, right? So, what are the current numbers? $22 billion! And, over 1 million men had cosmetic procedures last year, with Botox being the most popular choice.

Bottom line, it's ok to want to look your best. In fact, study after study confirms that well-groomed men and women are perceived as more trust-worthy, more attractive, and more intelligent. Furthermore, if you give in a little to your vain side, chances are that you will keep your body looking good as well. No potbelly or excess fat means not only a better showing at the beach but a healthier, more efficient body.

Ahhh, the beach. This brings us back to "man-scaping". Now that summer is in full swing, I'm sure men everywhere will be spending more time with their shirts off. So, the question remains, "Is man-scaping ok, and how much is too much?" Well, I'll turn that one over to the ladies, since they're the ones we're really doing the extra grooming for anyway:

• Chest: 73% of women say bare (not bear) is sexy when there's a nice sculpted chest underneath (I'm sure this applies for "lower chest" (aka abs) as well)
• Back: 85% of women say you should take the lawnmower to your back if you have the Robin Williams gene
• Legs: 55% of women say a pair of smooth and hairless toned calves are a big turn-on
• "Netherlands": 67% of women say they appreciate a trimmed look down there, but be careful, only 8% preferred you to go all the way (translation: just get rid of enough hair so it doesn't look like an unkempt rosebush — added bonus: eliminating some of the hair covering the base of your penis will also make it look up to an inch bigger)

So, now that you see the benefits and opinions of the fairer sex, how exactly do you go about removing hair from these other areas? There are many options available:

• Laser hair removal: This is the most expensive and long-lasting method. Laser treatments are usually done in sessions and require 2-4 visits at a couple hundred dollars each, at least. The obvious advantage is that you will only have to do it a few times per year. Yes, it does eventually grow back, but it's said to be finer than before. This is the only method I haven't personally tried.
• Epilator: Yes, I was intrigued enough to try an epilator. The idea is that a rotating cylinder of tweezers rapidly pulls your hair out at the root, meaning it takes longer to grow back. Well, it's just as unpleasant as it sounds. I tried it once on my legs, and after 30 minutes of what felt like a thousand bee stings, I decided this wasn't the method for me. They say you get used to it after a few times, because the hair grows back thinner, and it did actually keep me smooth for about 4 weeks, so you may want to consider trying this, if you're man enough (or metrosexual enough?).
• BodyGroom: This is, by far, the easiest, fastest, and most convenient tool I've found. I saw an ad for it in Men's Health and decided to give it a try, since it was only about $30. I was surprised at how versatile and effective it was for the price. It's cordless, it has different length attachments (very useful for the "netherlands"), and it can even work in the shower.

So, experiment and try different methods to find the one that works best for you. Or, if all this "man-scaping" talk is still a little too "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" for you, that's fine too. But, the results are clear: over half of women prefer you a little less hairy. I think this hilarious music video from the makers of Body Groom says it best:

There's another funny video like this on the Phillips Norelco BG2020 Bodygroom Shaver product page. Click Here to watch it and learn more about the BodyGroom.

What are your thoughts on men and their shavers venturing below the neck? And what do you think is the best method to get rid of that extra body hair?

Tagged as: abs, body, fast, fat, fitbuff, health, Sex, time