How to Manscape

Co-authored by Erica Coates and Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: December 7, 2022

If you’re not into the “caveman” look or just want to take greater control over your style, grab some grooming tools and get to work! Manscaping is the process of removing unwanted or unsightly body hair to improve your physical appearance and achieve a more clean-cut look. Manscaping often involves trimming and/or shaving hair from your chest, back, shoulders, underarms, pubic region, and anywhere else you need a bit of grooming.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Grooming from the Neck Up

1
Tidy up your eyebrows with grooming scissors and tweezers. Use a pair of grooming scissors to trim back any eyebrow hairs that are noticeably longer than the rest. Then, use tweezers to pluck out any hairs that are rooted outside the natural contour of your eyebrows.^{[1]
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- If your eyebrows are particularly bushy, comb through them before trimming so the hairs are lying properly. Or, wet your fingers a bit and smooth the eyebrows into place.
- You can keep plucking if you want to further thin out the natural look of your eyebrows, but that’s up to you.
- Use the grooming scissors that come with a typical grooming kit (along with tweezers, nail clippers, etc.), not the full-size scissors you’d use for a haircut.
2
Pluck or cut any rogue ear hairs. If you have any stray hairs growing off of the outside of your ear, either pluck them out with tweezers or cut them down as short as you can with grooming scissors. Remove each hair with a firm, quick yank of the tweezers, or pull each hair taut with the tweezers, then hold the scissors parallel to the flesh of your ear and cut the hair off at the base.^{[2]
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- Use tweezers to yank out any visible hairs growing from inside your ear canal. This will hurt a bit, but you can reduce the pain by gripping the hair shaft firmly with your tweezers and pulling quickly and firmly.
- Never stick grooming scissors or any other sharp object into your ears.
- Only pluck hairs from the inside of your ear if they’re visible outside your ear.
3
Trim long nose hairs instead of plucking them. Pull any protruding nose hairs in each nostril taut with your tweezers, then hold the scissors parallel to your nostril opening and cut each hair off as short as you can. Do not stick the scissors up into your nose to trim the hairs. Also, don’t pluck hairs from out of your nose—any minor bleeding may lead to an infection.^{[3]
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- Alternatively, you can purchase an electric nose hair trimmer. Models vary, but generally you'll just turn it on and stick the rounded trimmer into each nostril. Don't stick it farther up your nose than directed.
- Pluck or trim any rogue hairs growing on the top or side of your nose.
4
Shave or trim your facial hair to suit your style. If you’re going for a clean-shaven look, use a manual razor. Soften your skin and open your pores by showering or washing your face, then massage in a healthy coating of shaving cream. Shave in the direction of hair growth and rinse the blade often with clean water. Finish by rinsing your face with cool water, patting it dry, and applying an aftershave lotion or balm.
- Use a clean, sharp razor every time you shave. If the blade is getting dull or full of gunk, replace it.
- If you want to keep a tidy beard, use a grooming trimmer instead. Adjust the blade setting to your desired length setting and glide the trimmer over your facial hair in even, smooth strokes.
- If you have sensitive skin on your face that gets easily irritated by shaving, keep in mind that the same will likely happen if you shave other areas of your body. In this case, you may want to trim your body hair instead of shaving it.^{[4]
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5
Shave the front and back of your neck as well, if needed. If you're shaving your face, just include the front of your neck in the process. Shaving the back of your neck can be a bit trickier. Either use a handheld mirror in one hand and the razor in the other, or find someone who's willing to give you a quick neck shave.
- If you plan to shave your back (which is also much easier with a partner), you can include the back of your neck in that process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning Up Your Chest, Back, and Limbs

1
Trim your chest hair for a less drastic change from your natural look. While you can shave your chest completely, you may prefer the look of simply trimming down your chest hair with a grooming trimmer. If so, set the trimmer to the desired length and glide it down your chest in smooth, even strokes.^{[5]
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- Trimming instead of shaving your chest hair won’t highlight your muscles quite as much, which may be your preference if you don’t necessarily have a chiseled look.
2
Shave your chest hair completely if you want to highlight your pecs. Start by using a grooming trimmer to shorten your chest hair as much as possible—this will make shaving much easier. Then, follow the same basic procedure you use for shaving your face (or other body parts)—shower to open your pores and soften your skin, massage in shaving cream, use a clean, sharp razor, glide it over your skin smoothly, rinse the razor often, and use aftershave when you’re finished.^{[6]
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- The less hair you have on your chest, the more noticeable your chest muscles will be. So, if you’ve been working hard on building up your pecs (and abs), shave to show them off!
3
Remove back hair completely (with help) by shaving or waxing. Whether you shave or trim other areas of your body, you should remove all the hair from your back if you want a sleek look. This is easier said than done, however, if you don’t have a helper. See if you can get your significant other or a friend to shave your back, using standard razor procedures.^{[7]
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- If you want to try shaving alone with a clip-on "razor extender" handle (which you can buy online), stand with your back to a mirror and hold a mirror in your hand. Use the mirrors to watch as you use the extender to guide your razor over your back in smooth, even strokes. You'll get a better shave if a friend does the job, however.
- Alternatively, you can go to a salon and have your back waxed to remove the hair.
- If you have stray hairs on the tops of your shoulders, pluck them out with tweezers.
4
Cut back your armpit hair to a less noticeable length. If your arm hair isn’t visible when you have your arms to your sides, you can probably just leave it alone. If you want or need to trim it, though, use a grooming trimmer or grooming scissors to shorten the hair to the desired length.^{[8]
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- Unless you’re shaving your armpit hair completely, it’s probably best to leave it as long as you can while keeping it less noticeable. Otherwise, the stubbly hair will be itchy and uncomfortable.
5
Trim or shave your arms and legs based on your preference. This part of the manscaping routine definitely comes down to personal preference. If you have thin or fair arm and leg hair, you may just want to leave it alone. If it’s thick or dark, though, you may want to either trim it down to 0.125 in (3.2 mm) or less, or shave it off completely.^{[9]
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- Trim arm and leg hair with a grooming trimmer set to your desired length.
- Shave your arms and legs using the same razor techniques you utilize elsewhere.
6
Use grooming scissors for any long hairs on your toes or fingers. If the knuckles on the backs of your fingers and (more commonly) your toes have a hairy, Hobbit-like appearance, trim the hair down to about 0.25 in (6.4 mm) in length with grooming scissors. This is an area of manscaping that’s easy to overlook!^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Manscaping Your Groin Area

1
Pull the skin taut and work carefully, no matter your strategy. Whether you’re shaving or trimming “down there,” always keep in mind that you’re dealing with skin that’s extra-sensitive and often thinner and looser than elsewhere. Use your free hand to pull the skin taut before you pass over the hair with your trimmer or razor. This is especially important if you’re grooming the hair on your scrotum.^{[11]
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- Invest in a good set of grooming clippers and maintain them according to the product instructions. Make sure your razor is clean and sharp as well. Use the same techniques as elsewhere on your body--just work even more slowly and carefully!
2
Start with a trimmer even if you plan on shaving. Use the trimmer to cut down on the length of your pubic hair. You can either leave it trimmed for a sculpted look, move on to shaving it for a clean look, or try a part-trimmed and part-shaved combination.^{[12]
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- There are many pubic hair styles to choose from, but it mostly comes down to personal preference. Generally speaking, though, the more interested you are in highlighting your “package,” the less hair you should keep.
3
Shave, if desired, with a sharp razor and lots of shaving cream and aftershave. Never try to shave your pubic hair without trimming it down to 0.125 in (3.2 mm) or less first. The long, dense, curly hairs will get caught in your razor and you’ll end up yanking them out—ouch! Trim first, then shave using proper shaving strategies—warm water, lots of shaving cream, a sharp razor, short strokes in the direction of hair growth, a cool water rinse, and aftershave.^{[13]
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- Don’t skimp on the aftershave. Your skin is sensitive in this area, and will become very irritated otherwise. Reapply the aftershave for a few days afterward if needed.
4
Trim and/or shave your perineum as well. This is the hard-to-see (and reach) area between your scrotum and your anus. If you trim or shave the hair in your groin area, though, any hair on your perineum will become more noticeable. Cut it back to the same length as the hair in your groin area.^{[14]
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- There’s no simple way to reach this area with a trimmer or razor. Standing up or sitting on the edge of the tub, the toilet, or a bench may work best for you.
- No matter if you’re standing or sitting, spread out your legs and use your free hand to both lift your scrotum out of the way and pull the perineum skin taut.
5
Use an epilator to deal with any problematic hair on your backside. Let’s be frank here—you don’t want unsightly hair growing out of your butt crack if you’ve gone to all the trouble of manscaping everywhere else. This, of course, isn’t an ideal place for a trimmer or razor. Instead, use an epilator, a handheld device that grabs and pulls out multiple hairs at once.^{[15]
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- Yes, this will hurt a little, but remind yourself that it will complete your look!
- You can find epilators alongside trimmers and electric razors at major retailers. They may be located with women's razors and trimmers, but they're great for manscaping too!

Community Q&A

Question

If I shave my pubic hair, should I shave my legs?

Community Answer

Don't feel pressured to shave your legs; it's your choice. Most women prefer that men do not shave their legs, as some say it makes a man too feminine.
Question

I have red spots on the area i manscaped in my groin. Can anyone give me advice on what to do next time?

Community Answer

The red spots could either be inflamation, or ingrown hairs. The best way to prevent this is to exfoliate the area with a good quality salt scrub before manscaping, and to gently exfoliate afterwards with a wash cloth. Also look into a good moisturizer to put on (it should have no added scents or colourants) to lather on to soothe the inflamed skin.

Warnings

Avoid using at-home hair removal sprays or waxing kits unless you have experience with using these products. In many cases, especially if you have long body hairs, you could be increasing your risk for irritation as a result of using these types of at-home treatments.

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