How to Groom Body Hair in 3 Steps, According to a Grooming Editor

UNLIKE A NEW haircut or freshly trimmed beard, body hair is only noticeable when it’s poorly managed. Rarely do you hear somebody say, “Oh, I love what you did with your arm hair.” So it can be a bit of a thankless process, but it’s crucial all the same. You never want to be the guy with chest hair bursting out of his shirt collar or creeping out of your swim trunks.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having loads of body hair. I say this as a dude who is, er, quite furry. But just like the hair on your head, letting your body hair go completely untamed can look anywhere from disheveled to deranged. Fortunately, there are plenty of great body groomers and pubic trimmers made specifically for men to keep it from getting out of control. The best part? The whole process can be done with fewer steps than a basic oil change (I assume—these hands were not designed for manual labor).

Step One: Decide What You’re Looking For When it comes to making plans or taking a trip, I’m all for spontaneity. But there is no benefit to being adventurous with your body hair. Just like when you’re trimming your beard or cutting your hair, you cannot go into manscaping without a plan. Sure, some people can pull off the entirely smooth Ken doll look, but for those who can’t, it can be a catastrophic mistake. I say this as a dude whose glaring body would blind all those within 100 yards if I peeled off every strand. Thankfully, I easily avoid unleashing this football field of pale terror with bare minimum planning ahead of grooming sessions.

So, just figure out what look you’re going for. Think of it as a scale from The Rock to Burt Reynolds, completely waxed to chest hair for days. To be clear, I wouldn’t recommend going completely bald everywhere and shaving with a razor. This eliminates the ability for a gradual trim to see what you like best, and the skincare and razors necessary for a smooth full-body shave job would take far too long. I also took waxing off the table, as this guide is meant for at-home, solo sessions.

Step Two: Prep Body for Grooming This might be controversial, but you should be cleansing your body before you groom it, especially if you do plan on shaving (again, this would be exhausting for the full body). I know, it’s annoying for clean-up purposes to bathe before you do your grooming, but I promise it’s worth the nuisance. Using a body wash or bar soap before you trim hair anywhere on your body helps clear the skin of dirt, sweat, and oil, which reduces the risk of irritation or even infection (hate to sound like your dad, but it’s possible!). Plus, water (especially when it’s warm) will soften the hair to make it easier to cut, reducing the risk of tugging.

And if you’re prone to ingrown hairs or acne, this whole process reduces the likelihood of both by opening up pores for a smoother shave or trim. Also, be sure to dry your body before starting any trim job to avoid hair clumping up and giving you an uneven cut. Now, there is one workaround: Use a waterproof trimmer, so you can groom in the shower, and the cleansing bit won’t feel like an extra step.

Dr. Squatch Birchwood Breeze (3-Pack)

Nivea Men Sensitive 3-in-1 Body Wash (3-Pack)Now 20% Off

Credit: JOE LINGEMAN

Bevel Moisturizing Body WashCredit: joe lingemanStep Three: Groom One Area at a Time (With Varying Tools) Now, it’s time to do the actual grooming. Before getting into the technique for every section of your body, there are two pieces of advice I implore you to follow. First, take it slow. Rushing will only result in an uneven trim, going shorter than you intended, or worse, nicking skin. If you’re using a trimmer (which you should be), start with a higher comb attachment and work your way down. This will help ensure you don’t overdo it, and give you a couple of practice runs to boot.

Finally, do not use the same device you use on your face as on your body. This is a non-hygienic, flaming red flag. Even if you rinse it off after, you risk transferring bacteria from your body (like your pits or crotch) onto your face. Try to use a different device for your groin and your body, as well. It will also help to use a separate tool for back hair, but this is less about hygiene and more about convenience, as I can confirm pulling your back is a major risk factor when trying to trim it with a basic body groomer. Of course, with all of this, how much or little you trim is entirely up to your personal preference.

Chest and Shoulders This is when you can finally grab your body groomer. For the most comfortable trim, go for the Panasonic Body Groomer GK80 (our best overall body groomer). Its unique V-shaped blade and ergonomic design allow you to tackle every part of your torso with ease. Plus, the innovative length guard oscillates between 12 different lengths with the turn of a dial, so you’ll easily be able to gradually work down in length.

If you have sensitive skin, look to the Philips Norelco OneBlade. It won’t get you quite as close as the Panasonic groomer, but its flexible blade head is as gentle as any I’ve tried. When you start trimming your chest, move the blade in the direction that your hair grows to further reduce tugging and skin irritation. I’m pretty comfortable with the amount of chest hair I have, and generally advise keeping some length, so I rarely trim it. However, I do shape it.

The desired look is somewhere between a T and V of hair that follows the oval-shaped hair covering your pecks toward a straighter line down your stomach. You then want to trim any hair lingering outside of this defined zone with one of the lower attachment lengths, or with just the bald blade for as short as possible. Take a similar approach to your shoulders, going much shorter here to emphasize chest hair. Again, don’t use a razor for the shoulders. This area can be prone to irritation and acne, as it produces a lot of oil and faces friction from clothing throughout the day.

Back For back hair, you’ll want to go as short as possible, using a trimmer or electric razor without any attachment. You don’t necessarily need another tool to tackle your back hair, but there are plenty of options out there that will make it much easier, and less taxing on your spine. The best back shavers come equipped with a trimmer or razor attached to a long handle, so you can easily scrub hair without contorting your body in ridiculous (and possibly painful) ways.

The Bakblade 2.0 Elite Plus is great for beginners and seasoned back shavers alike, offering a comfortable grip and enough length to reach every crevice of your back with ease. The blade base is also 18 inches wide, allowing you to tackle large areas at once. Plus, it’s waterproof, so you can do this all in the shower.

Groin I understand that I’ve mentioned this already, but it bears repeating when dealing with the family jewels: Go slow! No matter how little or much length you’re going for, the risk of cutting is still there, and the pain will be very real. And, again, you need to be using a separate device here. There are two pubic trimmers that stand up from all the rest: Gillette Intimate and Manscaped Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra. Both are designed specifically for the pubic area, so they’re as gentle on skin as possible while still being able to hack down hair. Plus, each is waterproof for shower trimming.

Legs and ArmsYou don’t have to be a swimmer to manage your arm and leg hair. Some dudes just want to keep the hair on their limbs in check. For this, you can use the same tool that you did on your chest and shoulders, and follow a similar strategy: Cut with the grain. If you’re really dying to do some body grooming with a razor, these are the spots to take out that impulse. Arm and leg skin aren’t quite as sensitive as the chest or groin, and won’t require as much product to complete.

Panasonic Body Groomer ER-GK80-SCredit: Eli Schmidt

Philips Norelco OneBlade 360Credit: joe lingeman

Bakblade 2.0 Elite Plus

Manscapes The Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra Credit: joe lingeman

Gillette Intimate Pubic Hair Trimmer

Meridian TrimmerNow 25% Off

Sean Zucker is the Grooming and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health. He brings over half a decade of experience covering health, wellness, and lifestyle. When Sean’s not writing about hair products, you can find him running for exercise, or toward the nearest food truck.

Christian is the deputy commerce editor at Men’s Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.