Once the domain of the beaches of the Mediterranean, a region where men are as well manicured as their female counterparts, how is the Kiwi bloke dealing with the growing trend of Manscaping?
Man… what? Manscapping….
For those unfamiliar with the term, ‘manscaping’ is a name conjured up by the marketers in the grooming industry to describe the act of dealing with hair below the neckline. Which, more often than not, means, well, shaving your balls. But with nipples to navigate and “Private Ryan” to protect, manscaping is one male grooming activity that needs to be carried out with care and attention. On an extremely basic (and in some cases quite literal) level, it’s gorilla warfare: a man has to be armed, ready and experienced to fight the fur.
Manscaping was once a taboo subject, where once, a good nether-regions hygiene consisted of a quick in-shower lather. While women have been enjoying the freedom of perfectly manicured nether regions for years, men have been suffering the massive indignity of a hairy bean bag. But is it really anything more than just pube mowing? Male trimmers, aka a Manscaping Lawn Mower, are providing a safe and efficient tool so that there is no risk in accidentally zesting your lemons while manscaping in the privacy of your own home. A perfectly manicured downstairs operation should have men feeling full of confidence.
Trimming chest hair is probably most men’s introduction to manscaping. Mainly it’s where body hair is most prominent and prolific. Not only will trimming chest hair help show off hard-won pecs if you’re a gym-goer, but it can also make you feel cooler and fresher too, and even improve the line of t-shirts, ensuring they don’t look lumpy and uneven. Many people think that pubic hair traps moisture and causes irritation. Also, a garden that isn’t tended to often apparently smells more than one that is regularly weeded.
Shaving, waxing and sugaring are all options, but a simpler option is to keep it neatly clippered. You won’t get as smooth a finish but you’ll still be able to see muscle definition beneath, and if you trim hair to a centimetre or so in length you’ll avoid the itchy regrowth associated with shaving.
How long the current trend of manscaping lasts remains to be seen, and the subject of much speculation. But for now, rest assured that the trimmed sack, back and crack will be a mainstay of 2021.
Be careful out there. Never take your trimming lightly.
Words—Max Dawson from OneMan
