There are a whole lot on options available to men when it comes to shaving their faces, but it gets a little hard to shave other regions. Especially since most men don’t get the same kind of practice, unexposed to the kind of social expectation about looks that women deal with. Shaving hard to see, hard to (comfortably) reach regions such as the calves, armpits and the back is a nightmare; no matter how much practice you’ve had with shaving your chin, you always end up with ten cuts and razor burn that hurts like you rubbed tabasco sauce on your skin. Is there a way out?
There are ways of getting rid of back hair once and for all. I mean, nobody really looks forward to back stubble, so it makes sense to give them a try. Depilatory creams melt the hair; you need only apply it and leave it on for under 5 minutes, wipe it away to reveal smooth skin. There’s waxing everyone knows about, where it’s just hot wax (and sometimes even cold wax strips) that is laid onto your skin, topped with a paper, tissue or cloth and then yanked out along with the hair that marked the skin.
There’s even people doing it with a caramel-like rubbery jelly these days, since it is biodegradable. However, these methods are far from ideal. Depilatory creams smell horrible, can cause you a rash if you’re sensitive, and since they’re so dangerous to hair anywhere, you wouldn’t want to get it on surfaces you like to be hairy, such as your eyebrows or anywhere on your head. They’re also often not safe for sensitive regions like the groin. Waxing is painful, on the other hand. It yanks out hair forcefully, so it is less than ideal for surfaces that are more sensitive, again like the groin.
So shaving your back hair remains the only good option in my opinion. It is ideal to get help from someone, since you can’t see what’s behind your eyes, and you haven’t got all day to run your fingers over the back to locate a surface that still has hair on it. Plus, the angle is a lot more natural when you shave with the surface in front of you instead of behind. Regardless of whether you have a buddy to help out or not, we’re listing the ways you can use to shave your back if you’re a man.
Note: Let us be very clear though. This is not gender specific. If you’re a lady, these methods can work for you as well. We address the article to men because it is written by learning from the experience of men, and some methods we describe are aimed towards the male audience since the more developed shoulder blades in men (courtesy testosterone) make taking the hand to the back especially tricky. If you’re a woman wanting to get rid of back hair, by all means, try these methods out and let us know what worked for you and to what extent.
[su_note note_color=”#d6e0ca” radius=”4″]
How to Shave your Back for Men:
-
Using a Razor Extender
A razor extender can allow you to use your familiar razor you use to shave your cheeks to get rid of back hair as well. And while it is theoretically ok to just tie the razor to a firm stick and go at it, a proper razor extender does a lot more. For starters, it makes maneuvering the razor a lot easier. I mean a stick is almost built to allow you to stab your back with the blade; razor extenders are gentler. They are easier to grip, versatile and don’t need you to twist your arm like your bones were made of rubber band.
-
Buying a separate back hair razor
Your back is a pretty big expanse of skin, complete with ups and downs tracing your bones, fat and muscles. Buying a separate back hair razor makes things a little more safer since back razors are built to serve on this undulated territory. You needn’t spend a fortune either, though there are fancier, functionally better models that are much easier to operate and even maintain, available at understandably bigger costs.
-
Use an additional mirror
The traditional way to shaving your back is to take out as much hair as you can, wash your back and then feel for hair with your fingers to go for a second coat and scrape. But you might be left shaving multiple times, and not only does that take more time, but it also increases chances of razor burn each time you lay the razor on your back after the first sweep. Instead, use a handheld mirror to reflect your back in the big mirror in front of you, like a hair stylist does for the back of your head. You’ll have a much more comprehensive idea about where you need to move your hand to get those last long strands of hair, and where to steer clear of because of emerging redness.
-
Get some help
There is really no reason to feel shy. Most men have some amount of back hair, so chances are your friend has probably taken some measure of this kind as well. You could go approach a hair stylist or enquire at the local salon, but I assume you want to avoid spending money in the matter. Someone else shaving your back is way superior to doing it on your own, since the person can see clearly where each hair strand is and whether all of them have been removed or not. It’s certainly intuitive, no?
[/su_note]
[su_note note_color=”#eaddca” radius=”4″]
It can be tough to get your back hair sorted, so you must remember to follow the basic shaving precautions most people advise. Here’s a quick list to remember.
- Go slow. Your back is sensitive, plus you can’t directly see where your hand is going.
- Apply shaving cream/foam. It makes the process a lot easier.
- Consider trimming the back hair before you shave. Getting the long strands shortened can make shaving back hair a lot easier and less painful.
- Clean up afterwards. Your skin is exposed to the elements and there’s probably cuts and razor burn that’s itching you. You don’t want to let it sit and fester. Clean up with a mild soap if you want. Apply a gentle ointment or lotion to keep the skin moisturised. And like always, avoid aftershave liquids! They’re nothing but liquid pain and do little except kill bacteria that you can get rid of just as easily by washing your skin.
[/su_note]
Well, that’s all for this short guide to shaving your back. I sure hope this helps you. If you have a query, let us know in the comments below.
