Hair removal for men: back, chest, beard and intimate area

The methods at a glance

¹ Permanent hair reduction requires several treatments, depending on the body area and the individual hair and skin type. Success cannot be guaranteed, even when the treatment is carried out professionally. On light, red, grey or white hair, the treatment is ineffective or only partially effective.

Back: do it yourself or have it done?

The back is the most difficult area if you want to do it yourself – you can hardly reach everywhere on your own.

• Shaving it yourself: there are razors with a long handle for the back. It's easier and more thorough if someone helps. A trimmer is enough if you just want to shorten the hair.
• Hair removal cream: stick exactly to the application time and test on a small area first. Here too, it's hard to reach everything evenly without help.
• Waxing: the result lasts a few weeks, but you clearly feel it on the back. The hair has to grow back a few millimetres before each appointment.
• Laser: the full back is one of the largest areas; you can see the exact duration on the area page and in online booking. "Full back" runs from the base of the neck to the lower back; the shoulders are a separate area. In many men, the hair continues over the shoulders – we'll look at this in the initial consultation. Details on the page Back, chest and stomach laser hair removal.

Chest and stomach

For the chest and stomach, a trimmer is enough for many men: the hair gets shorter and the skin stays calm. If you shave smooth, soften the skin first, use shaving gel and shave in the direction of hair growth – that way you'll get less razor burn and fewer ingrown hairs. For laser treatment, the chest is a separate area; the areolas can be treated as a small area in the same appointment.

Beard: beard contours instead of the full beard

Most men want to keep their beard and just stop constantly shaving the edges: neckline, cheek line, transitions. That's exactly what the beard contours laser area is for – the beard itself is left untouched.

Two things you should know beforehand:

• A contour that has been lasered can hardly be brought back. Considerably fewer hairs grow back on the treated area – a beard line you'd like to have differently in two years' time can't simply be grown back in. That's why we define the line together before the first session and, if in doubt, start narrower – it can always be extended later.
• Paradoxical hypertrichosis: in rare cases, fine hair grows back more densely at the edge of the treated area after treatment. In an analysis of many studies, this occurred in about 3% of those treated overall, almost exclusively on the face and neck – exactly where the beard contours are. We'll talk about this openly beforehand.

On the face, more sessions are usually needed than on the body, usually 8 to 12. If you don't want laser treatment: razor bumps and ingrown beard hairs mainly affect men with a curly beard. You'll find tips in the article Ingrown hairs and razor burn. More about the treatment: Beard and beard contour laser hair removal.

Intimate area and buttocks

Men, too, most often shave the intimate area – with the same problems as women. For trimming, the American Academy of Dermatology advises: do it standing up so you can see what you're doing; for shaving: use a clean razor, don't share it and apply a fragrance-free moisturiser afterwards. If you only want to shorten the hair, use a trimmer with a guard – it's gentler on the skin.

Hair removal cream for men in the intimate area: only if the manufacturer explicitly intends it for this area, and never on mucous membranes or on genital skin that the manufacturer excludes.

Laser: for men, the only part of the intimate area we treat is the bikini line, i.e. the area along the underwear line. The buttock crease and buttocks are separate areas and can also be booked by men. More on the page Bikini line and buttocks laser hair removal for men.

Legs and underarms

If you're shaving your legs for the first time, you've got a large area ahead of you. What helps everywhere helps here too: warm water, shaving gel, a sharp blade, in the direction of hair growth. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends changing the blade or disposable razor after 5 to 7 shaves. For the underarms, a trimmer is often enough.

For laser treatment, the underarms are one of the simplest areas: with us, they cost the same for men and women. Men's hair there is usually denser, so it often takes one or two more sessions. For men's legs, we plan more time because the area is larger and the hair denser – details under Leg laser hair removal for men.

Hair removal cream for men

Hair removal creams dissolve the hair chemically just below the surface of the skin. It doesn't hurt and lasts a little longer than shaving. Here's how to go about it:

• test first: apply a small amount, leave it on for the stated time and wash it off. If it burns or stings, don't use the product. Otherwise, wait 24 hours
• only for the intended areas: don't use body cream on the face, or in the intimate area unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it
• irritation is possible even after years of problem-free use

Epilating for men

An epilator pulls the hairs out by the root; the result lasts two to four weeks. With dense, coarse men's hair, you clearly feel it. As with tweezing and waxing, the regrowing hairs can grow in. Gentle exfoliation between uses helps. If you want laser treatment, don't epilate between sessions – the laser needs the hair root.

Laser for men: what you should know

• Works best on dark, coarse hair – which is the case for most areas on men. On light blonde, red, grey or white hair, no laser works.
• Several sessions: usually 6 to 10, 4 to 6 weeks apart, more on the face.
• You can feel it – on the back it's usually easy to tolerate, along the spine and on the flanks a little more noticeable.
• Shave beforehand, don't wax or epilate. If you can't reach everywhere on your back, let us know beforehand.

Why some areas cost more for men

Not because you're a man, but because the appointment takes longer. For a man's back, we plan 50 minutes instead of 40, for the chest and stomach 25 instead of 20 each. Where the area and session length are the same – underarms, neck, nape of the neck, hands – the price is the same for everyone. You'll find all prices under Prices & price calculator – you can switch to "Men" there.

FAQ

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology: 6 ways to remove unwanted hair. aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/hair/remove-unwanted-hair
2. American Academy of Dermatology: How to shave. aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/hair/how-to-shave
3. American Academy of Dermatology: 7 ways to prevent injuries while trimming pubic hair. aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/hair/trimming-pubic-hair
4. Mayo Clinic: Ingrown hair – Symptoms and causes. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-hair/symptoms-causes/syc-20373893
5. Snast I et al.: Paradoxical Hypertrichosis Associated with Laser and Light Therapy for Hair Removal: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Clin Dermatol 2021;22(5):615–624. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34057666
6. Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz: Dauerhafte Haarentfernung (Epilation). bfs.de/DE/themen/opt/anwendung-medizin-wellness/epilation/epilation.html

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