Should You Remove Your Chest Hair? Best Removal Options

Why?

Take a second and ask yourself why you are even considering removing your chest hair. Are you a swimmer? A Bodybuilder? Or another type of athlete? These are common reasons many men chose to keep their bodies hair free.

Is there some other reason? Perhaps you are the type of person that prides yourself on being trendy, or you want to do it for someone special in your life. Whatever the reason behind the idea, you may want to think about it before taking the plunge.

What Women Think

Since we suggested that removing your chest hair for someone else as a viable reason, we thought we would take a moment to consider what women think about men removing their chest hair.

There are obviously going to be many different opinions from women, but those that weigh in on this topic share some similar opinions.

1. Women recommend not shaving your chest hair. Why? Have you felt your chin a little while after you have shaved? That stubble is like sandpaper on a woman’s skin, so they are not likely going to want to cuddle up with a man-sized piece of itchiness.
2. Some women think that a bare chest just looks weird. This probably comes from the completely ridiculous stereotype that chest hair makes a manly man. Some women have noted that for the vast majority of men they do not have that perfectly toned, smooth skin that you may see in magazines or movies. A bare chest is going to put even the tiniest imperfection on full display.
3. The funny part is the same women will also repel the idea of a lot of chest hair. Really? Make up your mind, right? The truth though is that many hairy men are also not happy with their level of hairiness either. So, that may mean there is some balance to be found.
4. Younger women are more accepting of the idea of a man shaving or removing his chest hair than older women.
5. Married women are less likely to find a hair-free chest that a single woman.
6. Finally, women exclaim that if you do want to remove your chest hair, do it right. If you chose to shave it off, then you better do it often enough she is not going to feel that stubble, or use other hair removal methods that leave the skin smoother, like waxing or depilatory creams.

Shaving

Shaving is probably the first thing everyone thinks of for hair removal. After all, we shave all other body hair, why not our chest? Shaving does have its drawback, but there are some advantages too.

Advantages of Shaving

• The cheapest hair removal method on the planet. Now, admittedly there is a huge difference in the costs of different types of razors. That is true whether you are talking about disposable razors, cartridge razors, or electric razors. But even using a more expensive electric razor is probably going to be less expensive than most other options.
• Shaving is fast and easy, every one of us has probably been shaving for some time.
• Mostly painless. Though people with certain skin conditions or improper shaving can cause nicks or cuts, and skin irritation. However, if those same people were to use other methods, they will likely experience similar issues.

Disadvantages of Shaving

• Repetitive – even the luckiest of men will probably have to shave their chest at least once a week to avoid the dreaded stubble.
• Risk of irritation, cuts or nicks. You are using a blade of some kind after all, so there is some possibility that damage could occur.
• Ingrown hairs and razor burn – this should not be any surprise. We’ve all likely experienced one both at some point since puberty started. Shaving of any type can cause ingrown hairs and razor burn is uncommon at all/

Depilatory Creams

Depilatory (or hair removal) creams are those stinky creams that use chemicals to soften or dissolve hair. Women have been using this stuff for years! Now there is a wide selection of creams designed specifically for men

Advantages of Depilatories

• Takes very little time – Most creams work in under 5 minutes.
• No razor needed
• Removes hair below the skin, sometimes deep into the hair follicle.

Disadvantages of Depilatories

• The chemical smell is… well, disgusting
• Risk of chemical burn – Like we said they contain chemicals and harsh ones. These creams dissolve the hair or at least penetrate into them to break them down some, that means they can be damaging to the skin as well.
• May not remove all of the hair – This is especially true for thick and coarse hair. This would not be an issue, except you have to wait a while before using the cream again or you are definitely going to have some skin irritation, or worse.

Epilator

An epilator is a device that plucks the hair out from the root. Epilators can be small and have only a few blades that trap and pull the hair, or larger epilators can have as many as 50 blades or even more. This means that every rotation can remove around 25 or so hairs at a time.

Advantages of Epilating

• Removes the hair from the root – Just like using tweezers on a single hair, and epilator grabs the hair and gives it a quick yank.
• Less painful than you may think – We would never claim that using an epilator is pain-free. However, the speed of the epilator removes the hair so quickly there really is only a microsecond of pain. Some people barely feel it… lucky ducks!
• Hair takes longer to regrow – Since an epilator pulls the hair from the root, it can take a while for the hair regrowth to even reach the skin surface. For some, this means weeks of smooth skin.
• Works on very short hairs, so you will not have to worry about stubble or visible growth. Some can even remove hairs as short as 0.5mm in length!

Disadvantages of Epilating

• There is a possibility of pain – Cheaper epilators especially can be less powerful. This means that the plucking motion is not quite as quick. You may feel a pull before the hair gives way and is removed.
• Redness and inflammation – Even the best epilators can leave the skin red and inflamed for a short time following hair removal. This is because the hair is forcefully removed. Luckily it goes away fairly quickly, and you can help it with a cold compress or even cool water.
• Increased chance of ingrown hairs.
• Good quality epilators are not cheap.

Waxing

There are different types of waxes that can be used to remove chest hair. Hard waxes are melted and then spread on the skin and removed when cooled removing the hair with it. A soft wax uses wax strips to remove the wax and hair.

Advantages of Waxing

• Removes hair from the root, allowing longer time between treatments.
• Helps reduce and prevent ingrown hairs
• Waxing can be used to remove hairs on any part of the body.
• Hard wax is great for individuals with sensitive skin.

Disadvantages of Waxing

• Can be painful
• Hair must be grown for 2-3 weeks before waxing
• Can’t shave between waxing

Sugaring

Sugaring is the oldest forms of hair removal, having been around since ancient times. A sugar-based paste is applied in the opposite direction of hair growth and removed with the direction of hair growth.

Advantages of Sugaring

• Sugaring uses only natural and hypoallergenic ingredients.
• Causes less irritation than other hair removal methods
• Less pain than waxing
• Can remove large amounts of hair in one application
• Sugar paste can be reused several times

Disadvantages of Sugaring

• Less common in salons and spas than waxing services
• Harder to DIY than other hair removal methods
• Requires hair to be around ¼ inch for effective removal

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal should only be considered an option if you plan to go bare-chested permanently. While laser hair removal is not 100% permanent it is very close. After 4-6 sessions, most people only require maintenance once or twice a year to keep hair from growing.

Advantages of Laser Hair Removal

• Laser hair removal is a great option for large areas.
• FDA approved to reduce hair growth
• Less painful than many other hair removal methods
• Each session only takes minutes

Disadvantages of Laser Hair Removal

• Best results usually require between 4 and 6 treatments
• Initial costs are higher than all methods above
• There are some risks, especially when performed by poorly trained clinicians

Electrolysis

Individuals that want permanent hair removal will want to consider the only FDA approved permanent hair removal treatment. Electrolysis consists of each hair follicle being exposed to heat or chemicals. This essentially kills the follicle preventing further hair production.

Advantages of Electrolysis

• Only true permanent hair removal method
• Works for most hair and skin types and on all areas of hair growth
• Safe method of hair removal, when performed by a licensed professional

Disadvantages of Electrolysis

• Though modern methods have helped, electrolysis can be quite painful
• Time-consuming, each individual hair follicle must be treated
• Pricey
• Requires several sessions to ensure that each hair follicle has been treated at the right time (during the growth phase)
• May not work on all hair follicles