Grooming Beyond the Facial Hair

During my high school days, I had what some would call “fuzzy eyebrows.” They were not quite as bad as a full uni-brow, but hairs did cross in the middle. I was fairly self-conscious about my eyebrows and did not like people pointing out the near uni-brow. When I went off to college, my crazy, Gothic-Lotita hair stylist recommended I get my eyebrows waxed. She personally did not like them and was as polite as possible recommending I get a wax job. At first I was a bit skeptical and knew it would hurt. She offered to do it for free just to show me the difference (I also think she liked putting people in pain). I lay down on the message table and she went to work on causing me pain and agony. After a few painful swipes and some eyebrow plucking, I was a new man with perfectly rounded eyebrows. The results were shocking and I have been happily paying $5-10 about every two months. None of my co-workers or friends has realized I get eyebrow waxing. It is one of those things that unless you let it get out of control (as in stop getting it done), people will never know.

I have asked a number of estheticians what they thought about guys getting various body parts waxed. Most said that they have regular male clients who get their eyebrows, chest, back, and neck waxed (I have tried this too and find it very painful). The estheticians I have used stated that it is purely personal preference for men to get various body parts waxed. Chest and back waxing can run anywhere from $35 and up, while most eyebrow waxing ranges from $5-15. The one area that most estheticians refuse to wax is the genital area (do it at your own risk).

When I talk about waxing body hair with my male friends, many like to remind me of the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. While the waxing in that movie is completely real, it is not the correct method used in salons and day spas. Also, the more you get the same area waxed, the less it hurts over time.

The benefit of waxing is that the hair grows back slower and is evenly removed. Downsides to waxing include monetary expenditures and some pain during the process. My experiences with waxing have made me more confident and happier with my appearance. I would recommend that anyone give it a chance to see if waxing is right for them. Put aside the metro sexuality and ask your stylist for a change of pace the next time you step foot in a hair salon.