Hair Above, Not Below

Because you wanted to know

by j. brotherlove

After two months, this beard I’m growing seems to be taking shape (no pics, yet). It takes a long time for facial hair to grow properly on me. I have a stubborn spots on either side of my face that refuse to grow hair. Eventually, I give up and shave it all off. Since I’m between jobs, I though it would be fun to see how long I could go without shaving to see what happens. I’ve had to be patient but I’m liking the results. Now my fear is I will get too attached to the beard then have to shave it off for an interview.

Other than my face, I don’t care for hair on my body. Other bodies, yummy. But not mine. In fact, I’ve always been a big fan of shaving body hair; what little of it I grow. When I hit puberty, as a way of getting me to bathe regularly, my mother told me that hair traps odor. Gross! I thought. Since then, I made it a point to shave my underarms. As I got older and more sexy, I started shaving my kiwis and where the good Lord split me. I don’t shave my entire groin area, though. I like a bit of a pubic bush (the 12 year-old twink look is not for me). Besides, I don’t really need the “optical inch” to get my work done, thankyouverymuch.

I like the heightened sensitivity and overall smooth feeling. I’m not trying to eradicate a masculine odor; that’s a big turn on for my partners. But let’s face it, some guys mistake natural body odor with not washing their ass. Straight men often have this problem (one reason I stopped dating them). But you’d be surprised by how often gay men miss the ABCs of genital grooming and hygiene.

Granted, shaving these areas can be tricky. Do you tweeze, use clippers, razors, waxing, Nair? Essentially, it’s a matter of preference. I have typical black man skin so, razors results in razor bumps when the hair grows back. No exceptions. I absolutely hate razor bumps. There are treatments and products to relive the pain and reduce the severity of the problem. But I’d rather not get the damn things at all.

My solution is to use clippers. I get a very close shave with them (not as close with a razor, of course). Overall, it’s more comfortable and attractive on the backend (hehe, backend). The vibration can take some getting use to, at first. But it helps reduce the itch factor that can happen when hair grows back. The biggest risk is nicks on the scrotum. Early on, a shaving nick could take me off the market for a week as I waited for the cut to heal. However, I’ve been shaving this way for 20 years, so I have the method down.

Norelco has a new push for its Philips Bodygroom. I may give the product a spin. I can just picture a new crop of men trying to shave their nether regions with mixed results. Even if shaving is not your cup of tea, visit the highly interactive product site. It’s hilarious!

pub: 05/04/2006 | previous entry | next entry | feedback x 4 | subscribe