Ignoring the laws of nature, some guys like to keep their assets silky smooth. But while beard trimming and southern manscaping is one thing, the matter of chest shaving has always been a toss up.
For the naturalist guy, there’s something wonderfully rugged about letting your chest hair roam free (especially if you're Italian and wear low cut shirts). Yet, then again, a bushy open collar isn’t for all gents. Ultimately, the question of whether a guy should shave his chest comes down to a few key rules and factors. Let’s examine them all.
If you’re hairy all over...
In an ideal world, no man should ever have to shave his chest. But when you’ve got the hair mass index of Wolverine, there’s sometimes little choice. And if you’re a guy who likes to flaunt his workout investment, keeping your chest hair might be a top priority— lest you want to hide those pectorals.
In this case, you’ll probably want to give your situation some presentation.
Your tool of choice
Body groomer
Guys should use a body groomer to get the job done. These tools are precisely crafted to glide smoothly over all your appendages for a close, comfortable shave. You'll experience fewer nicks and cuts than you would with a generic razor.
Pre and post care
When grooming your chest area specifically, be sure to take the right pre-care steps for a fresh result. Guys who get their fair share of chest acne will understand. Since this area (much like your face) releases more oil than other parts of your body, it’s prone to breakouts.
Nobody wants to show off a zit-coated collar area. That’s why guys should use pre-shave oil before reaching for the trimmer. It contains soothing antibacterial oils to soften the hairs and protect the skin prior to grooming. By disinfecting and priming the area first, you’ll achieve a fresher result— no bumps or redness.
Body grooming oils
For face and body shaving, we recommend the Sandalwood Pre Shave oil. It’s a natural-based formula made with natural and nourishing botanicals, including Hemp Seed Oil, Camillia Oil and Safflower Oil to help protect and rejuvenate your skin.
The end result is a clean, proud-looking chest to rock with your V-neck shirt. And if your chest gets itchy once the hairs grow back, you’ll need a strong post-care regimen: aftershave oil.
Applying aftershave oil will moisturize your skin, soothing the area with calming body butters. The Sandalwood Aftershave Balm is formulated with shea butter, mango butter and coconut oil to hydrate your skin post-shave.
Beard wash
You can also keep that hair jungle in mint condition by using a beard wash. Go for an organic antibacterial cleanser, made with natural oils to combat BO-causing sweat and bacteria. These formulas are gentler on the skin and contain earth-sources vitamins— way healthier than your standard drugstore body wash.
Avoid shaving it
Going full-on manscaping with your chest is a personal choice, obviously. But one thing’s for sure: never use a razor.
The gliding action directly on the body is tough on the skin, often leaving behind razor burn, redness and irritation. It’s not exactly ideal for your shirtless situation. What’s more, your chest will feel like a Brillo pad when the hairs start poking through the skin. The same way face stubble is never comfortable, body stubble is even more off-putting
That’s why we tend to think of the razor as the Budweiser of body grooming, while the electric trimmer is more like your Patrón. Keeping the hairs down to a manageable level, the trimmer gives you that clean feel without having to shave all the way. You get a better balance between manliness and tidiness: a healthy dose of chest hair without looking like a primate.
Avoid waxing it
Unless you’ve got a giant chest tattoo or you’re a bodybuilder, there’s no reason to be waxing around your pecs. And in some circles, even the body-building excuse doesn’t make the cut.
Perhaps it’s only excusable when you're a male stripper or an ambassador for Calvin Klein… or you’re a 40-year-old virgin. Otherwise, bearing a chest with toddler-level softness can appear odd and unnatural, depending on your audience.
The grooming rule of thumb is generally to leave at least some semblance of hair-- even if just a modest patch.Why? Because trying to achieve the skin texture of a seal dipped in vaseline isn’t realistic or all that attractive. Plus, if you’ve got sensitive skin, you’re more likely to resemble a plucked chicken.
Yet then again, chest waxing is an extremely subjective territory. There will always be romantic partners who enjoy that sort of thing. And just the same, there will always be gents who enjoy delivering on those tastes.
So to end the discussion, once and for all, to the question “should guys shave their chest?”, we believe that the middle ground is best. Keep the area trimmed and neat if you want, but leave your nipples to the imagination-- don’t bare it all, you know? Ultimately, what ever style you prefer as a manscaper, always stick to the approach that feels most comfortable.
