We’re far enough into the year to be looking at fashion trends. What is popular so far this year? Where is everything headed? We could talk about summer wear and other facets of fashion, but we have a narrower focus. Today, we’re going to explore trends in body hair and grooming. Here are the five trends that are dominating the world right now.
The Superhero
We’ve all enjoyed a few Marvel movies over the last 14 years, and that phenomenon has pushed one idea very hard and far: men are hairless. It’s a stark trend from decades of the past, but the modern superhero is completely devoid of body hair — except for growing a beard when he needs to show he’s been going through a hard time.
We can probably blame this on the Ancient Greeks. They first put forward the idea of a Greek god, and our modern heroes draw heavily from that. Have you ever seen an Ancient Greek statue? The men are always hairless. They’ll have hair on their heads and possibly a beard, but that’s it. Did the Greeks believe that the manliest men didn’t grow body hair, or did they lack the fine tools needed to depict a furry chest? We may never know, but that all leads us to today.
The very sexiest idea of men right now is chiseled to the point of impossibility and completely bald of body hair. It’s not the only look available, but if you can look in the mirror and think you belong in a Marvel movie, you’ve made it.
Body Hair Plumage
Are you familiar with the concept of plumage? This is something that occurs with animals. Males of a species will develop large, colorful growths (typically feathers) to attract the opposite sex. It turns out that mankind has finally figured out how to mimic this idea.
With body hair, plumage is about controlled growth. You can have a big, rich beard, a hairy chest, and a fluffy bush, but all of it is groomed. You’re trying to show off your massive testosterone levels and fertility by letting everything grow long, but then you tame it with a trimmer to keep it controlled.
Controlled hair is the exact opposite of the Marvel hero look, and it’s in right now. Look up men’s fashion photos from this year. You’ll see huge beards. You’ll see hairy chests. You’ll see that hair is kind of in style, but what you won’t see is wildness. Control is the key.
Full Sasquatch
So, you won’t see the full Sasquatch in men’s magazines or whatever, but it’s still pretty popular. After a year of quarantine and pandemic, a lot of guys let the hair go. Do you know what they discovered? The world didn’t end. They’re the same guy with their hair in a fully natural state, and everything is fine.
Let’s hone in on this for a moment. We are a group that makes our living by teaching guys about grooming. We’re big fans of grooming, and if you ask us to our face if you should trim your hair, we’ll pretty much always say yes.
That said, some of you are into the idea of embracing your inner Sasquatch, and we’re here for it. Now is a great time to pull off this look; society isn’t always this tolerant of body hair. So, go for it. Have fun being unkempt for a while.
Ultimately, most of you will miss the comfort of being groomed, and when that happens, you’ll be part of the trend that rebounds away from the pandemic bear look. We’ll be here to embrace that, too.
Colorful Body Hair
This one might surprise you, but body hair color has risen in popularity over the last year. Many people have tried a lot of things, but right now, the fashion is subtlety. A lot of older guys are dying body hair and pubes to mask the grays. We get it.
That trend has transformed into something bigger than any of us could have ever imagined. Have you ever been to a comic or anime convention (or at least seen pictures)? Are you getting an idea of wild colors, crazy hair designs, and a complete release of all inhibition? Do you remember what we just said about plumage?
Well, none of that applies right now. The modern approach to coloring body hair is not to become the next great anime protagonist. Instead, guys are taking a grounded approach, possibly because they don’t want to fully advertise that they’re coloring their body hair in the first place.
For guys who aren’t gray yet, the most common choice is subtle highlights that make it look like you get a lot of sun. We’re not talking about frosted tips around your boys or bleaching the whole thing Billy Idol style. We’re talking about an artful lightening of the hair that suggests a healthy UV exposure.
Creative Designs
There is a final emerging trend, and it’s a ton of fun. It perfectly contrasts all of the styles listed so far. It’s all about creative grooming. If you’ve ever seen ice sculpting or artistic hedge trimming, then you have a good idea of where this is going.
Let’s get into it. Creative hair designs have come and gone many times over the years. What makes this one interesting is that it is tied to body hair, and it seems to be particularly popular with couples.
We’re pretty sure this is an unexpected result of the pandemic. Couples were trapped in the house together, and they had to dig deep to find creative ways to not go crazy. One result of that creativity manifested in artfully manicured lawns, both in the backyard and the bedroom. Within this specific demographic, many experimental pubic hair designs have emerged, and they range from simple to complete wild. Outside of quarantined couples, we haven’t seen this trend at all.
This sets the stage for a special moment in body hair fashion. As everyone emerges from their pandemic-induced hibernation, different schools of thought are going to crash into each other. Who will have the greater influence? Will creative couples change public perception and usher in a new golden age of body grooming? Or, are they going to be swept away by the tide of alternative philosophies, leaving this as a weird moment in history that ultimately fades into obscurity? Only time will tell, and we’re excited to see what happens.
Embracing Your Style: Grooming Your Body Hair
If you want to try out any of these trends, we can help you do that. If you’re an adventurer who needs to explore and find your own way, we’re here for that too. What matters is that you have the tools and knowledge needed to succeed. For that, we’re going to give you a crash course in a stylish way to groom your body hair.
Start Clean
Here’s the thing. No matter what method you’re using to get rid of some body hair, it works better when you don’t have dirt clouds and squiggly lines come off you like Linus from Peanuts. Dirty body hair dulls razors, clogs trimmers, and really messes up wax. It’s bad all around.
However, this does not mean that you have to shower before grooming. It just means that you shouldn’t groom while grungy. If you’ve had a sweaty workout, spent some time working in the yard, or otherwise made yourself messier than normal, then you need to shower first. Otherwise, just make sure you aren’t overly gross before you start. Wiping the area with a warm, damp washcloth before you groom is usually enough.
Trimmers Are Your Best Friend
There are hundreds of ways to remove body hair. Out of all of them, the best method by far is the electric trimmer. It can conform to a wider range of styles, and it’s the easiest, least painful way to get rid of body hair.
The Lawn Mower® 4.0 trimmer is designed to be used on your body. Whether you’re buzzing your significant other’s initials into your pubic tuft or you’re trying to tame your armpit hair, this one tool can do it all.
Even if you have plans for something other than a trimmer, trimming first is always the way to go. Professional waxers will not apply their stuff if your hair is more than an inch and a half long (the number might vary by salon). Razors will turn to dust before they make it through a full bush of hair. Trimming first is easier on the tools and on your body.
Take Care of Your Skin
The other big tip you need to know for body grooming is to pair it with skincare. It’s usually a good idea to shower after grooming. This cleanses the body of irritants and helps prevent skin infections (especially if you used a razor). It also gives you a chance to moisturize and hydrate your freshly groomed skin. It’s also a great chance to exfoliate and get rid of the dead skin that tends to accumulate after grooming.
After your shower, apply a moisturizer to whatever part of your body you just groomed; this makes sure your skin looks great, which is important since you removed the body hair used to hide it.
Those tips are enough to get you going. The rest is a matter of practice and creativity.
03.16.21
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