How To Remove Back Hair: Grooming Guide for Men

A hairy back can sometimes be a representation of a man who’s got lots of testosterone to flaunt about. But it can also be a little unsightly on beach days or pool lounges when you look more like a grizzly bear than a stud.

Removing your back hair is a highly personal decision, but if you want to try to go bare back there, here are some tips and tricks for how you can do it properly.

What Causes Back Hair?

For the most part, the amount of hair you have on your back is entirely up to genetics. If you have a father and a grandfather who had a ton of hair, then you’re pretty likely to look the same. As with most parts of the body, back hair has evolutionary purposes.

It’s thought that back hair is similar to other body hair in that it regulates body temperature. As sweat is produced from the sweat glands, moisture wicks to the hair, allowing the surface to cool down more quickly when you get hot. On the flip side, hair can function as a form of insulation to let you trap in more heat when you’re in cold climates.

Some men might also have a condition called hypertrichosis, a condition in which excessive hair growth appears throughout the body. These are usually extreme circumstances, and even though some men appear to have a lot of body hair, it’s often just frustrating genetics.

Why Should You Shave Your Back Hair?

There are a few reasons why you might want to shave your back hair, with most of them relating to aesthetics. One of the top reasons for removing body hair is simply that you might not love how it looks. Some people find excess body hair uncomfortable or not looking the best, and if you don’t love how it looks on you, time to shave it off!

Fun Tip: Shaving your body hair can also make your muscles look more pronounced. When you don’t have hair covering your skin, your muscles reflect off the light better. This gives you a more toned, jacked appearance, which can be helpful, especially if you’re trying to hit it hard at the gym.

Reducing body hair can also have benefits outside of just your looks. For one, it can reduce body odor. Body odor is caused when bacteria reacts with the sweat on your body. Your hair holds onto sweat and basically makes it a breeding ground for bacteria. So, if you have less hair, you’ll probably have less body odor.

Speaking of sweating, less body hair also equals less sweating as a whole. Since your body hair sort of insulates your skin and makes you warm up quicker, you’ll probably sweat less from being physically cooler. This also means that your sweat will drip off of your body rather than attach itself to your hair.

How To Shave Your Back Hair Properly

Shaving your back is one trickier area to remove unwanted hair because you can’t really see what you’re doing. There are a few ways you can get the most out of your shaving needs.

If you have a partner, start there. Ask them if they’d offer you some assistance in guiding the razor to get your back hair. Not only can you not see your back, but you also can’t reach certain areas without stretching your muscles into oblivion.

If you’re shaving on your own, you can retain your independence with just a little bit of elbow grease and care. 

1. Shower

First, start by softening your back hair by taking a hot shower. This gives those wiry back hair a chance to soften, making removing them a lot easier. Not to mention, clean hair is easier to shave. Without clogged pores, dirt, and similar, you can see what needs to go. 

2. Check It Out in a Mirror

Next, it’s helpful to get a mirror (or two … or three) and position them around your bathroom so you can see your back from all angles. This will help you see which spots you still need to shave while also keeping yourself safe if you decide to use a razor rather than a trimmer.

3. Shave With an Electric Razor

We recommend trimming your back with an electric razor since you can’t see what you’re doing to begin with. A straight razor blade can spell disaster, so it’s usually best to play it safe. In most cases, an electric trimmer should be able to get your hair short enough for your comfort.

4. Be Diligent and Double-Check

Make gentle strokes across your back, reaching your arms around at all angles to try to hit every single quadrant of your back. Continually check your mirrors to see if you missed any patches before going back in. Have a partner or a friend check your work when you think you’re done.

Best Razors for Back Shaving

It’s important to use the right technique when it comes to shaving your back, but it might be even more important to use the right equipment. You want to make sure your electric trimmer has everything it needs to set yourself up for success — and that’s what The Beard Club’s Body and Groin Trimmer is all about.

This titanium-coated trimmer can help you trim your back, balls, and butt in half the time as traditional razors, and these time-saving qualities start up before you even turn the razor on. 

You can quickly and easily swap out interchangeable magnetic heads for whatever situation you’re in. The wide head is great for your back, but the narrow head is perfect for private areas like your groin. Manscaping has never been so easy. 

It’s also completely waterproof, letting you get the job done inside or outside of the shower. With a 7,000 RPM motor, you don’t need to worry about any painful tugging, while its impressive two-hour battery life gives you the freedom to shave without any wires.

Many years of research and development led us to the point where we can offer a top-of-the-line precision trimmer designed with your whole body in mind. It’s the perfect tool to get the job done in any condition.

Discover your best beard and unlock 15% off and a free item when you take the quiz and get your personalized beard plan.

Other Options for Removing Back Hair

An electric razor is the most reliable and safe method for removing your back hair. However, it is not the only option, and some practices might be a bit easier than trying to reach all around your back to get every last hair.

Here are some other ways to say goodbye to back hair:

Back Waxing

Waxing is definitely not for everyone, and waxing is not something you’d be able to accomplish on your own. Plus, it’s exceptionally uncomfortable when those adhesives are ripped off. 

Waxing has a benefit in that it will get you the closest shave of any option because you’re ripping the hairs from the follicles themselves. If you really want to have a nice smooth back without any hair at all, waxing is the way you’ll need to go.

Hair Removal Cream

Using a cream for hair removal might be one of the cheapest and easiest options for back hair. There’s also no risk of cutting or nicking yourself compared to a razor blade.

Depilatory creams are available at most drugstores, and all you need to do is rub them on and wait a few minutes to remove them. But be warned — using these might do more harm than good. These creams can actually increase the number of hair follicles in the skin, so your hair might grow back, looking even fuller than ever before. Additionally, some people with sensitive skin might find these creams irritating. 

In Conclusion

Your back is one of the only parts of your body that you never really get to see, but at the beach or the pool, it’s a major piece of real estate that potential mates might have their eyes on. And if your back feels like it’s being attacked by wiry hair, you might want to give it a shave.

Shaving the back can be challenging since it’s hard to reach every area, but if you use Beard Club’s body and groin trimmer with skin-sensitive, no-nick technology, you don’t need to worry as much about cutting yourself.

Take a look at our trimmer kits and get yourself started on the perfect shave. 

Sources:

Researchers Discover Why Some Parts of the Body Have Hair and Others Don’t | Penn Medicine

​​Hypertrichosis - StatPearls | NCBI Bookshelf

Depilatory creams increase the number of hair follicles, and dermal fibroblasts expressing interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and tumor necrosis factor-β in mouse skin | PMC