Why do men get waxed?

What motivates men to get waxed?

Before we launch into this topic, let's clear up a myth, which for some reason, the beauty industry likes to perpetuate.

That is, most guys who get waxed aren't gym junkies, models, or athletes.

They are in fact, just normal guys like you and me.

When you ask a male waxing client what motivates him to get waxed, his answers will most likely include:

Their motivation for getting waxed generally comes down to 3 reasons: Comfort. Ego. Sex.

So, what areas do guys get waxed? Manzilians, backs, bums, chests, arms, and legs - in that order.

For a lot of men who wax regularly, waxing becomes part of their regular lives, integrated alongside other lifestyle maintenance or improvement such as going to the gym, getting regular skin checks, or doing sports.

Let's look at those reasons in detail. Bear in mind that a combination of factors is more likely to convince a man to start waxing, rather than one individual reason.

Comfort ~ reasons for male waxing

The first and most obvious reason is comfort. Simply, removing excess body hair makes you feel less icky. You're cooler and less smelly.

That said, a lot of men will endure body hair for as long as they possibly can.

Many guys actually come in the first time due to pressure from a partner to address a problem that really annoys them, particularly if hygiene becomes an issue.

Excessive back hair, ear hair, nostril hair, pubic hair, and monobrows are the big 5 pet hates from partners.

Hygiene

For guys who actually do come in under their own steam, the most popular treatment is still Manzilians, but number 2 spot goes to - wait for it - butt cracks.

Yep, smelly old butt cracks.

The least tender part of a man's body to wax, hairy butt cracks are also the most disgusting for them to live with.

That thick curly hair eventually drives them insane. You've never seen a client so happy as the man who has just had a crack wax.

The simple long-forgotten pleasures of not being constantly moist between the butt cheeks, and not needed five rolls of toilet paper to clean up every time you go to the loo, are bliss.

Ingrowns

Another comfort-related trigger for guys to seek out a waxing therapist, is skin inflammation.

The most common conditions are skin rashes or ingrown hairs which develop after shaving or using depilatory creams.

Waxing followed by correct skin maintenance can be a much less severe alternative.

Cyclists

Related to the above, one particular demographic that suffers from skin rashes are cyclists, specifically cyclists who wear lycra or spandex.

In this otherwise healthy sport, ingrown hairs, rashes, and fungal infections come about due to a cocktail of heat, moisture, bacteria, and friction around the groin and upper thighs.

Skin inflammation from pubic hair is common in cyclists, and definitely warrants a partial Manzilian wax, at least from the scrotum through to the butt crack.

Pilonidal Cysts

On the medical side of things, another comfort-related reason for men to commence waxing is a tendency to develop pilonidal cysts.

This painful condition occurs at the top of the butt crease when sebum, dead hairs and other debris get trapped, causing a blockage in the pilonidal sinuses beneath the skin.

Waxing is often used the first few times as a stop gap solution to the problem, however most men afflicted with the disorder will end up opting for laser or IPL hair removal.

Ego ~ reasons for male waxing

Ego means self. It encompasses many fundamental behaviours of a man - self-esteem, self-respect, confidence, conceit, and so on.

For many guys who are trying to improve aspects of their ego, waxing is a common tool in the arsenal, and an easy one too given how much it can change a man's appearance.

When it comes to men in relationships, we tend to find some overlap with comfort-related reasons, in an attempt to satisfy their partners.

Reinvention

For single men, the main reason given for waxing is 'to try something new'. In other words, they are going through a phase of reinvention.

For whatever reason, they're not happy with their current 'state of self', so it's time for reinvention, a new trajectory.

Waxing is often a big part of that lifestyle change alongside a new sport or physical self-improvement program. The goal is to like what you see in the mirror.

Puberty

Let's not forget teenage boys.

Sudden and excessive hair growth at puberty can be a shock or cause for embarrassment.

At this volatile time in their lives when the world is exploding around them, crazy hair growth is just another factor over which teenagers have little control.

Boys in early puberty are very self-conscious, so being waxed by a stranger typically won't be on their short-list of solutions.

At this early stage, they will most likely dabble with shaving or depilatory creams.

Eventually, when both of those options prove inefficient, and they're just a little bit older, we see them start to come in for waxing.

Sex ~ reasons for male waxing

Sex is a complication motivation for waxing. It can mean many things, but at the same time, they can often be reduced back to comfort or ego, which we've already discussed.

In my mind, men get waxed for the sake of sex for only three situations:

• They like the way their penis feels during sex, or
• Their partner prefers them hairless, or
• They hope that being hairless, and being able to display that fact, will lead to sex.

I know this sounds a little bit like a thesis, but I've written a hell of a lot about sex and sexuality over the years, and this falls smack bang in the middle of it.

I think the best way to cover this section is to leave you with some related articles to explore.

Related reading:

Manzilian Waxing Preparation

Sex Sells Manzilian Waxing

Manzilian Waxing Etiquette

Sex After a Manzilian?