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Like all trends, what men do with body hair has changed with the times. In the ’70s, furry kings Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck were ideal for men. In the nineties, the beaches were packed with the smooth torsos of boy bands. Currently, the body hair trend is in the middle, although men prefer to do some kind of body hair maintenance. What’s new for 2022 is not so much the amount of body hair needed, but technology.
Today, it’s not smooth from head to toe, says Gabriel Suarez, founder of Smooth Cheeks in Los Angeles, Calif., who works almost exclusively for men. His clients need to carefully trim or remove hair in specific locations to highlight and enhance the natural look of their natural assets. “Men of all walks of life generally want smooth buttocks and backs,” he says, “but they still like to have chest and belly hair, it’s just easier to maintain.”
He said the demographics of men seeking his services had “changed dramatically” in recent years. “When I started 14 years ago, it was mostly gay men over 55. Now I have straight men who are 21. It’s everywhere.” One thing in common is that they all care about their appearance. “These people keep their cars tidy, their homes tidy, and they want their bodies to look tidy.”
The biggest reason Suarez’s clients love him, and the key to the look of natural body hair, is a contouring technique that accentuates the contours of the muscles, especially the torso. It’s similar to how your barber fades the sides of your head, he says. “Shoring shows definition,” he advises, which is why he usually shortens it when it extends to the edges of the abdomen and chest. The hair on his chest is usually longer than the hair on his belly. The overall effect, he says, is “natural, chiseled, and aesthetically pleasing” (versus the seemingly, um, trimmed length).
Of course, the best way to get the look is to visit a professional like Suarez. But he says you can also get there yourself with some tricks. First, apply a cornstarch-based baby powder (like Burt’s Bees Baby Powder) to the area you want to trim to help keep hair dry and fluffy, making it easier to trim. Then, trim everything to the longest length you want and gradually reduce the guard as you move to the edge of your body. “It’s like mowing the grass — cut a section first, then cut the edge,” he said. Shorten around the nipples and inside the hills and valleys (like under the abs and pecs), where the hair may appear longer than it actually is. Then, if you want to shave any area thoroughly, use an electric shaver (he recommends the Philips Norelco Bodygroom trimmer and shaver, as it has a built-in shaver).
Thanks to these contouring techniques, all you need to get ready for the beach this year may be a body trimmer. However, if you want to check out other people’s grooming work during the shirtless season, it can be difficult – if they’re doing it right, or have a professional, you simply can’t tell if they’re trimmed or not.
