Bear or bare? Gays get real about manscaping and what areas they routinely shave

Things got hairy in the r/AskGayMen subreddit recently after one user, the aptly-named AuNaturellee, wondered why hirsuteness has become passé among gay men.

“I grew up in a hairier time, when movie stars sported mop tops, mutton chops, mullets and mustaches,” AuNaturellee wrote. “Perms weren’t uncommon, ears were covered, and flow grazed collars. Chest hair was a virtue of virility, and even though Playgirl didn’t prominently provide pictures of private parts, pubic hair was a proud privilege.”

Then cleaner-cut styles became more fashionable, and only recently have long hair and mustaches come back in style, AuNaturellee observed. But men are still manscaping their body hair, and so this Redditor user others in the r/AskGayMen community what they shave, wax, and depilate, and why.

How about we take this to the next level?

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Here are excerpts from the thread—selections from the long and short of the conversation, if you will—trimmed for brevity and styled for clarity.

Body hair buffs

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“Nothing at all because I prefer to look natural.”

“I go natural. My bush doesn’t get super bushy, and I don’t like the feel of being shaven. I also prefer a full bush on a guy and do not like hairless crotches.”

“All natural everywhere, really. The only hair I trim (besides the hair on my head) is my beard when it gets a little too wild. Otherwise, I prefer the feel of body hair. That prickly or smooth feel anywhere ain’t for me.”

“I dislike the ‘shave your entire body’ trend. All those fun shirtless moments in entertainment, and you can see skin irritation from shaving in a lot of them. Just let people have their natural pretty hair, please.”

“I live in Italy. In the past ten years, I’d say I’ve been able to recognize gay guys in the locker room because they’re more likely to not shave anything; straight guys are the total opposite. Stereotypes are weird. I personally like leaving everything natural.”

Trim jobs

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“Used to go full clean-shaven all over, but I’m Mediterranean, so that was never really gonna stick. Every now and again, I’ll do it if I know I’ll be having a lot of sex, but usually, I just keep everything trim, aside from my ass, which is always shaven for certain reasons.”

“I’m in my 40s. I trim, but as I’m not a porn star and my work needs a lot of movement and is often sweaty, so I leave 5 mm. Hair in tight areas is supposed to work as baby powder., and I let it do that. I shave balls, shaft, and ass … and trim all other body hair to 5 mm too, to make it even.”

“I leave the patch over the dick, shave the balls, trim the tummy so the pecs are a bit hairier, and will sometimes do the shoulders, but it’s not crazy up there—just a few extras since I turned 40.”

“I remove hair on my balls and around my ass. But I don’t shave. I use [hair removal cream].”

“I’m hairy AF. I never shave anything completely. I used to when I was younger, but it took forever, and when it grew back in, the itching was agonizing.(Having an itchy chest, groin, and butt didn’t make you feel very sexy.) The only thing I get done is my back. These days, I just trim every now and again with a pair of clippers, and I haven’t had any complaints. People seem to love fuzzy me.”

“I started shaving bare when I was, like, 14. I regret that so much. I now just trim the areas that poke out of my jockstraps so it’s not busting out the sides. In terms of partners, I love bears, so the hairier, the better, in my opinion.”

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Smooth operators

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“I personally prefer to be completely smooth. I just don’t like body hair on my person.”

“Smooth armpits are a must!”

“I’ve been shaved smooth for 20 years, as I ended up in the ER with a throat infection caused by public hair that they removed 11 days after I thought I got rid of it. I’m smooth, and so are my receivers.”

“I shave my pubes bald because it’s itchy for me to keep it growing. I don’t like the feeling. However, I am into hairy men. Opposites attract, I guess.”

“I (44) shave my face every day. I’ve had electrolysis done on the lower part of my neck, my ass, and my intimate area. It feels more comfortable to me that way. All my hair is very blond, so laser wasn’t an option for me because it needs pigment to target. I would have removed all my pubic hair, but I’ve left some as a compromise with my husband, who loves my hair.”

“I shave my balls, taint, and hole. I have no chest hair to speak of and I can’t grow facial hair. I shave what I shave because it feels good to me.”

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