Where should guys shave?

2 min

Do women like body hair? We asked members of the opposite sex how they feel

Choosing where to shave based on a partner’s preference can be tricky. Some women like their men rampantly hairy all over, while others prefer it at a minimum. The only real way to find out your partner’s opinion on questions like, ‘Should guys shave their chest / pubes / back?’ is to ask (go on, be brave) – but in the early days, that’s not always possible … or advisable. To help you out, we asked real women how they felt about body hair from top to toe. Here’s what we found out:

Should guys shave their chest?

If you take attractiveness out of the equation, there are a few reasons to trim or shave your chest hair for your own sake: to lend extra definition to your muscles, streamline your body for swimming, to keep it from poking out of your shirt. All good reasons.

So, do women like chest hair? They’re not as picky in this area as you might think:

“Personally, I prefer a bit of manly chest hair, and I think that quite a few women would agree with me.” says Lucy*.

That said: “I’m not completely opposed to chest hair being shaven off if that’s what you prefer, especially when it comes to hot holidays where tanning is involved.”

The ruling here tends to be that a little hair is a good thing, but a bare chest won’t get you kicked out of bed, either. If you’re concerned about luxuriant chest hair holding you back, our guide to shaving your chest can help you take care of it.

Do women like body hair on the back?

There’s no shame in a hairy back. Yet despite the fact that back hair is a sign of extra testosterone in action, back hair saw no love from our volunteers.

“It’s not attractive. How can you admire the contours of the male back when it is covered with a rug of fur? – Lucy*, again.

Others were more forgiving:

“It’s not a deal breaker for me. I’m not sure how I’d feel about a full-on Wolfman look, but a little back hair harms no one. Maybe trim down heavy hair.” – Abbi*.

If you’re thinking about de-Wolfmanning your back hair, you don’t have to head to a salon. Find out how to tackle a hairy back safely at home here.

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What you need

Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100

Showerproof body groomer, Series 7000

BG2040/49

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Philips Norelco Bodygroom 7100 Showerproof body groomer, Series 7000

BG2040/49

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Should guys shave their pubes?

Most men would agree that a trim shows you to best advantage. The all-over shave is done, but it’s definitely controversial. So, do women like pubic hair?

One volunteer stated that hair is preferred, “provided it’s not a scary jungle where house keys could get lost.” So trimmers are welcome.

Another clarified: “I’d say it’s fine to shave, as long as the rest of you is also clean-shaven, like a body builder. Otherwise, it’s just weird.”

So: trim yes, and close shave … probably not, unless you’re ready to commit to the aesthetic. Check out our guides to trimming the treasure trail and grooming the groin for tips on how to get your man garden in order.

We left it there with our volunteers, so let’s recap quickly: a bit of manly chest hair and a trimmed front-side ticked all the “yes” boxes, but back hair is still bordering on controversial (sorry, Sean Connery). That said, everyone we asked did say something slightly different, so be prepared to ask your partner if you’re actually on the fence. Otherwise, please yourself.