Things change. People change. Habits change. Even hair removal has changed.
Yep, that’s right, hair removal – and we’re not talking about shaving. Once geared primarily for women, the world of hair removal has changed dramatically ever since ‘manscaping’ became a common, acceptable process for men.
Don’t like your hairy back? Manscape it. Prefer a bare chest? Manscape it. Need a trim ‘down there’ (c’mon guys, women do it)? Ditto.
Let’s get started by looking at some things you should consider before buying hair removal products for men.
Before you buy: 4 Things to consider when purchasing hair removal for men
Hair removal often is a delicate process and one you shouldn’t perform with just any product you’ll find on a supermarket or pharmacy shelf. As with any grooming product, there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly, but we’re here to help.
Before moving into our reviews of the best hair removal products for men, let’s look at some things to keep in mind when purchasing a product that’s right for you.
1. Your hair texture
This point is important. Before you choose a hair removal products, have a clear understanding of your type of hair. Some men have coarser body hair, while others have dense, thick hair.
Purchase your hair removal cream accordingly, because many hair removal creams are intended for certain hair types.
2. Usage
There are a couple of things to consider when it comes to usage: 1) is the hair removal cream meant for specific parts of the body and 2) how often do you need to use it?
When it comes to the first point mentioned, some creams are better for certain parts of the body than others. Women, for instance, know that certain creams are suited for private areas and bikini lines.
Many men’s hair removal creams are good for several areas – arms, legs, chest, back – but not so good in private areas.
In fact, we’ll talk about hair removal creams and your genitals a bit later, but make sure that the cream is OK before you slather it on those areas. Believe us, you’ll know the difference – painfully so, in many cases.
How often you need to use hair removal cream isn’t as crucial, but it’s helpful to know whether you’ll have to reapply it in a few days or a week.
Most creams and other hair removal products are meant to provide several days of hair-free glory, but take a close look at a manufacturer’s claims, nonetheless.
3. Skin type
Skin type is another important consideration when buying a hair removal product, because not all creams (and sprays, etc.) suit all skin types.
If you’re a man with sensitive skin, look for products that contain ingredients such as aloe vera, rather than those with a heavy chemical base.
4. Ingredients
We just touched on it in #3 above, but it’s worth emphasizing: take a close look at a product’s list of ingredients. Beware of ingredients that may trigger skin irritation or other unpleasant reactions. Some ingredients even may cause an intense burning situation.
Also, look for products that moisturize the skin while removing body hair. Hair removal easily can dry out the skin, so be wary.
All of the above tips will help you choose a product that best suits you. Now, let’s move on to the best hair removal products for men.
The 7 best hair removal creams, sprays & other products for men in 2020
1. Keramene Body Hair Minimizer
Hair growth consists of three stages: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Anagen is the growth phase, telogen is the phase when hair growth is dormant, while the catagen lasts for a short while after the anagen phase and signals the end of active hair growth.
The reason we bring all this up is that Keramene’s Body Hair Minimizer induces the catagen phase to make hair stop growing while also suppressing keratinocyte production, so existing hairs grow slower.
So, when combined with the shaving, tweezing, and waxing, Keramene’s body hair minimizing cream does exactly what its name says, i.e., reduces hair growth (while maximizing the effects of hair removal).
It not only extends the time between shaving and waxing but also leads to softer, finer hair growth.
And there’s more: the Keramene cream includes vitamin D, which has conditioning and protective benefits, as well as witch hazel, which helps to prevent ingrown hairs.
It leaves your skin feeling moisturized, it’s ideal for use on your arms, legs, back, and pubic areas, and it’s specifically formulated to treat sensitive areas of your skin and body.
DS Laboratories, the manufacturer of Keramene’s Body Hair Minimizer, recommends that you use the cream daily after you shave. You don’t need to rinse the product after application.
Type: Cream
Pros
- Reduces hair growth with few side effects
- Optimizes hair removal techniques, such as waxing and tweezing
- Helps to hydrate skin
Cons
- Scent isn’t for everyone
Bottom Line
The Keramene Hair Minimizer is effective for slowing the growth of hair. It’s an overall highly effective solution when combined with other hair removal techniques, such as waxing and tweezing.
2. Nad’s For Men Hair Removal Cream
The majority of men plagued with unwanted and unsightly body hair don’t want to waste time getting rid of it. The goal is to manscape it away – fast – and then face the world with the confidence of someone who knows he’s looking his best.
That’s one of the reasons why many men choose Nad’s For Men Hair Removal Cream: it enables them to get the job done quickly.
Not only is it effective in battling super coarse chest or back hair, it works in as little as four minutes. You get in, you get out, and your unwanted body hair is long gone.
Not that speed is everything, mind you. If a product produces fast results but results that are mediocre at best, then there’s no advantage in finishing the job quickly.
However, Nad’s Hair Removal Cream answers the bell in many other ways. For one, it’s suitable for your back, arms, chest, and legs. For another, it’s formulated with aloe vera to help soothe and protect skin.
Designed specifically for men’s coarse hair, Nad’s is tough enough to do the job but doesn’t cause a burning sensation or irritate the skin. Indeed, it’s extra strength but efficient and, as mentioned, doesn’t waste time in getting rid of unwanted hair.
If your hair is extra thick, however, all you need to do is leave Nad’s Hair Removal Cream on for a bit longer – usually no more than 10 minutes.
It’s also easy to apply: just rub the cream onto dry skin, creating a thick, even layer in the process. You can test it after four minutes by wiping a small amount away with a tissue to see if it’s removed hair sufficiently.
Once you’re confident that it has done its job, wipe all the cream away and then finish with a thorough rinse.
Be careful where you use it, by the way. Again, it’s great for your chest, legs, arms, and back, but don’t use it on your face or genitals. It’s strong stuff. Nonetheless, women also can use it, even if the product has men’s coarser hair in mind.
Type: Cream
Pros
- Works fast and efficiently to removed unwanted hair
- Excellent for thick, coarse hair
- Aloe vera helps soothe and protect the skin
Cons
- Powerful scent is off-putting to some
Bottom Line
Nad’s Hair Removal Cream for Men is the ideal weapon to have in fighting thicker, coarse hair. It’s strong, but not so strong that it irritates your skin. It’s even gentle enough for women to use.
3. BAKblade 2.0 Back Shaver
Let’s face it, shaving your back while keeping it properly manscaped is often a chore. A man’s arms and hands can only reach so far, which can mean hairier parts of the back remain unattended – and looking a bit ape-ish.
No worries, however. BAKblade has your back, literally.
The BAKblade 2.0 offers the best hair removal option for men’s backs and enables you to rid yourself of unsightly hair that you couldn’t reach previously.
And, in this day and age when manscaping is all the rage, most men wouldn’t be caught dead with a hairy back (with apologies to all you proudly hirsute men out there).
The 2.0 is an upgrade on BAKblade’s popular, and effective, 1.0 version thanks to an S-shaped ergonomic handle that allows you to shave those hard-to-reach areas of the back without applying excessive pressure.
It also features BAKblade’s patented blades made to shave back hair and other parts of the body. The blade maintains continuous pressure on the skin, and features technology that keeps the friction between the razor and skin as light as possible.
The result is a pain-free shave in which you can get a close cut with only a swipe or two. Even better, you can use the blades for wet and dry shaving.
The BAKblade 2.0 comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee in which BAKblade will give you a full refund if you’re not satisfied with their shaver after two months of use. BAKblade replacement blades are also very affordable.
Type: Back shaver
Pros
- Upgraded handle
- Able to shave the hard-to-reach areas of the back
- Excellent blades
Cons
- Some users say the angle of the blade has changed from the 1.0.
Bottom line
Shaving your back was never easier thanks to the BAKblade 2.0. You can reach every spot on your back with ease and you can use it on other parts of your body.
4. Nair Men Hair Removal Body Cream
With over 75 years of experience, Nair is no newcomer to the business of hair removal, and in 2001 it introduced its first line of products for men. Given the quality of products such as Nair Men Hair Removal Cream, many men probably wonder what took them so long.
You’ll find Nair for men on most lists of the top hair removal products – and with good reason.
Their Men Hair Removal Cream is among the best available for men looking for a quick, easy, yet effective way to remove unwanted hair – including the coarsest and thickest swatches of hair.
By “quick,” we mean removing unwanted hair within 3-10 minutes. You simply spray the cream on the affected area via a handy, no-mess pump dispenser before you shower, wait a minute for the cream to work its way into the hair, then rinse it off in the shower.
The cream goes below the skin’s surface to dissolve hair while leaving your skin smooth and hair-free.
Important note: Do not rub the cream into the skin, but just spray it on the area and then let it work its magic.
Here’s another tip: don’t rinse the Nair Men Hair Removal Body Cream directly under the shower’s stream; instead, just shower normally and let the water that runs over your body remove the cream naturally.
The good news is that you can treat large areas of the body quickly with Nair’s removal cream. It’s good for your legs, arms, chest, and back hair, and you’ll like its pleasant-but-not-overpowering masculine scent.
Do not, however, use it on your face, around the eyes, in your ears, or (note!) around the nipples or your genital area. That said, some men reportedly use it to remove hair from their scrotum.
Our advice: do not do it, but if you still want to do it, proceed with caution.
You’ll also like that a single treatment of Nair Men Hair Removal Body Cream will last several days without leaving behind stubble or painful ingrown hairs that you may get with regular shaving.
If you’re prone to razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and other irritations, then a cream like Nair’s is something to add to your grooming kit.
Nair’s hair removal cream comes with another benefit: it’s one of the few hair removal products that’s suitable for your, ahem, nether regions.
That’s right, if your hair removal goals include getting rid of pubic hair (including sack hair), then give Nair a try. It’s one of the best pubic hair removal creams for men.
Before you slather your junk with hair removal cream, it’s important to follow a few guidelines, however. For starters, trim your pubic hair before applying the cream.
Hair removal creams contain chemicals that can cause discomfort – and even burns – so trimming the area first means you need to use less cream.
Also, never use hair removal cream when your skin is irritated or chafed in those regions, unless you enjoy a not-so-gentle sting. To each his own. Also, we recommend doing a ‘patch’ test before slathering it all over your equipment.
The active ingredient in this cream is potassium thioglycolate, which weakens hair and makes it easier to scrape or wash off.
It also includes a small amount of aloe vera to help soothe the skin, as well as alcohol (which can dry out your skin, so make sure you apply moisturizer to the affected area skin after you shower).
Type: Cream
Pros
- Excellent for men with thick, coarse hair
- Produces fast results
- One application lasts several days
Cons
- May dry out your skin
Bottom Line
Nair is always near or at the front of the pack regarding hair removal products. Their Men Hair Removal Body Cream is fast and efficient and is ideal for dealing with thick hair that other methods, such as shaving, don’t do as effectively.
It’s also one of the best men’s hair removal creams for private parts.
5. Veet Gel Hair Removal Cream
It’s not always fun and games when you’re removing unwanted body hair. Irritation is possible, especially if you have sensitive skin. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t stop you from attacking unwanted body hair with a vengeance.
That said, Veet Gel Hair Removal Cream is an excellent option for men with sensitive skin, but it’s also for any skin type. Its formula includes aloe vera and vitamin E, which help leave the skin feeling moisturized and irritation-free.
Veet is formulated, as mentioned, to leave skin feeling smooth and moisturized, but it also removes hair closer to the root.
That’s a positive for many reasons, including that you don’t have to use it as often, while it also maintains and restores your skin’s natural hydration levels.
It’s also fast-acting, as it effectively removes hair in as little as five minutes.
It comes in a pump bottle and a spatula that you use to apply it. Women love it because it leaves no stubble behind while reducing the danger of nicks and bumps, while everyone loves it because it penetrates the skin to dissolve hair closer to the root.
And if your unwanted body hair is more thick and stubborn, it’s safe to leave Veet’s on for a longer period (up to 10 minutes, actually).
We also like that Veet’s Gel Hair Removal Cream doesn’t have an overpowering scent. Then again, the fragrance isn’t a selling point for the vast majority of hair removal cream
A word of caution: while some folks say they’ve used Veet to remove hair on their private parts effectively, others report a burning sensation that is, to say the least, more than a bit uncomfortable.
So, be very, very careful if you’re planning to use it on your genitals – or, perhaps better yet, don’t use it at all down there.
Type: Cream
Pros
- Ideal for sensitive skin
- Provides deep hair removal
- Fast-acting
Cons
- Not as effective on thick, coarse hair
Bottom Line
There’s plenty to like about Veet’s Gel Hair Removal Cream, including that it’s great for sensitive skin and that it works effectively for men and women. It’s also very affordable, and a little goes a long way.
6. Nair Men’s Hair Removal Spray
Nair makes our list again with its Men’s Hair Removal Spray, which we think is the best spray-type product for men looking to rid themselves of unwanted hair.
Nair’s hair removal spray is the same dermatologist-tested formula as its hair removal cream but comes with the advantage of not needing to worry about cream getting all over everything if you’re not careful.
It’s also great for applying in wide swaths, which is nice when you’re trying to spray the product evenly over a large area, like your chest or back.
The spray nozzle also is great for getting at those harder-to-reach places, because you don’t have to use your hands and fingers to apply the stuff.
Let’s face it, applying hair removal cream on your back by yourself isn’t an easy task. With hair removal spray, however, the task isn’t nearly as formidable.
Hair removal spray also has a clear advantage over shaving in that it A) doesn’t cause the nicks and bumps that come with shaving and B) your smooth skin will remain that way for several days.
Like Nair’s hair removal cream, Nair’s men’s hair removal spray contains Potassium Thioglycolate, and the steps for using the spray are the same.
Apply it to the affected area, let it sit for four minutes (don’t leave it on your skin much longer than that), and rinse it off in the shower, preferably with lukewarm water.
Type: Spray
Pros
- Easy to apply
- Dermatologist-tested formula
- Works quickly
Cons
- Not as easy to apply under folds of skin
Bottom Line
A spray is a great option for men who don’t want to deal with creams and other types of hair removal products, and Nair has the best hair removal spray for men. It’s a tried and true formula from the folks who specialize in helping you rid yourself of persistent body hair.
7. Emjoi AP-18MS Emagine Epilator for Men
Your wife and girlfriend may already know about epilators. You, however, may not know much about them at all, considering that they were primarily used by women until not that long ago.
But if hair removal is part of your grooming routine, then you should at least consider using an epilator. What is it?
Basically, it’s electronic tweezers that work like waxing by plucking hair out by the roots. Spinning discs within the device capture hair, while a rotating motion pulls hair away from the root.
The advantage of an epilator is that it’s a fast hair removal solution that lasts a long time. You can do large areas of your body, such as your back and chest, in less than 15 minutes while leaving your skin free of unwanted hair for up to six weeks.
Emjoi says its AP-18MS Emagine is the first epilator on the market exclusively for men, and it’s certainly an effective hair removal tool, because it has a lot going for it:
- The AP-18MS features 72 tweezers mounted on a metal head. That’s a helluva lot of tweezers (Emjoi says it’s the most of any product).
- It removes the majority of your hair on the first pass to reduce your chances of skin irritation while providing you with smooth skin.
- It comes with patented glide technology that moves the tweezers over the skin gently – relatively speaking – while dual-opposed heads hold the skin taut and cover a greater surface area.
- Lifting ‘fingers’ lift flat and short hair to decrease the possibility of ingrown hair.
- The AP-18MS also includes silver ion technology that protects against bacteria.
- It comes with an ergonomically-engineered handle that nicely balances in your hand and is easy to hold. Let’s face it, the better your grip on your epilator, the better.
- The AP-18MS comes with dual speed controls, so you can work through your hair quickly or slowly. A higher speed often is great for areas such as your chest and back, but you need to go more slowly in sensitive areas.
- Another thing we like about the AP-18MS Emagine is that its head remains cool to the touch as you use it (and after).
- Here’s the other thing: epilators are sometimes painful to use, especially when tugging and tearing at thick hair, but with Emjoi’s AP-18MS Emagine, you’ll eliminate unwanted hair more efficiently with far less discomfort than you will with cheaper models.
Type: Epilator
Pros
- Works well even on thick, coarse hair
- Dual speeds
- Only need to use it every five or six weeks
Cons
- The tweezers may break after years of use
Bottom Line
Epilators aren’t for every man, but there’s no denying their effectiveness in removing unwanted hair – especially when using top-of-the-line models, such as the AP-18MS Emagine.
The folks at Emjoi have bent over backward to provide a clean, efficient hair removal process that lasts for several weeks.