Beauty Diaries: I manscaped for the first time so you don’t have to

What’s it like manscaping for the first time? BURO’s resident Beauty Boyfriend is here to investigate so that you don’t have to.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t do a lot of gardening. Of course, if my bush starts impeding on my daily life (read: it’s too long and it’s getting caught on everything) and things need to be actioned, I do step up. That said, that’s a once-every-three-months ritual that requires nothing more than a pair of scissors and my fingers as a guard.

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I have also tried shaving down there before, once with a classic disposable razor and a proper face razor, but I found it way too time-consuming and ultimately decided that bald balls weren’t really worth the effort. However, Miss Beauty Editor Red (my girlfriend) insisted I desecrate the plains for content, so I’m here to give it another shot. This time, however, it’s going to be different—this time, I’m using the right tools.

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The game plan

I was sent a care package from Nateskin containing the Nateskin Bush Trimmer 2.0, Face Shaver and Nose Hair Trimmer. What intrigued me the most was the Bush Trimmer 2.0—an electric razor specifically designed for a fella’s nethers. Supposedly, it was built to maximise comfort, safety and efficiency, which were three things that I was definitely looking for around my groin.

Here was the game plan: I’d start by trimming, not scaping, the bush and snail trail. I like the look of a bush, I just wanted mine to look slightly tidier. Then, I’d fully bald the balls (after all, that’s what you’re here for, right?), but I was going to stop short of my bum crack. Why? An old friend of mine cautioned me against it after going through hell with the stubble. Forgive me, but crying myself to sleep because of friction burn didn’t seem like my cup of tea (hope it grew back out quickly, Big T). That was pretty much it.

 

 

The experience

There was no beating around the bush—I quickly got things going with a warm shower and began sculpting. First things first, I really like that the Nateskin Bush Trimmer 2.0 is waterproof. It makes things so much easier. I just wish the Face Trimmer and Nose Trimmer were too so I could use them in the shower and do a full head-to-toe groom all at once. It’s not the biggest issue, but it would have added to the convenience of the routine.

As I mentioned, I’d usually go in with a pair of scissors to get rid of the bulk of my bush before going in with a traditional razor. This typically takes a long time, which is why I never really shape up. However, the trimmer made light work of my bush, shaving off a ton of time in my grooming routine. I liked that the trimmer comes with a guard to help you keep a little length where you want it. I also loved the built-in torch—I could actually see what I was doing in HD, so there were no missed spots.

I will say, however, that the experience wasn’t all smooth sailing. Firstly, it took a fair few passes to catch all the hairs, but the result ended up being comparable to my usual routine in much less time. Secondly, while I felt a lot safer with the Nateskin trimmer as compared to a traditional razor, I did still manage to cut myself—on my balls, specifically, which was a pain, to say the least. I guess I got complacent, so let this be a cautionary tale: You still have to be careful around your crown jewels, even if you’re using a device that’s engineered for the area.

 

 

The results

Overall, I probably wouldn’t go completely hairless on my nuts again. You see, what they don’t tell you about manscaping is that shaving your balls right down to the skin makes everything feel sweatier. Worse yet, when the regrowth starts kicking in, it sucks—those little new hairs are spiky, and they cause way too much friction for comfort. I mean, that itch on my balls was bad enough—I can’t even begin to imagine what Big T felt between his cheeks!

All of the itchiness and discomfort did go away after a couple of weeks, but it was long enough to put me off of the idea for the foreseeable future. I’m glad I did it, though. For the first few days, it was nice to feel smooth plumes down there. Besides, maybe it’s just a weather thing—I’ll give manscaping another shot once I step foot in a cooler climate than Malaysia’s.

As for what’s next for me on my manscaping journey… I’m not sure. Maybe laser hair removal, who knows!

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For more men’s grooming stories like this, click here.