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Top tips from the Community for wet shaving
by Lorenz Keller
Smooth from the armpit to the South Pole: tips for male body hair removal
1.8.2025
Translation: Julia Graham
Pictures: Stephan Lamprecht
If you want to get rid of more than just the hair on and around your head, you’ve come to the right place. I’m talking about shaving armpits, chest, stomach and the areas underneath.
Taming my hair doesn’t stop at trimming what’s on my face and head. I also have to fight wild growth in other areas. Yes, even there. But not just there. And with the help of this little guide, you’ll come out of it unscathed. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for over 40 years and I know what I’m talking about.
Fellow editor Lorenz has used crowd wisdom and summarised the Community’s tips and tricks for wet beard shaving in a post.
And now it’s time to go down a level.
Your armpit doesn’t have to be a sweat temple
Even in ancient Greece and Rome, a smooth armpit was considered a sign of cleanliness. The idea that «real men» have to be hairy at this point is a construct of modern times – and trash TV. Maybe you still remember that in the 80s a hairy from top-to-toe David Hasselhoff not only heroically saved the world but also rescued various blondes from drowning? Now you get my point.
The advantages of a hairless armpit are obvious:
- With less bacteria able to settle there, the smell of sweat is reduced.
- Your deodorant works better.
- When you wear sleeveless shirts, you don’t flash any underarm hair.
- In summer, you get to enjoy that fresh feeling when there’s a little breeze.
Shaving your armpits isn’t harmful in itself. Skin irritation, small cuts or ingrown hairs are the result of incorrect technique.
The dos and don’ts of underarm shaving
Before you enthusiastically reach for the foam and blade, there are a few things you should know. Because a smooth armpit requires care and a bit of effort.
- Avoid blunt blades: otherwise you’ll have to go over the same spots more often. In the end, this leads to redness and irritation. It may look smooth, but you’ll have red pustules under your armpits.
- Use a scrub regularly. Twice a week is enough. This removes dead skin cells that can block the hair follicles. I stopped doing that for a while and ended up with ingrown hairs. Believe me, nobody wants that. Ouch.
- And importantly, as soon as it itches, you need to shave again. Otherwise you’ll soon be faced with a stubble field – yikes. In short: plan some extra time for body care, otherwise that wild growth will quickly return.
The perfect underarm shave
I’ve tried a lot of methods but I always come back to the classic wet razor with multiple blades. With a bit of practice, shaving is quick and thorough.
- Prepare your skin. A warm shower opens the pores. I take a few minutes to soften the skin and hair. It’s a bit like meditation, only with water and no «aummmm».
- Use shaving foam or gel to help the razor glide over the skin. This helps prevent razor bumps.
- Stretch the skin by placing your arm behind your head.
- Shave in different directions – underarm hair grows wildly in different ways. However, don’t apply strong pressure with the blade and instead glide gently over the foam.
- First cool the skin with cold water. This closes the pores again. Pat the skin dry and apply a soothing and alcohol-free lotion. In my experience, products containing alcohol burn indescribably badly.
It’s best not to use deodorant immediately after shaving. Or at least, opt for one without alcohol. Your armpits will thank you.
My current favourite combination of razor and aftershave:
Chest hair: bye-bye, jungle
If you want your chest to be nice and smooth, do exactly as you would for your armpits: soften the hair, apply shaving gel and then shave in a criss-cross pattern. Afterwards: apply cream. It’s also best to use a gentle, alcohol-free lotion.
If the jungle is too dense, I’d advise you use a trimmer first to shorten the hair before shaving completely. This makes shaving faster and more even. You can also use a trimmer to slowly feel your way towards your favourite look by starting with settings that leave more hair growth.
In our range, you’ll find a large selection of suitable devices. Unfortunately, the one I use isn’t one of them as I bought my Panasonic trimmer years ago from a specialist salon.
To help make your trimmer last longer, follow this little tip: there’s always a small bottle of oil included. Before you start, put a drop of it on the blade. And then remove the small hairs with the brush. It might all seem a bit of an extra faff, but it works wonders.
In summer, I like a clean-shaven chest. It’d emphasise my defined pectoral muscles. If I had any. But seriously, the advantages of being hair-free in this area are the same as for the armpit. Not only that, it makes it easier to apply sunscreen.
Let’s go to the South Pole: shaving the «bikini zone»
Now things get a bit delicate – in the truest sense of the word. You need to take particular care when shaving the genital area. Otherwise your first attempts will end in minor dramas.
Perhaps I should start with what device to use. An electric trimmer is perfectly adequate to begin with. Handling is safer than with a blade and you can achieve a neat look with relative ease. Especially if you don’t want to clear the undergrowth completely.
If you prefer it really smooth, then it’ll be more complex. First, prepare the skin as you would for shaving your armpits. Then remove the longer hairs with a trimmer or scissors. A frontal attack with the blade isn’t recommended because pubic hair can be quite bristly, and the wet razor would get tangled.
So, what’s the correct way to shave?
- Use plenty of shaving cream or foam and preferably a product for sensitive skin. In my experience, it makes a difference if you opt for the special offer at the discount store or spend a bit more money. At the moment, I’m using this cream:
Shaving foam + Shaving gel
Quantity discount
CHF7.60 per piece for 4 units CHF42.94/1l
Gillette Intimate
177 ml, Shaving cream
- Gently pull the skin taut and shave with short strokes. And don’t be in a rush about it. Shave in the direction of hair growth. In my experience, shaving against the grain tends to cause unsightly razor bumps down below.
- When it comes to the crown jewels, more caution is required. Even small cuts can be really painful. Use one hand to tighten the skin and one to shave.
- Then wash off the cream and foam residue. Here too, cold water can soothe the skin. You can achieve a similarly good effect by storing the product you’ll be using in the next step in the fridge.
- If you don’t want the neighbours to hear your cries of pain, select a perfume- and alcohol-free lotion for aftercare. Products with aloe vera are a really good choice here. After taking a good look in the mirror, it’s best to put on loose cotton underwear to avoid chafing and further irritation. On that note, your skin may itch in the first few days after shaving, which is just a sign that the hair is growing back. With regular shaving, however, the skin gets used to it.
And if you’re thinking: «Wow, that all sounds super time-consuming.» With the right practice, you’ll shorten the meditation phases and shave more quickly.
What do you think about body hair care? Do you have any tips? Let us know in the comments.
Header image: Stephan Lamprecht
Hamburg local, bookworm, and ice hockey fan. Dad and granddad. Constantly tinkering around with my smart home setup. I love DIY, the outdoors, fashion, and cosmetics.
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