Hair trimmers are designed for people who are happy to settle for near-smooth skin, as opposed to razor bumps from shaving.
They are also popular for people on the move for tidying up between waxing treatments.
- What are hair trimmers?
- Why clipper instead of shaving or waxing?
- I want the very best. Which hair trimmers leave perfectly smooth skin?
- Related Topics
What are hair trimmers?
Also known as clippers or manscapers, hair trimmers feature an electric motor that drives a row of fine teeth against a fixed plate to create a cutting edge.
Sometimes there might be a second moving plate which suggests twin-blade closeness.
Other options such as blade width make the trimmers suitable for specific purposes, e.g. beard or scalp art, or a foil guard which helps prevent hair getting into the motor.
Rotary trimmers are a newer concept with four or more spinning heads,and have become popular for maintaining a buzz cut.
They are particularly lauded as being very low maintenance by guys who have had SMP or scalp micropigmentation treatments.
Why clipper instead of shaving or waxing?
Trimmers serve a specific purpose, that is to cut the hair as close as possible to the skin while minimising the risk of cuts and nicks.
That's really handy when clippering pubic hair of the labia or scrotum. When used in conjunction with depth guides, trimmers are also great for stylistic designs.
- Hair trimmers are great for making patterns of deliberate stubble in surrounding hair, e.g. scalps, beards.
- Clippering the pubic hair with a #1 guide above the genitalia is ideal for people who want to look neat but not perfectly smooth.
- If you usually wax, trimming is a better option than shaving or creams if for whatever reason you can't make it to your body waxer.
- Unlike shaving, you won't get ingrowns as the hair is trimmed above the skin. Unless it's very cold and your skin puckers, there's little chance of getting ingrown hairs as a result of clippering.
- If you are considering going hairless on a new area, say your arms or legs, using a hair trimmer the first time allows you to see how it looks before committing to something more long lasting such as waxing or IPL Hair Removal.
When I treat clients in my waxing rooms, it is quite common to wax a person's genitalia but clipper say, the pubic crest or mons, and butt cheeks.
I want the very best. Which hair trimmers leave perfectly smooth skin?
Despite all the hype, there's no such thing. You can definitely get close with a rotary trimmer, but not silky smooth.
These claims became a bit of an urban myth during COVID lockdowns due to people not being able to go to waxing studios.
Clients began looking for the next best thing, and less scrupulous online sellers started making some rather dubious claims in order to sell over-priced clippers to the masses.
Now that the initial hype is over and a year or two has passed, go through their reviews and see the amount of complaints they've received about nicks and cuts.
The reality is that you can't have it both ways, that is skin clippered perfectly smooth without the risk of cuts or nicks.
With all of that said, hair trimmers are definitely a valid and worthwhile form of grooming pubic hair and body hair.
They are especially suitable for modest or insecure guys who prefer to take care of business in the privacy of their own home.
Finally, hair trimmers are also a worthy option for teenage guys who are too young to get a Manzilian from a waxing studio.
Having clippers at home allows them to get close to the look they want, in privacy and without fear of being naked in front of someone else.