Butt hair removal - Questions, tips & solutions

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to take your pants off in front of another person? Did you hesitate at all? If the answer is yes, then you’re a normal human being. There are many reasons to hold back and not want to drop your pants in front of other people. Mostly, that’s a good thing, but sometimes, hesitation can be born of deep-seated confidence issues. You might not believe this, but butt hair removal is closely tied to this idea.

Most guys start growing butt hair at some point in their teens, and it’s a source of embarrassment. We tend to think of butt hair as a gross thing, and it can impact our confidence. It can even make very hairy guys nervous about taking their shirt off to go for a swim. There’s a lot more to butt hair than the embarrassment of taking off your pants, and we want to address all of that today. We’re going to take a deep dive into butt hair and how you can manage it.

Why do we have butt hair?

It’s a common question to ask in the throes of frustration when you’re trying to shave your backside. Why is that hair even there?! The truth is that science doesn’t have a clear answer to this question because it’s not a burning question in the scientific arena. It’s also because questions of evolution or human development can be very difficult to answer.

While these answers are not definitive, there are a few leading theories. One is that butt hair is still around because there’s no real reason for it to go away. Earlier humans were a lot hairier than we modern people. The use of clothing and movement to climates across the world made body hairless necessary, but butt hair doesn’t impact reproduction, so there was evolutionary pressure against it.

The other leading theory is that butt hair helps you show off your stank. Showing off your stank might not be such a good thing in modern society, but with early humans, pheromones and scent communication may have been an important part of reproduction. Your butt is one of the smelliest parts of the body, and having hair there helped trap and waft that smell. It’s gross, but it might be why any of us are here.

What is the purpose of hair in our butt crack?

A final theory relates specifically to the hair in your crack. It’s possible that the hair down there prevents chafing between your cheeks. If you think about this applying to hunter-gatherer humans, it’s a little more believable. They did considerably more walking than most of us, and they didn’t have lotion. After all, grooming your crack hair usually won’t cause sudden and horrible chafing unless you live like a neanderthal. 

Reasons to remove your butt hair

Despite the prehistoric advantages that may have stemmed from keeping your ass hairy, there are plenty of motivations for cleaning the hedges down there today. Stank isn’t exactly going to help your social life these days, and besides that, butt hair isn’t exactly advantageous in the modern world.

Avoiding a sweaty butt

One of the biggest reasons to consider grooming is swamp ass. These days, we all wear at least two layers of clothing on our butts. We don’t need the fur down there to stay warm. It’s quite the opposite. A hairy butt plus all of that clothing usually makes things sweaty. If you want less butt sweat, consider some grooming.

Dinglesberries can be a problem

Another powerful motivator is the existence of dingleberries. For those unfamiliar with the term, this is when poop gets stuck in your butt fur. You’ve probably seen it happen to a dog at some point, but it happens to humans too. Any amount of grooming eliminates this threat right away.

On the more practical side, grooming can help with itchiness. First, butt hair is itchy on its own. It contributes to dry or irritated skin which can itch like you have ants in your pants. If you trim the hair and apply some skincare, you can best the itchiness.

Grooming makes you feel better about yourself

Lastly, grooming can help you feel sexier. Butt hair is gross by modern standards. If you get rid of your butt crack hair, you won’t have that grossness. You can stand a little taller and walk with more confidence in your step. It’s not a bad way to live.

If you’re wondering, “Should I shave my ass?” any of these reasons can be your answer.

Getting rid of butt hair at home

If any of those previous reasons sound compelling, then you might want to learn how to get rid of your butt hair. Each home remedy on this list is effective. Before you go out and buy a body groomer, you just have to decide which you like the most.

Shaving

Shaving is one of the most common approaches. Shaving leaves you with a perfectly smooth butt, but it comes with some drawbacks. Cutting yourself, especially when getting after butt-hole hair, is not pleasant. Also, shaving will chap your skin. So, if you choose this route, take your time, be careful, and don’t skimp on the skincare after you’re done.

Some tips on how to shave your ass will prove invaluable if you go this route.

Waxing or sugaring

In essence, waxing and sugaring are the same things. It’s a question of whether you buy a waxing kit or go completely DIY. This method of hair removal rips the hair out by the roots. That is both good and bad. As you might imagine, it can be painful. On the other hand, it gets rid of the hair for a long time, and it grows back soft. If you can stomach waxing, it’s not a bad way to handle butt hair.

Still, it’s not entirely common. Only three percent of men use waxing as their primary means of butt hair removal.

Hair removal cream

Depilatories aren’t the most common method, but they can work. Only four percent of the men we surveyed said they prefer this method, and there’s a reason for that. Depilatory creams can burn like fire if they get to the anus. Assuming you don’t have a bad reaction to the creams, they’re very easy to use on the cheeks, and they usually won’t hurt. Once you get into the crack, that can change quickly, so use creams with caution.

Trimming

Trimming is by far the most common way to thin-out butt hair. A cool 53 percent of the guys we surveyed listed this as their preferred method. Trimming is fast, easy, and painless. It won’t necessarily get your butt perfectly smooth, but you won’t be at sasquatch levels. You get the perks of having a groomed butt, and trimming has the least downside. If you have any hesitancy about attacking your ass hair for the first time, you should probably go with a trim to see how you like it.

We have some pointers on how to trim butt hair that will help you.

How to permanently remove butt hair

Once you get into a groove and realize how much you like having a smooth backside, you’re going to wonder about more permanent solutions. We talk about permanent hair removal pretty regularly. For most parts of your body, it’s not the best idea. You might want some of that hair at different points, even around your groin. Butt hair is the exception. We don’t anticipate there ever being a time when butt hair turns into one of the many body hair trends.

If you want a permanent solution, laser hair removal is pretty much the only option. Laser hair removal is something that a dermatologist should only do. In your first consultation, they’ll let you know how good a candidate you are, and things can progress from there.

Here’s your fair warning about laser hair removal: it’s expensive. You’re looking at spending hundreds of dollars each session. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons places the average cost at $285. Keep in mind that it will take multiple sessions to get to your permanent solution. If you have the money and the doctor says it can work, then go for it. It will make your life that much easier.

Common butt hair removal questions

We’ve gone pretty deep into the world of butt hair removal. We’ve covered motivations and techniques to do the job. Still, we get many common questions, so we thought we would break them down for you now.

What percent of guys trim hair on the butt?

Our research has found two important numbers to answer this question. First, 80 percent of men groom their butts in some way or another. Of those, 53 percent prefer trimming. That means that roughly half of all guys in the U.S. trim the hair on their butts. In reality, it’s more than that because 37 percent of guys shave, and shaving is usually preceded by trimming to make things easier. In general, you can see that the vast majority of guys are removing butt hair, and trimming is by far the most common way to do it.

What is the normal butt hair length?

This question is more complicated than it seems. Without any grooming, the common length of butt hair will vary wildly from person to person. It turns out that every part of your body has a terminal hair length, and your genetics determines that length. This is why some guys have furry arms while others have barely noticeable arm hair. The same is true for your butt. On average, that terminal length on the but ranges from less than an inch to several inches.

When you include grooming, the normal butt hair length is basically zero. Most forms of hair removal leave you completely smooth. Most guys trim as low as possible with no guard on the trimmer if you stick with trimming. It’s basically a shave.

When do people start removing butt hair?

This is a great question. Every guy makes this decision for himself, but we found some trends. Most guys start removing butt hair before they turn 30. Only 33 percent of the guys in our survey started grooming after the age of 30. 

More than half of all men start grooming at some point in their 20s. This makes sense. Not everyone has a significant amount of butt hair in their teens. As guys mature in their 20s, the motivations for grooming start to kick in.

Still, early bloomers aren’t entirely rare. Twelve percent of the guys in our survey started grooming before the age of 20.

How to deal with itchy butt hair after shaving?

This is actually the most important question we get asked. If you shave your butt, you run two risks. The first is that you will get razor burn, and it itches like crazy. The best way to help avoid this is with skincare. Moisturize after you shave and wear loose clothing and boxers. It also helps to shave gently and go with the grain to help avoid the problem.

The other source of itching occurs when the hair grows back. Butt stubble is miserable, and there are very few things you can do about it. First, don’t shave in the crack. Instead, only trim, and leave the hair long enough that it isn’t prickly. You can still have short, groomed hair with this method. Second, avoid cutting the hair at an angle. The hair gets pricklier when it is cut to be sharp. If you keep the razor as perpendicular as possible while shaving, it minimizes the misery of stubble.

Now you know how to remove butt hair

This concludes your complete guide to butt hair removal. You know why the butt hair is around in the first place. You have plenty of good reasons to attack it, and you have plenty of methods to get the job done. We answered the questions we hear the most. We have very little else to offer you today. Try a method. See how you like it, and once you experience how nice it is to live life without butt hair, you’ll be headed down a path to a life more enjoyable than you might expect. And for a limited time, check out our MANSCAPED discount codes to save even more on your male grooming routine.