Help me shave my own back

October 2, 2007 5:13 PM

Is it possible for a guy to shave his own back? I recently became single and would like to know if they make an extra long razor or an attachment that would enable me to shave my back. By the way my girlfriend was a pain in the butt. -wolfman
posted by Noodles to clothing, beauty, & fashion (25 comments total)

Nair for men?
posted by UMDirector at 5:18 PM on October 2, 2007

I shaved my own back once. I had to drag a mirror into the bathroom and set it down on a shelf at an oblique angle so that I could see exactly what I was doing. It took a LONG TIME to shave it all off, but then again, I used a manual safety razor. I recommend that you just put up the money ($30 most places) and find a salon that will wax your back. It's easy, you don't have to buy special equipment, and it's probably a lot less embarrassing then telling your friends why you own a razor with an extra long handle.
posted by parmanparman at 5:18 PM on October 2, 2007

A quick google search for "back razor" yields:

Man Groomer

Of course, there is always Norelco's Shave Everywhere:



The site is good for a laugh if not for a shave.
posted by Andy's Gross Wart at 5:19 PM on October 2, 2007

Yes!
posted by wemayfreeze at 5:20 PM on October 2, 2007

Dude, you want this:

ManGroomer

I can't believe your g/f shaved your back.
posted by unexpected at 5:20 PM on October 2, 2007

I think she liked shaving my back, but I would not trust her to shave anywhere else....... I like doing that myself. hehe
posted by Noodles at 5:29 PM on October 2, 2007

I had no idea this ManGroomer existed.
Do any of you know someone who has actually used it?

*adds to "potential" list for xmas gifts*
posted by squasha at 5:43 PM on October 2, 2007

I can't believe your g/f shaved your back.
posted by unexpected at 5:20 PM on October 2 [+] [!]

Um, then I'll blow your mind by saying that this is an unbelievably common thing people do in relationships. In fact, most women are happy to do this, or to point men in down proper avenues to have this done. Grooming each other is just this primal thing that humans tend to do, usually with very sexy results 1-48 hours after. My ex and I used to call it "monkey moods".
posted by iamkimiam at 6:02 PM on October 2, 2007 [4 favorites]

Razorba
Or you could go get it waxed.
posted by idiotfactory at 6:02 PM on October 2, 2007

why are you shaving your back rather than waxing?

waxing takes less time, is cheaper, and you get a better result and you don't have to wax as often as you shave. the reason you're a wolfman is because you're shaving.
posted by Stynxno at 6:03 PM on October 2, 2007

waxing is cheaper????

Hair Salons want min. $50
posted by Noodles at 6:10 PM on October 2, 2007

My gf used to wax my back with the microwave stuff from nair--not traditional nair, nair roll-on waxy stuff. I sorta think it feels good, not painful, but I'm weird like that. We haven't done that in a long time because she could never seem to get right with the idea to do patches next to each other, instead of skipping around from this place to that. That mangroomer looks kinda cool though, might have to check that out.
posted by TomMelee at 6:14 PM on October 2, 2007

TomMelee is right; the sugared wax from Nair is not that bad. I've used it and it's okay. If you can find someone to help with that, cool. If not, off to a salon with you!

(on me.)

(maybe I should be quiet now.)
posted by absquatulate at 6:34 PM on October 2, 2007

haha. I use the ManGroomer. No problems with it. It works best if you do a side to side motion with it, instead of the more intuitive up and down.

The ManGroomer is not a shaver per say, it's just like an electric trimmer, so hair tends to grow back faster. If you're a werewolf, you'll probably want to wax, but if you're just patchy this is just totally awesome.
posted by unexpected at 6:55 PM on October 2, 2007

yeah, sure -- but avoid nair. it's spotty (since you can't see where you had enough) messy (large chunks of black hair that have to be rubbed off, showering isn't enough, so you have to reach everywhere) and itchy and if you happen to grab some flavored variant ... let's just say even coconut can stink like nobody's business when you use half of the bottle.

I use the body groomer from philipps (click on the link, everyone. well worth it) and it works like a charm in combination with a floor covered in newspapers and a large mirror.
posted by krautland at 7:51 PM on October 2, 2007

Dammit idiotfactory, I was hoping that was a link to a tiny round robotic shaver that would run over your back with tiny whirling blades. Like this but a shaver.
posted by hattifattener at 8:05 PM on October 2, 2007

Heh. Just saw the ManGroomer (or similar) at my local job lot store today for like five bucks (Ocean State Job Lot, for hirsute gents in the greater Rhode Island area).

That shaveeverywhere site is fabulous. Philips has sure got some [beep]s -- "an extra optical inch"?
posted by Rock Steady at 8:06 PM on October 2, 2007

i once tried dangling a mach3 down my back with some twine for a shave. not recommended.

like the others i'm amazed that you got your gf to shave your back. the closest i ever came was getting my mom to shave my neck hairs in highschool. and i knew some twins from back then who'd pop each others' neck, but i thought that was more of a twin thing.

personally i'd recommend just taking care of the parts you can see (shoulder, visible neck) till you land another girlfriend. the visual parts will be all she cares about until she's decided you're enough of a catch to keep around for awhile, and at that stage you're back in free-backshave land. my main concern is the fact that a new-girl not initiated to your ways might bolt when she sees some gigantic man-shaving apparatus squatting troll under your counter.

or to be creative you can modify my razor/twine and strap a razor to hattifattener's tickle robot and see where it takes you
posted by camdan at 9:51 PM on October 2, 2007

if your hair is more thin than thick, normal nair will be okay. make sure you have a full length mirror and also make sure your skin doesn't get irritated by the horrible chemicals before putting the stuff all over your back. If your back hair is longer than 1/2 inch you should probably trim it down with a beard trimmer first to avoid the mess krautland warns of (you'll also have to use less).

The more expensive but more convenient way, as mentioned above, is a salon. If it's within your means, its usually recommended you skip straight to this option.

I'd also caution against using a regular mens shaving/electric razor on that sort of skin. It tends to not react the same way as your face. If for some reason you want to try the gymnastics involved with a razor get something like a Venus razor or etc. YMMV depending on flexibility and patience.
posted by mezamashii at 11:11 PM on October 2, 2007

i think waxing is better than shaving. i have waxed boyfriends', and close male friends' backs before (what can i say, i have a fuzzy-ass crew), and it's no big deal. it's kind of fun, actually, i like doing it a lot. throw down some towels, throw on a DVD, and off we go. so i think you should ask a tomboyish female friend to do it for you.
posted by twistofrhyme at 11:17 PM on October 2, 2007

Waxing is the way to go. I have it done and although it is a little expensive (30 GBP / 60 USD), I only need it done once per month. After the first 4 or 5 visits, the process is remarkably pain-free (I would say it is actually very relaxing now) and the subsequent growth is fairly light and non-itchy.
posted by mooders at 12:43 AM on October 3, 2007

Don't shave your back unless you really like the look of back acne (Back-ne).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:57 AM on October 3, 2007

I'd say don't wax your back unless you really like the look of backne. I had that done once. It was supposedly a nice spa. It was certainly more costly than shaving. My dear girlfriend spent the next two weeks anointing me with tea tree oil. Not sexy.
posted by zackola at 7:11 AM on October 3, 2007

Well, if you ever decide to treat yourself, This salon is apparently the people's choice in laser hair removal. According to one site, you'll spend about $800 if you have Robin Williams syndrome... but man, then you never have to worry about it again.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:41 AM on October 3, 2007

Er, link goes to a salon in Houston. Should have mentioned that... *headdesk*
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:41 AM on October 3, 2007