Gentlemen, what washing/grooming product(s) do you use on your body hair?
August 7, 2009 6:45 PM Subscribe
Should I start to shampoo and condition my body hair? Are there specific products out there?
Okay, so I'm a pretty hirsute guy. I've got a pretty thick layer of hair everywhere except my back, although it's slowly getting there as well.
Recently I realized that, hey, I ought to be doing something about it as it is, well, hair and there's a heck of a lot of it.
So what do I do? Shampoo? Condition? I do both to my winter-beard, but that's considerably thicker than my body hair.
Just as a sidenote: this isn't about having it look nice, but more wondering if it would feel nicer and be better for the skin if I started taking better care of it.
Okay, so I'm a pretty hirsute guy. I've got a pretty thick layer of hair everywhere except my back, although it's slowly getting there as well.
Recently I realized that, hey, I ought to be doing something about it as it is, well, hair and there's a heck of a lot of it.
So what do I do? Shampoo? Condition? I do both to my winter-beard, but that's considerably thicker than my body hair.
Just as a sidenote: this isn't about having it look nice, but more wondering if it would feel nicer and be better for the skin if I started taking better care of it.
I know a guy with a real hair shirt who used to swear by using (scalp) hair conditioner on it.
posted by availablelight at 7:18 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by availablelight at 7:18 PM on August 7, 2009
As the former companion of someone with hair, conditioner is nice.
posted by small_ruminant at 7:57 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by small_ruminant at 7:57 PM on August 7, 2009
You could probably just use conditioner, without shampoo. I think you definitely could if you're already using bodywash.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:02 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by Solon and Thanks at 8:02 PM on August 7, 2009
Dunno about body hair but I like it when my guy shampoos and conditions his beard with products that smell nice.
posted by Niomi at 8:11 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by Niomi at 8:11 PM on August 7, 2009
I think conditioner on your body hair would give you clogged pores- the hair is too short to really keep the conditioner off of your skin the way (I think) most people condition the length of their head-hair but not their scalps. I have long hair and use a lot of conditioner, and it definitely gives me backne if I get a film of conditioner on my skin.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 9:38 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by pseudostrabismus at 9:38 PM on August 7, 2009
You could try a combined shower gel and conditioning shampoo (example).
posted by iviken at 7:18 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by iviken at 7:18 AM on August 8, 2009
Not a gentleman, but a lady with rather coarse scalp and body hair.
It seems to me that what you're trying to achieve is softer, more pliable body hair, which means you would need 1) a moisturizing/humectant agent and 2) if you're in a very dry environment w/ dry skin, MAYBE a very light oil to sort of 'seal in' moisture. Pretty much all regular scalp hair conditioners have these two things. However, most scalp hair conditioners also have a ton of other stuff in them which you probably don't need for your body hair and which you wouldn't want all over your skin anyway (glossers, detanglers, etc.)
Seconding Sova: non-greasy body lotion is the best bet, used right after you get out of the shower. The advantage to using it after a shower is that you seal in shower moisture and lotion is easier to spread around (i.e. it goes further and is cheaper).
Moisturizer is a pretty individual choice, as everyone's skin reacts differently - what works for me might make someone else break out in horrible acne. It's kind of a trial and error thing to find something that smells good to you and is good to your skin. I'm partial to the Kiss My Face Aloe and Olive moisturizer as it seems to work for me. Read the labels, don't cheap out (it's going all over your porous skin and staying on all day), but more expensive doesn't always mean better either.
Anyway - the same ingredients that moisturize your skin will moisturize and soften your body hair. When I moisturize regularly, my arm and leg hair is softer, and my leg stubble is less prickly. Take care of the skin, and you probably won't need an additional product for your body hair.
posted by Knicke at 8:03 AM on August 8, 2009
It seems to me that what you're trying to achieve is softer, more pliable body hair, which means you would need 1) a moisturizing/humectant agent and 2) if you're in a very dry environment w/ dry skin, MAYBE a very light oil to sort of 'seal in' moisture. Pretty much all regular scalp hair conditioners have these two things. However, most scalp hair conditioners also have a ton of other stuff in them which you probably don't need for your body hair and which you wouldn't want all over your skin anyway (glossers, detanglers, etc.)
Seconding Sova: non-greasy body lotion is the best bet, used right after you get out of the shower. The advantage to using it after a shower is that you seal in shower moisture and lotion is easier to spread around (i.e. it goes further and is cheaper).
Moisturizer is a pretty individual choice, as everyone's skin reacts differently - what works for me might make someone else break out in horrible acne. It's kind of a trial and error thing to find something that smells good to you and is good to your skin. I'm partial to the Kiss My Face Aloe and Olive moisturizer as it seems to work for me. Read the labels, don't cheap out (it's going all over your porous skin and staying on all day), but more expensive doesn't always mean better either.
Anyway - the same ingredients that moisturize your skin will moisturize and soften your body hair. When I moisturize regularly, my arm and leg hair is softer, and my leg stubble is less prickly. Take care of the skin, and you probably won't need an additional product for your body hair.
posted by Knicke at 8:03 AM on August 8, 2009
My husband looks like he's been tarred and haired. He washes his entire body, head to toe and front to back, with Pert Plus. The hair is soft and fluffy and usually smells pretty nice.
posted by defreckled at 7:10 PM on August 8, 2009
posted by defreckled at 7:10 PM on August 8, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Of course, I'm not exactly hirsute myself, so take the advice with that caveat. But hey, kudos for keeping and caring for your body hair.
posted by Sova at 7:08 PM on August 7, 2009