If you watch much porn (of any variety, gay, straight, alien) you’ll find most “professional” actors are waxed, shaved, buffed and polished to within an inch of their life. Not a stray body hair to be found.
In m/m there seems to be mention of smooth chests in a proportion that is completely out of whack with the general population. Usually only bears are allowed their full hirsute glory in fiction. From time to time, note is made of the fact that one partner is completely bare “down there” which is sometimes 
considered a slightly kinky turn-on. (Not counting shaving as a fetish which is different.) Of course in historical m/m I’m assuming the guys are more as nature intended, but to be honest I’m not certain. Perhaps there was a time when men did some manscaping (while wearing high heels, ruffled satin and make-up).
How do you feel about it? Do you want your fictional men to be smooth and shiny, or more soft and fuzzy? Do you care and want mention of it all? I’ve found instances where it’s not made note of one way or the other and works quite nicely but I don’t like a lot of physical detail in general. What about real life? Personally I like the look of a smooth chest (but am not freaked by a hairy one either – within reason). But please please please leave a treasure trail leading to the prize. Unless of course the prize is bare then I suppose that would look odd. I’m not big on the totally hairless look. It doesn’t seem “natural” to me however an out of control forest is not so attractive either.
Gilette made a funny series of videos on their site explaining how to shave your groin, back, chest, head, etc. (Even armpits but we won’t go there again.)
For guys who are curious about “manscaping” you can Google it and find a plethora of websites offering advice about how much and how to go about it. Shaving vs waxing vs depilatory creams vs laser removal. Like the example above (the GT) there are a variety of pubic hair “styles”. 
Is there a time when a guy SHOULD manscape? How would one bring that up in conversation? “Oh honey, could you mow the lawn and while you’re at it lie down and let me at that back hair.” Somehow I’m not sure that would go over all that well. Have you ever asked your partner to do a little lawn maintenance?
So let me know what you think. What about our women readers? Do you groom personally or just let nature take its course? If you don’t, would you be willing to try the infamous Brazilian if your partner asked? I’ve heard if you take Tylenol first it hurts less. 😉 Tam’s helpful hint for the day.
Tam
I love the last picture (chest hair and a treasure trail). That’s my ideal. 😀 The guy who looks like a gorilla – no, no, no, never in my bed!!! I would get the lawn mower out or send him to a salon. That stuff is long enough to braid. UGH!
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As you may remember since you commented, I did a post several months ago about Brazilians where 13 brave Aussies had their “tassies” waxed away (almost as a public service). This is the female equivalent to manscaping. It was very public and I think it might have been filmed for posterity however I don’t know if that was to warn off those who were not so brave, like yours truly . 🙂 Here’s the link.
http://tinyurl.com/y8bfnsr
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Someday before I go to the happy hunting ground I would like to see a guy who is totally clean shaven (including his balls) or maybe has a design down there. What a rush.
“Someday before I go to the happy hunting ground I would like to see a guy who is totally clean shaven (including his balls) or maybe has a design down there. What a rush.”
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Honey we have got to make your dream come true. How close do you have to be? We’ll hit some strip clubs. LOL
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And yes, WordPress hates me, hence no video only a link. Grrrr.
I think it’s the whole concept of fantasy and extremes.
The current crop of gay porn stars most people see from the mainstream houses bug the hell out of me because the seem to think body hair is dirty or something. They are this far from going full on makeup and I would be surprised with the whole HD video trend they are not slathering on those skin tones.
You can find the new Bear porn videos where things get better and body hair and the occsional big boy is not a bad thing unfortunately the Bear market has gone from “typical beer belly” to “extra extra extra large” on the Jenny Craig scale so as I said extremes seem to be what people buy.
If you ever hop over to Bijou Video you can see tons of Gay Porn from the classic 70s when men went with what god gave them as far as muscles and body hair and such and it can be refreshing.
But I think people want and buy the fantasy since they see normal everyday. The extreme stands out I guess. In my opinion I like to see things closer to the truth with a little body hair and normal waist lines and adult aged men, not the extreme.
I agree Teddy, extremes do seem to be “in” these days. Abs that you could wash laundry on, all-over fake tans, the works. Fantasy does sell and as you said, if you see a guy with a hairy chest everyday it’s kind of fun to imagine something different, but I think most people like to see a bit of normal in there too.
I forgot to mention that last week I picked up TQ’s – Toy Box: Shaving. I wonder what delights await me between the covers. 😀
No straight razors. *shudder*
I agree….the last pic is the one I prefer (the guy in the red undies looks nice too). Bears – ugh! You’d have to be so careful about the kissing so you don’t get that stuff caught in your teeth!! And imagine all that shedding on your sheets…!!???!!!
Would I do a Brazilian wax if asked? Sure, I suppose, but there would have to be some reciprocity. Trimmed up is nice “down there” so I don’t have to send out a search party. The personal grooming is limited to a little ‘scaping on the sides and keeping fairly short; I don’t expect him to have to search for the fun stuff either. 😉
Great article……thanks!!!
“Trimmed up is nice “down there” so I don’t have to send out a search party. ”
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Good one Sherry. And thanks.
Our whole society is getting so germophobic that body-hair is considered gross. We’re supposed to remove everything below the neck.
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I used to like very smooth men. Now, my tastes vary. Gorrilla-guy is still a no go, but all the others are terrific.
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I don’t mind trimmed up, but totally bare is a little creepy, on men or women.
I agree Angelia. I find the totally bare look a bit odd and kind of creepy too. I like something to show that you are an adult at the very least.
….and I just looked at the sites – LMAO on the Kevin video! But it looked like they kept using the same tongue depressor in the crock of wax – ewww!! 🙂
Tam you are always thinking!
For me, the bareness level has more to do with tongue than aesthetics. As in, if I lick you am I going to get hairs in my mouth? (Speaking from experience) So when I see pics or read about men that’s what’s in the back of my mind. That last picture you included – he is a hunk, for sure, but I couldn’t lick his chest.
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Just another of my own little quirks. I am learning I have many of them!
Well, yeah Wren, hair in the mouth is not so pleasant. Seems to be a personal thing. I have heard women who say they can’t stand hair on their bodies, it grosses them out just to see it which I find weird. Getting a mouthful is gross, looking at it (not counting gorilla guy), shouldn’t be.
I like the smoothie look on certain men. I’ve seen some very hot guys who are nice and smooth and it works for me. Other guys with the right amount of chest hair and a treasure trail — yeah, that works too. But hair on shoulders and back? Yuck! Get thee to an esthetician, pronto! LOL
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In Promises by Marie Sexton, Matt had a nice treasure trail that got mentioned more than once. Nice imagery in that book. 😉
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L
Yep, I’m with you Leslie. Some guys look great smooth, others great with some hair on them. It’s impossible to say what will work. Back hair not so good. Now with lasers it’s gone forever, more or less.
I prefer a bare chest but with a trail from the navel. I love tonguing the hairs there and working my way down. Who cares about hairs in the mouth? Am i going to rip out every hair just so he or she is spared a hair? No! Agree with others that the last guy is great too, that’s “just enough” hair. I did however, just to gross everyone out, go out with a guy (once) who had hair which peeked out from his collar and cuffs. ARGH! and NO I didn’t take his clothes off to see any more than that.
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Hairy ears are bad too. And noses.
I would say the consensus I’ve found is that treasure trails are indeed a treasure to find. Your date does sound a bit excessive. I do feel for guys though, like the guy above. Sure he could have his back waxed but his arms are so thick how do you deal with that without waxing to the wrist. Otherwise you look like you’re wearing a skin shirt. I’m sure he has a lovely personality. 😀
Great post, Tam. 😉
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I like both smooth and hairy although the ‘bear’ picture is a bit much. My hubby is hairy like the last guy, sadly not in that great a shape, and I don’t have a problem with the occasional hair in my mouth.
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Would I do a Brazilian? Maybe a few years back I might. Now I’m not so sure.
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Happy weekend everyone!
I’m the same Lily, I like both.
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For me the Brazilian is a shyness factor. Spreading yourself for some total stranger to view seems a bit freaky and how exactly do you FIND someone? I guess fancy salons do it, but it’s kind of weird. LOL I would if asked though, but I’ve never been asked.
So, I have gone completely bare, both with shaving and with a Brazilian wax. I’ve also had a boyfriend who shaved his pubic area. Let me just say, that shaved genitals ought to be a no no for both sexes: it’s just nasty growing back, and the skin is so sensitive for most people that you can’t shave it as often as you might shave your legs (although my skin is so sensitive everywhere that shaving is generally a problem). So, waxing is by far preferable, since it keeps things soft and not irritated. Waxing didn’t actually hurt as much as I anticipated, but everybody’s different!
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Now to the real question: did I keep waxing? Answer: while it was kind of sexy, and the skin much more sensitive, it wasn’t hot enough to make me want to spend the money to keep doing it every month. I’d rather get a massage!
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For men, I like hair. Not on the back, necessarily, but elsewhere, absolutely. Chest hair is especially nice since it’s a great texture contrast to my body. Groomed facial hair, like a goatee, is also nice, since again, it creates a nice texture contrast, and not just with my face!
The upkeep is expensive Alaina. That’s the advantage of laser hair removal I guess. It lasts indefinitely but it’s not cheap. Mind you, razors aren’t cheap these days either for the good ones.
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I say that’s why I don’t date. I can’t afford the upkeep on shaving my legs. 🙂
Great topic, Tam! I think I probably like guys across a middle range: medium hairy to medium smooth, but nothing too extreme in either direction. That last photo of yours shows a very attractive guy! Alaina explained it really well about the textural contrast so I’m going to just say, “What she said!” As for getting a body wax, I have to laugh. I can barely stand to get my hair cut, and I’ve never in my life had the desire to get a manicure or pedicure — that’s how much I dislike having someone fuss over me like that! I can’t see myself getting a Brazilian in this lifetime. 🙂
I have had my legs and underarms waxed and love not having to worry about it or a long time but it’s time consuming (or I had someone really slow) and not cheap. If I’m going somewhere for vacation where I’ll be in swimwear or shorts it’s great but most of the time I can’t be bothered. I sometimes think I should get laser but that seems like a waste of money.
I love waxing (and I hate shaving). I regularly get my eyebrows, lip, underarms, and legs done. I’ve had all sorts of variations on bikinins/brazilians but I usually save that for a treat and not a regular basis type thing. I don’t think it hurts but many disagree with me on that. The person I go to is pretty fast (45 minutes for the usual) and I don’t consider it too expensive.
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This is probably TMI but I had a glass of wine at lunch and who cares…LOL.
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L
I don’t find it that painful either Leslie. I always say I had a kid, after that it’s all good. 🙂 45 min. would be great. The place I went last time I had the works before vacation was like 2.5 hours. Ugh. I now if you get waxed regularly you need it less and less often.
Although I have heard that a kidney stone is more painful than childbirth…
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I went to a beauty school once and she took forever, spilled the wax (on the floor, not me) and did a terrible job. The bonus was that she gave me a coupon for a free facial which she *did* know how to do, so that made up for the three hours of mangled waxing.
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L
My sister used to be a beauty therapist, and at one time she worked in a salon near Oxford Street in Sydney (the gay hub). Near Mardi Gras time they used to get a lot of boys in the salon to have their waxing done in prepararation, so much so that the salon had a name for the type of waxing they had done – the back, sac and crack wax. You’ve got to love that, LOL.
Me, I like my men to be men, so I don’t mind hair at all, although I draw the line at gorilla-type hair coverage. As for brazilians, I know a lot of people do it, but as far as I’m concerned adults are supposed to have pubic hair, so to be completely nude down there is wrong to me. But each to their own!
“the back, sac and crack wax”
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That’s funny Meredith. I don’t care for the completely bare look myself but hey, whatever floats your boat. 🙂
If you ladies think waxing is painful, try threading. My salon does this on the eyebrows and underarm because it lasts longer than waxing apparently, but is it ever painful. I’m not sure that they use threading for the more intimate parts of the body. 😀
I’ve heard of threading but never tried it or seen it done. I’ve heard of something called sugaring that supposedly doesn’t hurt but seriously, anything that pulls hair out by the roots is gonna hurt. That’s the way it works.
Sugaring is like waxing but the stuff they use is a bit softer than the wax and not quite as hot/warm, so people with sensitive skin seem to have a better experience than they do with wax. But the actual pulling out part feels pretty much the same.
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I actually think it hurts less if the hair being depilated is fairly long. The estheticians always tell me they like it better if they have something to work with, too. It’s very hard to wax/sugar 1/4″ long hairs.
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L
Sugaring is basically waxing with a different substance base. Just like Nads is pretty much waxing. For me, waxing, sugaring or using Nads hurts when I do it to myself, but not when someone else does it. I guess the anticipation really does make a difference.
The last time I had my legs waxed, though, I ended up getting a ton of infected follicles. It was the first time I’d been to that salon, and you can bet I didn’t go back!
This is a great topic of conversation. It’s come up a couple of times at The Gays of DayTime forum, because the German soap stars wax everything, including under-arms. No, no, no! It’s just not on. 😀
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I’m not keen on really hairy guys, but natural is best. Having said that, I have a gay porn video made quite a few years ago, where the guy has to stop to spit out a few hairs. That’s a bit off-putting.
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I’d never get a Brazillian myself. Too much pain involved. I’m a huge avoider of pain. I epilate my legs, and shave my under-arms, but I’m very lucky in that I have very fair sparse hair, and I don’t need to do it very often.
I think doing underarms or guys is going to far for me. I think some hair somewhere looks best. My hair is not thick but is dark so I have to shave regularly if anyone is going to be seeing.
I’d never heard of “threading”….seems extreme. And if we’re going to refer to hair removal as a whole – I think *everyone* should shave their armpits. Nothing worse than seeing someone in a muscle shirt (male or female) and have them reach up for something or across the table. I don’t need that stuff hovering in my face or over my food!! 🙂
I’ve gotten used to seeing all the bare parts in various porns; it’s more fun to search for butt boo-boo’s, i.e. pimples, uneven and poorly applied makeup, etc.
Personally, I’d go for hairy over waxed/shaved every time. I like to know I’m with a man!
As for would I wax… I have two words for you. Ingrown hairs. Not. Sexy.
I think I like smooth from the waist up and trimmed below. I’ve never had ingrown hairs from waxing, but it doesn’t sound un.
Tam, actually straight razors are VERY sexy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdbKiLOB020 (starts about 2:00) Tell me that if you had a handsome man letting his beloved shave him–and kiss him afterward to be sure he got it all–it wouldn’t be hot.
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I’ve written a few straight-razor shaves. It can be romantic, suspenseful, or just sweet. I’ve also got one character who does wax everyhing except his pubes, and this freaks out his new lover, who is used to barely scraping his face.
Let’s go down the list:
* Trail. Gotta have a trail (given my eyesight, I’d be lost without it). I just love me those trails, preferably beginning at the navel.
* Chest hair. None is okay, as long as that’s the man’s natural state. Some is okay, as long as it doesn’t overrun every square inch of skin.
* Arm and leg hair. I love it almost as much as I love trails.
* Underarm hair. On men, yes.
* Nose hair. Tolerable if contained.
* Ear hair. Just wrong.
* Backs of hands and fingers. I like it thin but noticeable.
* Backs and asses. No, thanks; those must be smooth. I like an ass free of impediments.
* Feet and toes. Meh . . . so long as it doesn’t drag on the ground or grow on the soles.
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Any questions? 😉
KZ Hon, you missed the main event in your list. LOL Trail leading toooooo……?
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I petty much agree with you although I do like a smooth chest.
Don’t dare disturb that springy nest! I thought that was a given. 🙂
next topic:
to bleach or not to bleach?
IMO
grown ups have pubic hair
and it’s only bad when it’s flossing your teeth
Sair, when I was checking that site with the diagrams of different shaving styles where I got the above pic, one o the options was the trim and bleach. 🙂 Although dark roots on you public hair seems a bit excessive.
You know, I never thought about it till now but my local area is not very hairy LOL
The men that get around topless tend to be surfers and physical workers and I can’t picture them shaving so Im going with naturally smooth.
And because of our humidity here not everyone is six pack fit either, so I see the fit and not so fit lol.
Maybe I can conduct a free survey for you and go ask random guys to show me their chest *let me pause and dwell on the reactions of some of my fantasy victims*
Oh do it, Jess do it. Dare ya. 🙂 Make sure you check if the public zone is trimmed as well. You know, just to be thorough and all.
Oooo…..do it, Jess! Do it! I double-dog dare ya! And don’t forget to take some pics! 🙂
Trails, underarms, arms and legs need to have hair on a man. The groin, too. I’d rather see less hair on the chest, though 🙂
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And bleaching, are we talking pubic hair or puckers? I was floored a while back when I came across pucker bleaching. Now that’s a turn-off.
Well I was thinking bleaching of public hair but puckers are a whole nother level of extreme. It’s shame when we think nature’s got it wrong.
Tam, the subject line alone had me laughing before I even got to the comments!
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I have to say I’m not a big fan of manscaping. I like stubble and chest hair and treasure trails and furry legs. I’m not a big fan of men on the street in sleeveless shirts but in the right venue — for example, basketball players in uniform — I don’t even mind underarm hair.
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Great topic, Tam. Really fun reading.
Thanks Janey. We’ll call you a nature lover, let it all grow free. 🙂