Having hair growing on your back is not a crime, but some feel that it looks ridiculous. If you feel as if you are part gorilla because of a mass of hair growing on your back, you are probably looking for a way to shave it down. Without someone’s assistance, this makes the task even harder.
I will suggest tactics to achieve that smooth back that some are seeking to obtain.
1. You need to Use the Right Equipment
Some men might feel as if they have super flexible arms joints and they will be able to shave their back with the same razor that they use to shave their face. Wrong answer. You might be able to shave off a large section of your back, but our arms are not designed to reach all areas of our back.
Most of the top back shavers have a handle that might be extendable that allows you to shave down completely your back. Here are a few aspects to look for when buying the perfect shaver for your back:
- Power Source – You can buy shavers that are electric, but I would advise against doing so when purchasing a back shaver. My best tactic is to shave in the shower and getting electrocuted is not a good plan. Buy one that can be charged and is cordless.
- The Handle of the Back Shaver – Since it is next to impossible to reach all areas of your back on your own, get a back shaver that has a handle that allows you to reach the midpoint of your back. A lot of them have a retractable handle that allows you to adjust the length. I would advise you to read reviews to ensure that the handle is lockable. It would be very unpleasant if the handle length changed mid-stream during a shaving session.
- Does the Handle Have a Great Grip – When selecting a back shaver, check to see the quality of the grip. Is it rubberized and will it allow you to maintain a strong grip on the handle? If the grip is made of hard plastic, the soapy shower environment will make it harder to control.
- Is the Head Flexible – If the head of the shaver is stationary, you are going to have trouble shaving within your shoulder blades and along the bumps in your spine. A flexible head will shave within the contours of your back.
- Can you Easily Clean it – Since the back area is an area that can remain moist during the day if you are sweating, you need to avoid exposing it to bacteria. If you are using a dirty back shaver, you are asking for trouble. You will be allowing bacteria to enter into the micro-cuts in the back tissue that you are creating when shaving your back.
- Are the Replacement Blades Expensive? I realize that the most important aspect of a shaver is the quality of shave, but sometimes blades can be very expensive. If you planning on changing the blades often, you need to verify the pricing of the replacement blades before you buy a back shaver.
Click here to read my back shaver reviews.
2. Are your Blades Sharp
You have to make sure that the blades in your back shaver are sharp. If they are dull, you are going to have to apply more pressure on the device to get a clean shave. I have noticed that if I press hard on a shaver, there is a greater chance that bleeding will occur. A bleeding back is harder to tend to than a bleeding face.
It is best to have some spare blades on hand. Some back shavers are sold with packets of replacement blades.
3. Jump in the Shower
The best environment for back shaving by yourself is the trusty shower. The steam and warm water will keep your back ready for a quick shave. If you dry shave your back, you will increase the chance of cutting into your skin. I realize that there are videos online showing people having someone dry shave their back, but that is because someone else is doing the shaving.
Stay in the shower for about 3 minutes before you start shaving your back. You want the skin to be moist and warm before you apply the shaving cream.
4. Lather Up Your Back
Add shaving lather to your back. There is no need to use shaving cream for super sensitive cream because the skin on your back is tougher than the skin on your face.
Nevertheless, I would not use dollar store type shaving cream though. You need a cream that will foam up so that you can easily cover all areas of your back. If you were to use cheap shaving cream, the cream would probably just roll off of your back before you get a chance to shave it.
5. Start Shaving
Now that you are ready to start shaving your back, I wanted to give you some advice. Try to use flowing strokes while shaving. Stopping in the middle of a stroke with a back shaver is not a good plan. You would be better off making several smaller strokes in a particular area.
It is best to start in the center of your back and to shave off one side before you shave the other side. At the top of your back, you will have to hold the shaver in a more vertical position so that you can reach the upper part of your back.
Try not to allow water to drip down your back due to the streaming shower water. You need to ensure that there is still shaving cream in an area that you are shaving.
For the portion further down your back. You will need to use a slightly different angle in order to reach this area. For instance, at a 45-degree angle.
When you are shaving your shoulder blades, use shorter strokes since the area is smaller than on the rest of your back. You may not have much hair at all on the shoulder blade sections.
Personally, I have more of my back hair growing on the lower sides of the back. Nevertheless, it will give you a back that is completely smooth if you use the shaver on the complete surface.
What is great about shaving your back is that the hair tends to be rather smooth and easy to remove. It is more like the hair that tends to grow on the arms.
6. Rinse Off
The next step is a super easy to accomplish. Just allow the shower water to rinse off your back completely. When the skin feels as if there is zero cream residue, you are finished.
7. Inspect using Two Mirrors
Inspection time is at hand. You will need to have a small hand mirror handy to complete the task. I recommend the hand mirror by Deatti because it is unbreakable (click to see pricing on Amazon). While facing your bathroom mirror, hold your hand mirror at different angles to see if your back is completely void of hair.
Since most back hair tends to grow in the lower portion of the back to the sides, inspect well this area. After the inspection, you will then need to protect your skin
8. Dry Off and Slap on Some Baby Powder
Before getting dressed, you will need to dry off your back. Use a clean towel that is larger enough to reach all areas of your back. If your back is still moist, your clothing will stick to it which is a strange sensation.
Another trick that I use before putting on a shirt is to add a little baby powder to my back. The easier way to do so is to allow some baby powder to trail down your back by adding some of it to the top portion of your back and then just allowing it to flow downwards to cover the rest of your back.
Also, another trick for adding baby powder to your back is to add a small amount of it to the inside of your shirt.
Congratulations, you have now adequately shaved your back. You should inspect it once a week or so to see if you need to shave it again.
I will provide you with additional information that is related to back shaving.
Should you Shave your Back?
You may be wondering if it a necessary to shave down your back to make it smooth to the touch. Personally, I will shave my back if I have noticed that my back is becoming itchy because of the length of the back hairs.
Sometimes, while at the gym, while sweating, my back tends to become itchy. The drops of sweat tend to stick the hairs not allowing my back to drop off completely. If I have shaved my back recently, the sweat will become trapped in my shirt or just trail down my back. My shaved back seems to remain drier at the gym.
Another reason for shaving your back is because it will make your back look more muscular. A furry back will make your back muscles look less defined. Of course, if you not self-conscious, having a smooth hairless back may not be a priority.
Nevertheless, do not others dictate whether or not you shave your back. If you tend to have ingrown hairs, shaving your back will cause you to have more ingrown hairs. If you wish to remain as natural as possible, shaving off body hair should not be on the top of your todo list.
If you are dating someone that stresses that you need to shave down your body while dating them, maybe it is time to find a new partner. There is some discomfort when back hair starts to grow back in. Anytime that you have stubble on your body that is covered by clothing, you will have to deal with that itchy transitional period when follicles begin to push out more hairs.
How Do you Shave your Lower Back?
Above, I had explained how to shave a major portion of your back. Nevertheless, there is also the portion starting at your lower back down to your ass cheeks. Assfro is the term used for the hair that grows in this area.
This area is hard to shave because of the added contours due to the rounds muscularity of the buttocks. It is embarrassing to ask your roommate to shave this portion of your body. You may have to shave it on your own.
There are a few methods for doing so. You can use a cream that is designed to remove hairs called a depilatory hair removal cream. This cream will remove the keratins that will cause a hair to detach from its follicle. What is good about a simple cream is that the hair can be any length. You do not have to wait for the hair on your lower back to be a certain length as you would when waxing.
A second method for shaving the small of your back is to use a razor blade. It is better to try to shave down the hairs as close to the follicles as possible so that you will not have to shave the area again for a week or two.
- Since the skin is sensitive in this area, it is best to shower beforehand in order to relax the follicles.
- Next, apply some shaving cream or shaving oil to the area.
- Then glide your razor blade along the contours.
- Afterward, shower off the cream or oil and you will be left with a smooth lower back.
- Using a facecloth that is been immersed in cool water, wipe down the area before applying aftershave to protect the skin.
Is it Better to Shave or Wax your Back?
If you do not wish to worry about the hair on your back every 2-3 days than waxing is the way to go. Nevertheless, there are pros and cons for each method
For shaving your back:
Pros:
- It can be done at any time. There is not a lot of prep work involved with back shaving with a back shaver. Just jump into the shower and soon enough, you will have a smooth back.
- Cost is minimal for back shaving. You will need to purchase initially the back shaver and then some blades for it once the present blades become dull.
- Shaving your back can be almost painless if you prep your back skin properly. You need to stay in the steamy shower long enough to allow the follicles to loosen up so that you can easily shave off the hairs.
- You do not need to become an astronaut to learn how to shave your back. Once you get the hang of using a back shaver device that has a handle, you will be able to master the technique in no time.
Cons:
- You can create ingrown hairs if you do not use clean blades when shaving your back. Shaving is going to deposit bacteria into your follicles if you are too cheap to use brand new blades every one or so.
- You will need to shave every two to three in order to prevent stubble from causing itchiness on your back. This itchiness would not be apparent if you were to go shirtless 24/7, which is frowned upon.
For Waxing your Back:
Pros:
- Waxing your back’s hairs is actually a quick process. You just have to become skilled at adding wax if you doing it yourself.
- It can actually be less time consuming versus shaving your back hairs. It could be done in usually 10 to 15 minutes tops. because you don’t have to do it as often as you would if you’re shaving, the total amount of time that you have to dedicate to removing your back here is is a lot less than shaving.
- If you were to hire a professional to wax your back, you will feel reassured that the job is going to be complete and that’s going to be long-lasting. You will not have to wax it again for perhaps another month.
Cons
- Some people believe that shaving is actually a dangerous tactic because you could cut into the skin. Personally, the pain is involved waxing is something that you should not overlook.
- Since you are actually removing the hair completely from its follicle, there will be some itchiness once the hair starts to grow back. In other words, you will have to deal with stubble that will surface versus if you were to shave down your back. Shaving with a razor causes less irritation because the sensation of growing stubble will be less for you.
- I have read that using wax on the skin can sometimes cause the skin to become more sensitive because skin cells are being pulled off once the wax is removed even though the intended goal was to remove the hair only.
- Some people are allergic to the ingredients that are contained in common wax products. If you were to develop a rash due to specific shaving cream, there are brands that are for sensitive skin.
Personally, I am not going to wax my back. The thought of someone ripping hair off of my back sounds bizarre and barbaric. Perhaps, you are ok with it and you would rather only have to deal with back hair removal every 4 weeks or so.
Does Shaving Your Back Cause Acne?
Are you worried that you are going to develop a mass of ugly pimples if you were to start to shave your back? There is a chance that you will irritate the surface of your back if you were to shave it down. If you are prone to developing ingrown hairs or if you already have acne, you need to take some extra precautions.
First of all, I want to clear something up. Lots of people state that razor burns are actually pimples. This is just not true. Razor burns are caused by ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are pushing into the skin instead of surfacing the skin. There will be lots of irritations because of the number of nerve endings that are located on your skin.
Pimples or acne appear when bacteria enters in the follicles and infection within the follicles occurs. Nevertheless, ingrown hairs create an environment where bacteria can multiply. In other words, you need to deal with ingrown hairs also. By keeping the surface of your skin free from dirt and bacteria, you will help to reduce the possibility of an infection occurring with an ingrown hair.
Just simply wash well your back while in the shower. Using a back brush will remove dead skin cells that can clog up your pores. Dead cells can also redirect the growth pattern of a back hair causing it to become ingrown so washing and drying well your back is important.
If you are shaving your back with a razor, you should apply a pre-shave oil to your skin. This oil will actually soften up your skin making the shaving process more productive and safe. Creating microscopic tears in the skin will allow bacteria to enter into the skin causing a problem with acne.
Is a Hairy Back Normal?
Having hair growing on your back is normal. It is not as if you have some huge genetic defect that has to be dealt with medically. A hairy back is not a sign that there is something wrong with you.
Of course, there are varying degrees of back hair growth in society. Back hair is frowned upon by most people. This is because it can make you look as if you are more closely related to apes versus the average joe.
Personally, I do freak out when I am able to notice a batch of hair growing on my back. I know that is because hair growth happens on the back because of the presence of testosterone. Your back hair follicles are instructed to push out long hairs.
I actually get the added benefit of a few more degrees of heat due to my back which could reduce my heating bill since I can keep the heat at a lower level.
You do not need to go to your doctor if you start to develop hair on your back. If you are totally self-conscious about it, ask your doctor if there is an underlying reason as to why you have started to see back hair growth.
Nevertheless, if a woman suddenly develops a mass of back hair, she should speak with her doctor since there could be something occurring medically that will need to be dealt with.
What Causes Back Acne in Males?
Developing acne, in general, is due in most cases to changes in hormonal levels. There are hormones that create more oil in the skin that mix with bacteria to create pimples.
Medications can also cause acne to appear on the back. If you take lithium there is a higher probability that pimples will develop on your body. Also, taking corticosteroids can increase the chances of developing back acne.
If you tend to sweat a lot at the gym, you are also bacteria that is on the skin to transfer to other areas on your back. The bacteria in the sweat can cling to follicles or hairs that are on your back.
In order to prevent or reduce the presence of back acne, you need to keep your back clean. I would suggest showering twice a day or more if you workout at the gym. Make sure that you rub your back with a back brush so that you will remove the bacteria and also the dead skin cells that will have accumulated on your back.
Also, wearing cotton shirts is your best bet. I like to purchase 100 percent cotton when I buy tee-shirts and shirts so that there will less irritation to the skin. If you are sweating, the cotton material will soak up some of the sweat leaving your back dry. A back that is dry, will have problems with pimples.
There are products for the back that can buy that will reduce the oil content on your back. For instance, salicylic acid products or benzoyl peroxide. Nevertheless, do not depend too much on these items since they can dry out your skin.
If you have tried a few of the above tactics for dealing with back acne to no avail, you probably should see a dermatologist. A dermatologist will be able to set up a treatment regimen that may reduce your back acne within a short period of time.
Some dermatologist will make suggestions that do not involve medications, but sometimes that will be necessary. One drug that is prescribed for acne on the back is isotretinoin. Also, the dermatologist may suggest that you have laser treatment done to your back to remove the acne.
Should you Shave your Shoulders?
You may be wondering if you need to shave your shoulders? You probably have hair growing on your back if you have shoulder hair, and shaving this area is quite simple.
I feel that you should shave your shoulders if it is causing your clothing to lay on your shoulders in a strange way. I have a lot of hair on my shoulders, and I have noticed that a simple trim with a beard trimmer is a quick way to tame shoulder hair. It is a trim that will only have to be done a few times a month. The hairs on the shoulder can grow quite long, but they are relatively thin hairs in most cases.
