It isn’t hard (no pun intended) to understand why guys would want to learn how to shave their pubic area with an electric razor.
Trimming the coarse and curly body hair that surrounds your most sensitive areas is an essential part of a modern man’s grooming routine.
But our most private parts are also our most prized parts, so the idea of putting a sharp blade anywhere near your nether regions can be pretty damn daunting.
[image: Ocskay Mark / Shutterstock]
And that’s especially true when the sharp razor blade in question happens to be attached to a motorized electric device, which could easily leave you with razor bumps, skin irritation and an increased risk of ingrown hairs if you’re not careful.
Fortunately, using an electric shaver to trim your intimate area doesn’t have to be intimidating.
To help you avoid any problems in your pubic region, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide that you can use to make sure your electric hair trimmer gives you a close shave without any close calls.
Keep Your Crotch Well Kept:
How to Trim Your Pubes with an Electric Razor
(Smoothly, Safely & Effectively)
But First…
A (Quick) Note About Avoiding Cuts on Your Nuts
(image: Janon Stock / Shutterstock; illustration: Irreverent Gent)
While the steps below will help make your pube-shaving experience as smooth and pain-free as possible, please, for the love of Thor:
Be careful.
At the end of the day, we’re talking about taking a device with a series of blades that are moving at rapid speeds and scraping it against the most important parts of our body.
Follow the instructions below, go slowly, and (again, I can’t stress this enough) be careful!
Before You Start:
1. Select the Right Tool For Your… Well, Tool
As with any other task, the first step to shaving your pubes safely and effectively is to choose the right tools for the job.
And in this case, that means finding a dedicated pube trimmer that’s purpose-built for the sensitive skin around your pelvis (or as women often call it, the bikini line).
One mistake a lot of people make when they first start shaving their pubes is to take the same electric trimmer they use for their facial hair and start using it down below.
But that’s very much not a good idea, for two main reasons.
The first is cleanliness.
As a general rule, you probably shouldn’t use the same device on both your face and your groin area, for reasons that I hope are obvious.
And the second is safety.
The standard beard trimmer uses stainless steel blades that can easily mow through thick hair, but they often leave your face with small cuts and nicks that you very much want to avoid.
By contrast, the best pubic hair trimmers use ceramic blades, which are a much better option for your most delicate area because they’re less likely to leave you with a painful razor burn down below.
We put together a whole post outlining the best trimmers for your balls, but here’s a quick summary of our favorite models.
Each one comes at a fairly affordable price point, and they all have rechargeable batteries that offer enough battery life to easily do all your trimming on a single charge.
The Meridian Trimmer
Custom-made for trimming your bikini area, Meridian’s cordless razor is packed with features that make it a great option for you shaving your most sensitive body parts.
In addition to ceramic blades, it’s got a sleek design that allows you to be as precise as possible, and it’s completely waterproof, so you can use it while taking a shower or warm bath, which we very much recommend.
The Manscaped Lawnmower
Arguably the most famous of all the pubic hair removal options on the market, Manscaped’s Lawn Mower tool comes with an LED light that helps you see what you’re doing, which is especially handy if your bathroom is poorly lit.
Philips Norelco Body Groomer 7030
Some guys have a personal preference for full body trimmers, which can be used not just on your pubes, but on your entire body.
The Norelco BG7030 is arguably the best trimmer in that department because it’s got two distinct trimmer heads, which can handle just about all of your shaving needs.
2. Take a Hot Shower
[image: Majestic Lukas / Unsplash]
Once you’ve got the right tool for the job, the best way to get your hair ready to be trimmed is to take a nice, hot shower.
The heat from the shower (or a hot bath, if you prefer) helps to soften your hair follicles, which makes them easier to remove and results in a cleaner, closer shave.
3. Start with Scissors
After you get out of the shower, use a pair of scissors to trim hair before reaching for the trimmer.
Removing long hairs with scissors will make it easier for the electric razor to get a closer shave.
4. Use Some Pre-Shave Product
To help ensure a smooth shave, the next step is to apply a good shaving cream to the short hair remaining in the pubic area.
Using shaving foam or oil helps you avoid dry skin by moisturizing the area, and improves razor glide by creating a barrier between your skin and the trimmer, which reduces the risk of irritation and razor burn.
(Most of the electric trimmers listed above can be used for dry use, you tend to get the best results when you use a little bit of product.)
Related Query:
What do women want to see down there?
The steps laid out here will help you shave your pubes safely and effectively, but there’s one more important question worth asking:
What style should you go for? In the video below, the ever-helpful (if overly caffeinated) Alpha M. addresses just this question, based on a poll of actual women.
As You Shave:
5. Start with a Long Guard
The best bikini trimmers and pubic shavers tend to come with plastic guards that allow you to adjust the length of the shave.
If you’re not sure which guard setting is going to be best, err on the side of caution and start with the longest possible guard, then work your way down.
This will let you start trimming your longer hair right away, and get a sense of how much hair comes off with each successive guard setting.
6. Go With the Grain
One of the easiest ways to get a clean shave is to pull your skin so that it’s nice and taut, and then start shaving with the grain, which means in the direction of hair growth.
The idea here is to start at the root and move outward, rather than starting at the tip of the hair and moving inward toward the root.
Once you’ve done a couple passes over your entire pubic region going with the grain, then you can start going in different directions to get any stubborn hairs that got left behind.
7. Mirror, Mirror On Your Balls
It can be helpful to use a hand mirror so you can see what you’re doing and make sure you’re getting an even trim.
You may not look at the area underneath your sack very often, but if you’re trimming your pubes it’s probably because you hope someone else soon will.
Using a mirror will help you see what they see while they’re down there, and take care of any spots you might have otherwise missed.
8. Don’t Press Too Hard
A lot of guys press down too hard when using electric razors, which increases the chances of nicks, cuts and skin irritation (especially if you skip the shower step above and just try trimming dry hair).
Remember: you’re using an electric trimmer for a reason.
Let its motor do the work for you. All you have to do is guide it gently in the right direction.
9. Rinse Before You Repeat
Be sure to rinse your electric trimmer frequently while shaving to remove any accumulated hair and shaving cream or gel.
This will help to keep the blades clean and effective.
Remember:
Take Your (F*cking) Time!
The last thing you want to do is rush, so make sure you give yourself ample time to complete the job.
As mentioned above, each of the trimmers we recommend offers plenty of battery life, so there’s no need to worry that you’re going to run out of juice.
Go slowly and press softly. As long as you’re not pressing down too hard, you can always do multiple passes of the same area to make sure you got everything.
And if you do happen to get you get any cuts along the way, stop and apply pressure to the area until the bleeding stops.
When You’re Done:
10. Rinse With Warm Water
When you’re done, rinse the whole area with warm water to remove any remaining cream or oil.
This will also help you clear away any dead skin cells that might be lingering in the area.
Some guys like to apply a dollop or two of hair conditioner before rinsing, rather than soap or body wash, because it’s a little more nourishing and less likely to cause irritation.
11. Pat Those Puppies Dry
Using a dry towel, gently pat the area until it’s dry.
It’s probably best to use a dark-colored towel, just in case there are any nicks and cuts that might still be bleeding when you’re done.
12. Use Some Post-Shave Product
Finally, it’s probably a good idea to apply a post-shave product, to help soothe and hydrate your skin.
But you should avoid any after-shave products with alcohol in them, which will likely sting.
Look for something containing aloe vera, like this one from Harry’s, which soothes and replenishes the skin without causing pain or irritation.
More Resources ↓
More Manscaping Advice from Irreverent Gent:
- In-Depth Meridian Trimmer Review – Is it worth the money?
- Can you use Nair on your balls? An Irreverent Gent Investigation
- The Best Trimmers for Shaving Your Balls
- The Best Hair Removal Cream for Private Parts
- In-Depth Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0 Review
- The Best Razors for Shaving Your Head
- The Best Electric Trimmers for Bald Head Shaving
Banner Illustration: Irreverent Gent