Before you dive in… For all you need to know about getting the most out of using hair removal cream, check out my beginner’s guide to finding (and using) the best hair removal cream.
I’m not sure there’s ever an appropriate time or a place to tell the story of why I first decided to try hair removal cream for men, but if such a time or place exists then this is likely it; let’s just say it involved a trip to the beauticians, a terribly sweet middle aged Filipino lady, and a wax strip that I refused to allow her to rip off of my lads that proceeded to remain, unremoved, for a period of three more days.
Needless to say, I was in dire need of an alternative.
…The problem was (and still is, for a staggering number of men) that it’s pretty hard to strike up a casual conversation about ‘hair removal cream for men’s balls’ over a couple of beers with your buddies- or at least, it is with mine.
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- The Truth About ‘Manscaping’
- Why Use Hair Removal Cream for Men?
- How Does Men’s Hair Removal Cream Work
- Benefits of Using a Hair Removal Cream for Men
- Drawbacks (and How to Deal with Them)
- 7 Best Hair Removal Creams for Men Countdown
- 1. Best for body: Nair Hair Removal for Men, Body Cream
- 2. Best for balls: Nads Hair Removal Cream For Men
- 3. Best for sensitive skin: Veet Gel Hair Remover Cream, Sensitive Formula
- 4. Best In-Shower: Nair Men Hair Removal Cream
- 5. Best portable size: Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme
- 6. Best for Back: Nair Men’s Hair Removal Spray
- 7. Best for beard: Stop Hair – Hair Growth Reducing Spray
- Wrapping it Up: The Winner
The Truth About ‘Manscaping’
You could say that my lack of knowledge and inability to get down to the hairy details (yup, I just did that) with my friends caused me to be somewhat slow off the mark when it came to my awareness of men’s hair removal cream. In reality, up to as high as 90% of men are removing at least some of their body hair these days, and with a statistic like that you can bet your left one that there’s a huge demand for an alternative to the hassle of shaving and the dreaded pain of waxing.
Why Use Hair Removal Cream for Men?
Like the vast majority of guys, I was strictly razor only for my teenage years and well into my 20s, and despite the fact that I used to get shockingly bad razor burn and painful regrowth (not to mention the odd ingrown hair that would turn into a full on boil every now and then) I never investigated any alternatives- I just thought that that’s how it is; just something I have to live with.
When I hit my early 20s and started to ‘manscape’ my down there hair more regularly, I began experiencing the full wrath of what it means to have painful regrowth- if I thought I had known suffering before, well, let’s just say that I certainly did now. When that finally got to be too much, I turned to the world of hot wax, and well… the rest, as they say, is history.
The current range of ‘for men’ hair removal creams offer a brilliant alternative for guys who don’t want to deal with the agony of waxing or the discomfort of shaving. By now, I’ve gone through extensive testing of the best hair removal creams for every purpose, and I can safely say I’ve found some winners that totally changed my hair removal game.
How Does Men’s Hair Removal Cream Work
Men’s hair removal cream is made up of strong chemicals that, when applied to your hairs, break down the proteins in each strand to effectively turn the hair into a sort of jelly-like texture, which can then be wiped away easily with either a plastic spatula or a damp wash cloth.
If you’ve ever opened a tube of hair removal cream before, doubtless- you’ll have noticed the smell; why is it so bad?! Well, not only do the chemicals themselves smell pretty terrible but as soon as the reaction caused by the hairs breaking down begins it starts to smell even worse. A small price to pay, if you ask me…
Benefits of Using a Hair Removal Cream for Men
The upside of using a hair removal cream for men is that it’s pain-free and relatively cheap. Quality-wise, achieving the best hair removal for men in the privacy of your own home is no easy feat, but if done correctly the results of depilation can rival even a professional wax, and without the need for any blades, tweezers, wax strips, pliers, hammers, garden shears- …you get the picture.
Cheaper products that aren’t so effective will tend to remove hairs above the surface of the skin and leave some stubble, but the best hair removal cream for men will work to remove the hair just below the surface of the skin, which will result in a much smoother appearance than you’d ever get from shaving. The results tend to last longer than shaving too (some guys claim to have up to a month hair-free after using it; I don’t know what kind of hair they have but for us normal people it’s usually closer to a week).
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Drawbacks (and How to Deal with Them)
It might answer a lot of our hairy problems, but depilatory creams do come with their own set of drawbacks- a lot of which are avoidable though, as long as you know what to look out for (don’t want you repeating the mistakes of the poor soul I read about whose Veet session concluded with his manhood in a tub of strawberry ice cream).
The active chemicals in men’s hair removal cream are abrasive enough to cause your skin to suffer a nasty chemical burn if
1) left on your skin too long
2) applied somewhere it shouldn’t be, or
3) used inappropriately for your skin type.
This is why it’s insanely important to carry out a patch test before slathering the whole tube on your body and its most precious bits.
In a nutshell: You will want to test the cream on a smaller skin patch 24 hrs before using it on the whole area you wish to treat.
Now:
It can be tempting to leave the cream on a little bit longer in effort to make the hairs come off more effectively, but that’s more likely to irritate your skin than anything else. If you have quite long hairs I recommend giving the area a trim first (longer hairs require longer amounts of time for the cream to work) to avoid causing any damage to your skin.
Last but not least, I can confidently attest to not showering before you apply the cream because your skin’s natural oils will act as a protective barrier to the chemicals in the product and give your skin that extra fighting chance. After that, just follow the instructions and you’ll be hair free in no time.
7 Best Hair Removal Creams for Men Countdown
Comparison Chart
Nad’s for Men Hair Removal Cream – Painless Hair Removal For Men – Soothing Depilatory Cream For Unwanted Coarse Male Body Hair, 6.8 Oz
1. Best for body: Nair Hair Removal for Men, Body Cream
Nair is a brand that has been around forever, and when you use a product like this you can understand why. It does exactly what it’s supposed to and for this reason is widely considered to be one of the best hair removal products for men.
This cream is great for guys who want to remove hair from big areas of their body like legs, arms, chest, or back. It’s a strong formula, specifically composed to work on coarse male hairs, and yet despite its power I’ve yet to suffer from any irritation.
When I tested it, I applied it to my chest area in a generous layer and left it on for 9 minutes, after which point I scraped it off with a plastic spatula (not included, it was my gf’s) just like I’d do with a razor. I’d guess about 90% of the hairs came off first try really easily; the remaining 10% I sort of scrubbed off with a damp cloth.
My skin felt really smooth afterwards so I didn’t need to apply any lotion either. The benefit of the chemicals in a cream like this is it actually gives your skin a “chemical exfoliation” which adds to the smooth after effect. Overall it was a great result, but because of the scrubbing needed to remove the last bits I wouldn’t recommend using this as a men’s hair removal cream for private parts.
Pros
Cons
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2. Best for balls: Nads Hair Removal Cream For Men
The best pubic hair removal cream for men is hard to come by. I’m going to have to start this particular review with a disclaimer:
I’m not a dermatologist, I can only advise you based on my own experiences. This product is not specifically designed as a hair removal cream for men’s balls but the results, ladies and gents, do not lie.
The manufacturer claims this product is most effective for use on chest, back, arms and legs, but many men- myself included- can attest that Nads is for nads- end of. This little tube of wonder cream takes away all of my pubic hair with little to no irritation in 4 minutes without fail. A word of warning though, don’t leave it on for more than the recommended time especially when using it to remove hair from the nether regions.
When removing the cream it’s best to wash it off with cool water as opposed to normal warm shower temperature which can sometimes cause more of a burning sensation. Best practice to keep some hydrocortisone cream handy too, that way if you do experience anything from redness to rashes you’ll just need to apply a dab of the cream and it’ll clear up in a second.
Pros
Cons
3. Best for sensitive skin: Veet Gel Hair Remover Cream, Sensitive Formula
Don’t let the pink fool you; this product from Veet is a total banger- and an absolute must-try for men with sensitive skin. In all my time of testing these products I’ve failed to find the best depilatory for men specifically, but this product does the job brilliantly.
And anyway… it’s dark pink. Manly pink.
One of the things I love the most about this bottle is the large size and convenient pump head which really helps eliminate mess (and lasts much longer than many others). This formula is made specifically for people prone to skin irritation and sensitivities, and thanks to the soothing aloe vera and protective vitamin E elements, I was able to safely and successfully use this cream to remove hair from my neck (the most sensitive skin on my body besides my face).
It seems I’m not the only man having success with a “women’s” Veet product; judging by what others have to say about it, this Veet cream will work wonders on any part of the body- including the very sensitive regions.
Pros
Cons
4. Best In-Shower: Nair Men Hair Removal Cream
In-shower hair removal creams make the entire process of ‘deforesting’ yourself so much cleaner- not to mention the fact that you’ll save a few minutes as well because you can combine shower time with the time it takes to wait for the cream to work. The common issue with these creams though, is that they don’t always stay on your skin properly once you start getting splashed with shower water- which is why I am particularly impressed with the performance of this Nair for men hair removal cream.
For best results, slather the cream on and then wait for about a minute or so before hopping into the shower (this’ll give the cream a chance to ‘set’ a little bit and prevent it from washing off). Apply a slightly thicker layer to areas where your hair is more dense, and wait 8-10 minutes (max.) before scraping it all off- I find using a plastic spatula (or even an old unused credit card) gives the best results.
I am most impressed by how effectively the product stayed on my body during my shower, and how easily it took the hairs away after- 95% gone first go. Word to the wise- don’t reapply to the same area within 24 hours even if you missed a spot; use a razor or tweezers to get the last bits and spare your skin.
Pros
Cons
5. Best portable size: Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme
At 200ml, this Veet for men cream is just the right size to fit into your wash bag and take with you on the go. I included a number of larger sized bottles in this article because one of the biggest complaints I hear from others who use hair removal cream is how quickly it runs out, but sometimes a smaller, inconspicuous bottle is what you need- the best thing is that it looks like any normal tube of face wash or shower gel.
The bottle may be smaller than most but the cream itself is powerful as ever, removing hair effectively in about 6 minutes (I usually find Veet works slightly faster than Nair; has anybody else found this to be true?). The manufacturer suggests you only need 4 minutes for the cream to do its job, but my hair (being very coarse and thick) needed a little longer- just remember to always do the patch test before deciding to exceed the recommended time!
The small sized tube is great if you want to take this tube with you on the road, or if the area you want to remove hair from is also quite small- feet, armpits, neck, etc. Overall good product from a trustworthy brand.
Pros
Cons
6. Best for Back: Nair Men’s Hair Removal Spray
Spray on hair removal creams are a fairly new revelation, designed in an effort to reduce the associated mess that comes with slathering on the normal cream. The design works pretty well; you certainly don’t need to touch the cream as much (or at all, if you’re really skilled) until you get to the point where you’re washing it off.
The spray nozzle is quite targeted, so it will actually spray where you want it to as opposed to repainting your bathroom walls- although it does require a little flexibility to accurately spray some of the harder to reach areas (buttocks, for example). In my opinion, this is the best depilatory for men to use on their backs because it’s so much easier to apply. The only difficulty is scraping the stuff off when the time is up, but you can get your hands on a ‘back scraper’ which basically looks like a razor head (without the blade) on an extra long handle.
I’m including this cream purely for the fact that the spray function helps remove hair from places I normally can’t reach; I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the effectiveness- I think it removed about 80% of the hair on my back. It’s a good choice if you’re looking to ‘thin’ the hair growth as opposed to removing everything completely.
Pros
Cons
7. Best for beard: Stop Hair – Hair Growth Reducing Spray
Facial hair removal cream for men is not usually something I recommend; the skin on your face is extremely different to the skin on the rest of your body- thinner, more sensitive, totally different needs…not to mention the fact that beard hair is usually much coarser than hair on the rest of your body. This is why traditional hair removal creams are often not so effective at removing beard hair and can often cause damage to the skin.
I have yet to find the best hair removal cream for men to use on their face, so instead I turned to this product from Stop Hair which acts as a hair inhibitor as opposed to a remover. The product is specifically designed to be used on sensitive facial skin, and the ingredients are all natural which your skin will thank you for.
Stop Hair uses an assortment of plant derived extracts that work to inhibit hair regrowth and encourage hairs to grow back softer, thinner, and lighter. It works by reducing the amount of nutrients available to the hair follicle by building a barrier between the follicle and the hair itself. The follicle eventually becomes miniaturized and the hair begins to look like peach fuzz.
Use this product in conjunction with another hair removal method (shaving, for beards) to extend the amount of time between shaves- the longer you use it the more noticeable the results become. The best things is you can use this on any body part and in conjunction with any other type of hair removal- shaving, waxing, laser, etc.
Pros
Cons
Wrapping it Up: The Winner
As I’m sure you understand by now, every man’s hair removal needs are different depending on skin type, hair type, and body part – so the overall winner is one that has proven to be the most versatile when it comes to all of these needs.
Nad’s for Men gets my vote thanks to the fact that it removes hairs effectively from every body part I’ve tried it on – and it’s pretty hard to find a genital hair removing cream for men that works this well.
I’ve never experienced any irritation, perhaps because of the aloe vera element that acts as an anti-inflammatory agent- or perhaps because the chemical makeup of this product is just the perfect balance. I really believe this is the best hair removal cream men can get.
If you’ve got questions, comments, or crazy hair removal stories – give me a shout with all the hairy details!
About the author Dave Levitt
Dave is a Brooklyn-based editor with a specific interest in the recent trend of men adopting beauty and self-care routines. It’s not all about the ultra-masculine-packaged, strongly-scented all-purpose shower gels anymore! Modern men are seeking the quality resources to turn to when it comes to skincare, haircare and fashion. Dave’s hard and passionate work is dedicated to building up more resources like that on the web.