Dear Morgan and Leah,

I’m a pretty hairy guy. I always have been and it’s never bothered me. I’ve been dating someone for the past few months, however, and recently she’s been dropping more and more hints about manscaping. I’m not opposed to the idea but I’m not really sure how to go about doing it, like what to shave, how to trim and where to stop. Should it bother me that she doesn’t like the hair? She’s put up with it the whole time we’ve been together, but I don’t want it to be a deal breaker.

Sincerely,

Happily Hairy

Dear Hairy,

First off, if you want to postpone a decision, remind your gal that it’s No Shave November—there’s no reason to shave any part of your body right now!

For anyone who’s a little confused, “manscaping” is the masculine art of removing hair, generally body hair (as opposed to facial hair and hair on your head). It can include hair on the chest, back, “down there” and other parts of the body. Many women, including your lady, apparently, are turned off by what they perceive to be too much body hair. So what can you do about it?

The history of manscaping

Removal of men’s body hair has long been a cultural and religious custom, according to AskMen.com, and is occasionally done to prevent fleas and lice in less-developed parts of the world. There has always been a visual component, which is why many men in America today choose to remove body hair.

Your options

Should you choose to fix the frizz, you have a few options. The easiest, shaving, also requires the most upkeep, as it grows back the fastest. You can get hair removal cream or wax at your local drugstore, or you can get it waxed professionally—the most expensive method, but also the easiest. Just remember that if you do anything other than shaving, it will take longer for the hair to grow back and you might be unhappy with it.

The joys of trimming

In some more sensitive regions of the body, growing hair back can be an itchy experience. Your best bet may be to trim and shape the hair rather than removing it completely.

Dos and Don’ts

In places where there’s a LOT of hair, just trim it. Women expect you to have hair in your armpits … your girl will wonder why it’s all gone. Same goes for your chest. Just thin it out! Don’t shave patterns. Do we need to explain why? Unless she has a great sense of humor and you can play it off well, your name in your chest or an arrow (ahem) are less classy than you might want. The worst thing you can leave for your lady is prickly stubble that pokes her when you’re trying to set the mood.

Just remember that you don’t want to go completely hairless—”porn star chic” is not in these days. Also, if you’re as hairy as you’ve made yourself seem, be careful about where you nix the hair: You’re going to look silly if your happy trail is gone and your chest is bare, but your back is still hairy.

Chances are, though, if you’ve made it this far it won’t end up being a deal-breaker. If it is, do you really want to be with someone who’s taken the time to get to know you but can’t get over your hair?

Best of luck!

Peace, love and good advice,

Leah and Morgan

Have questions that you want answered by the lovely ladies of The Hoot? Submit your questions to advice@thebrandeishoot.com or at formspring.me/leahandmorgan! They will be answered by Leah Finkelman ’13, Features Editor, and Morgan Gross ’14, Impressions Editor. We’re so excited to hear your questions!