Getting tired of having a carpet of hair over your chest? Sick of ingrown hairs and razor burns when you try to wax or shave it off?
For men who are serious about permanently removing their chest hair, there is only one real solution to consider: laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal for the chest is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures amongst men today. For those who are seeking that perfectly bare and smooth chest, there is no better method than laser hair removal.
In this article, we discuss everything there is to know about manscaping, chest hair removal options, and why laser hair removal is the ideal permanent hair removal solution.
Chest Hair – To Manscape Or Not?
For a long time, chest hair has been considered a staple of male masculinity and male beauty. A man with a not-too-thick layer of hair over his pecs, with strands peeking out from his shirt collar, could be considered a “real” man.
But these days the standards of male beauty and what makes someone a “real” man have loosened up a bit. More and more men are considering manscaping, or trimming or completely removing their body hair – including hair in their armpits, legs, back, neck, arms, and of course, the chest.
Here are some common types of styles for chest hair today:
| Style | How | Pros | Cons |
| All Natural | Just leave your chest hair as it is, without ever touching it or bothering with it. | You have nothing to worry about. No time or energy spent styling it, cutting it, or trimming it. No risk of irritating your skin. | This is definitely the ideal option for some men, but not all. While some men have chest hair that naturally stop growing after a certain point, other men have chest hair that grows too thick, making the chest hair look unattractive. |
| Trimmed | Maintain your chest hair instead of letting it grow all out. You will need a men’s body trimmer, generally set on the lowest setting, applied to the chest once or twice a month. | For men who have thick chest hair but still want to have chest hair without looking like a bear, the trimmed style is a great way to go. | It can be difficult to get it right, as you will have to learn how to cut your chest hair properly at the level you want. You run the risk of giving yourself patches or cutting your hair to a stubble, which can feel very weird. Also a possibility of razor burns and ingrown hairs. |
| Hairless and Smooth | Have your hair completely removed. This can be done through laser hair removal or with wax. Shaving is not recommended. | It can look amazing if you have a great chest that you work out at the gym. You also will never have to deal with razor burns from shaving. | Not everyone can pull off the hairless and smooth chest look. |
Chest Hair Removal Advantages
There are actually many advantages to having your chest hair removed. These include:
1. Attractiveness
While some men are blessed with the lucky perfect amount of chest hair, most of us don’t have that luxury. When you take off your shirt, you don’t want your partner or your date cringing at the carpet of body hair between your pecs, do you? The truth is that most women actually prefer the smooth and clean option, especially if the alternative is a bear’s chest.
2. Less Odor and Sweat
When it comes to hygiene, having more hair is never the answer. Body hair and hygiene do not go hand in hand – with chest hair, you leave room for more bacteria and sweat to get trapped on your chest, causing extra odor and general discomfort.
3. Bald Patches
If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you might not realize it yet, but chests tend to experience bald patches just like scalps. You don’t want to be the older man at the beach getting weird looks because of irregular bald patches on your chest, and your partner doesn’t want to be with that man either.
4. Hair and Clothing
If you tend to wear tighter tops, then you might have experienced the discomforting and sometimes painful feeling of having your chest hair tugged and pulled out by your clothes. And for those few elite triathletes in the audience, chest hair also increases your resistance while you bike or swim.
5. Unclogged Pores
Like the rest of your body, your chest has pores, and keeping these pores open is essential towards keeping your skin healthy and fresh. Having no chest hair clears up the pores on your chest.
We understand that for many men, manscaping your chest doesn’t necessarily feel like the right option, especially when you are considering it for the first time. However, more and more men are manscaping their chest hair, with some studies finding that 40-60% of men work on their chest hair.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to see if you are ready to manscape your chest hair for the first time:
- Does my chest hair bother me?
- Do I think I have the type of chest and style to pull it off?
- Would my partner prefer me with no chest hair?
- Do I care about my grooming and hygiene?
- Do I know the best way to have my chest hair removed?
If you have asked yourself all the questions above and you’re still ready to learn more about manscaping, then it’s time to understand your best options for chest hair removal.
Chest Hair Removal Options for Men
1) Trimming
Trimming is the first-choice men generally take, simply because it can be done on their own, in front of the bathroom mirror with a pair of scissors or a trimmer. If you are manscaping for the first time, you might want to test the waters with trimming, just to see if you are happy with the idea of lessening your chest hair.
Pros: You can try out the concept of manscaping without over-committing just in case it’s not for you.
Cons: As trimming won’t get much done, you will have to go back at it every few days or once a week to maintain your chest hair at the level you want.
2) Shaving
When you’re ready to step up from trimming, you can put down the scissors or trimmer for a razor. Shaving can help you achieve the bare and smooth look without needing any professional help, and it can be done in just a few minutes.
Pros: Simple and stress-free.
Cons: Shaving is terrible when it comes to stubble. Having stubble on your chest can be a very strange feeling, as the feeling of it grazing against your shirt will bother you all day. There is also the chance of giving yourself pimples and razor burns, causing intense itchiness on your chest.
This is also known as folliculitis, in which you cause inflammation to the hair follicles (which in turn is caused by a fungal or bacterial infection). In the worst case scenario of razor bumps (or pseudofolliculitis barbae), you might end up giving yourself dark raised scars, known as keloids.
3) Waxing
Waxing your chest hair involves applying a creamy lotion to the chest, and then applying cloth strips over the cream, letting the strips dry on the cream. When the strips are pulled off, the hair is pulled out with the dried cream.
Pros: A single waxing session can guarantee you a bare chest for anywhere from 3-6 weeks, depending on how fast your body hair grows.
Cons: Bruising, burns, and pimples are all possible side effects caused by waxing on the chest.
4) Electrolysis
One popular method for hair removal is known as electrolysis. This method involves the use of an ultra-slim needle, which delivers tiny electrical shocks to the hair follicles beneath the skin, causing the death of the hair-producing cells. A single session can take 10-20 minutes, however quite a few treatments are necessary to truly leave a part of the body hairless.
Pros: Effective at hair removal, as it targets hair production at the cellular level.
Cons: Can be painful, will take several treatments (with the entire treatment sometimes lasting up to a year), and in some cases, there might still be some patches of hair in the area.
5) Laser Hair Removal
Our choice of hair removal is laser hair removal, and it’s not hard to see why. Laser hair removal involves the use of laser technology – harmless lasers are directed at the skin, which travel down the hair follicle and burn it at the root, thus disabling its growth factors.
Pros: Efficient, quick, and harmless, with the lasers feeling like light pinches against the skin. This method has zero side effects and can reduce the growth of hair in an area for a long time. Maintenance is also simple, as a session requires no preparation and demands zero downtime from the patient.
Cons: It is important to work with a trusted professional laser hair removal provider, as there is a slight risk of blisters and dark scarring if performed by an inexperienced technician.
Out of all the options for chest hair removal for men, our recommended method is laser hair removal. Below, we discuss everything you need to know about chest laser hair removal and how you can find the ideal providing clinic.
Laser Hair Removal for the Chest
Can You Get Laser Hair Removal on Your Chest?
One of the first questions that people ask is whether laser hair removal can be performed on the chest. While laser hair removal is a popular option for hair removal in the armpit, bikini area (Brazilian laser hair removal or laser hair removal Brazilian style in women), and the face, laser hair removal for chest hair is a lesser known procedure, however it is indeed possible.
Laser hair removal can be performed on any part of the body, as long as it has hair that the patient wants to be removed. For the smooth and bare chest look, laser hair removal is the best option available, as it completely removes the hair in the area, leaving no patchy areas behind.
How Does Chest Laser Hair Removal Work?
Chest laser hair removal works through the use of laser technology. The patient is asked to lie or sit down, and the doctor or technician applies a cream over the area to be treated. This cream protects the skin from the heat of the lasers.
The type of laser to be used generally depends on the treated area; for the chest area, doctors will typically use lasers made for larger and wider areas, allowing them to cover more space in the same treatment time.
During the treatment, flashes of high-energy lights (the lasers) are directed to the skin. The heat from the laser flashes are absorbed into the hair follicle, where they travel down to the root of the follicle and destroy it. For a complete hair removal, patients are required to return for an average of 6-8 sessions.
Patients will start to see results within a few weeks after their first session, and best results will be seen after all the recommended sessions are complete. This is because only a small percentage of the hair in an area can be targeted per treatment.
After all recommended treatments are completed, patients should expect the result of a bare, hairless chest with a semi-permanent reduction of unwanted hair growth.
Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Chest Laser Hair Removal
1) Research and Find the Best Provider
Before anything else, it’s important that you do your research. Don’t walk into the first laser hair removal clinic you see; look online and find laser hair removal clinics you can trust, with quality, real reviews, and a strong, transparent online presence.
It is crucial that you only work with trusted laser hair removal professionals, as laser hair removal is a process that can lead to scarring or burning if performed by an amateur.
2) Shave Your Chest
While you will most likely be advised to do this during your consultation, it is important to remember to shave your chest the day before your first treatment.
This is because the heat must travel down the hair strand and into the hair follicle root. By leaving your chest unshaved, the heat must travel further to get to the root. If you don’t shave your chest, the clinic will be required to do it before your treatment can begin.
3) No Pain, Skin Irritation, and Ingrown Hairs
You might have bad experiences in the past with hair removal in your chest, particularly when doing other hair removal options, such as shaving or waxing.
You will be happy to know that when performed by a trusted laser hair removal doctor or technician, you should experience very little pain (a snapping or pinching sensation caused by the lasers), and no ingrown hairs or skin irritation. Feel free to sit back and relax during your treatment.
4) Don’t Miss Your Treatment Calendar
After you get your first laser hair removal treatment for your chest, you will be scheduled to come back for your next treatment on a specific date. It is important that you clear up your schedule to make sure that you do not postpone your following treatments, as this date is not arbitrarily selected.
The treatments are planned to align with the cycle changes of your individual body hair strands. Missing or delaying a treatment can make the overall result less ideal.
Chest Laser Hair Removal FAQ
How much is chest laser hair removal?
The cost of a laser hair removal treatment depends on the location of the provider, the expertise of the provider, and the area to be treated. For the chest area for men, patients can expect a typical cost range of $350 to $600, but this can vary state by state.
How can I remove my chest hair permanently?
Searching for hair removal permanently can be difficult, as solutions for hair removal aren’t always as permanent as some people would prefer. There are cases where methods such as laser hair removal do lead to long-term hair removal, but it is always possible for the hair follicle to grow back (and thus the hair to grow back).
However, the best solutions for long-term hair removal are electrolysis and laser hair removal, with laser hair removal being the less painful and more accessible treatment.
How long does hair laser removal last?
Laser hair removal can cause a permanent marked hair reduction in the targeted area, but some hair might begin to grow back after 6-12 months. Maintenance treatments can be done after the patient sees some hair growth to continue keeping the area hair-free.
Chest Laser Hair Removal and More at Ethos Spa
Whether you are looking to learn more about laser hair removal for your chest and other areas, or you are ready to schedule your first laser hair removal appointment, there is no better place than Ethos Spa, Skin and Laser Center.
Ethos Spa is the premier provider of laser hair removal and other laser and skin treatments in New Jersey, and has successfully provided safe and effective laser hair removal to countless patients for years.
Contact us today for your free consultation, and find out more about how laser hair removal for your chest is perfect for you.
