Laser hair removal for men: Is it really better than waxing and shaving?

Kim Kardashian may believe that waxing away unwanted hair is the best solution for hubby Kanye West, who is reported to spend up to two hours a week getting hair pulled off. The area only stays smooth for a short time, then the hair begins to grow back.

Typically Kim Kardashian is a trend-setter, but in this case Kardashian is actually bucking the preferred route by men who want to eliminate unwanted hair: laser hair removal.

In fact, studies show that laser hair removal is the top choice of men who want hair gone and want it gone forever or at least for a really, really long time.

Max Smith, 30, a single Clearwater, Fla. finance executive, works hard and likes to play hard. On weekends, he often heads to the beach. Though he spends an hour a day at the gym each morning and has washboard abs, he says he was reluctant to remove his shirt at the beach because his back was filled with hair from top to bottom.

“I’d gone the waxing route. I’ve tried Nair. I’ve used a razor. But it was never-ending and it was very itchy after a couple weeks when the hair began to grow back… and I often got ingrown hairs,” says Smith. “I really wanted the hair gone but it just kept growing back.”

Smith had heard about laser hair removal for women while watching a late night infomercial on TV, but he didn’t know whether laser hair removal for men was even an option.

After all, laser hair removal was not exactly a topic of conversation at the gym or at the office. So he did the next best thing.

Laser hair removal for men: Quest for smooth skin

“I researched online, searching for ‘laser hair removal men’ and ‘laser hair removal Clearwater’ and finally found Health and Med Spa,” says Smith. “I’m in the third month of treatment for my back hair removal and it’s made a huge difference. Now I am comfortable losing my shirt at Clearwater Beach or at the pool.”

Depending on the body part, six monthly treatments is what’s required to rid the area of unwanted body hair, says Irina Peters, spa director at Health and Medspa in Clearwater, where Smith is a client.

“We still do more laser hair removal for women, but many men are coming in to remove hair on their backs, shoulders and necks,” says Peters. “It makes them feel so much more confident. Some men do it for the significant other in their lives, but the bulk of the men tell me they are doing laser hair removal for themselves.”