Smooth operator: the Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Body razor

In all the time I’ve been writing about male grooming by far the biggest change has been men’s attitudes to body hair removal. A pursuit that was once considered a bit exotic and the ultimate act of ‘manity’ is now a regular part of many men’s grooming regimes. And while waxes and hair removal creams can deliver great results, for me, nothing quite beats the humble razor. Not only is it easy to use, it’s cheap and (unlike many other treatments) relatively painless.

Of course you do need the right equipment, which is where Wilkinson Sword comes in. Realising how popular ‘manscaping’ is, they recently launched their Quattro Titanium Body razor (£9.99 from www.boots.com). What marks this clever little gadget out from your average razor is a special hair 24mm trimmer attached to one end. Powered by a battery, it allows you to trim back body hair before using the razor to get rid of it altogether. This is an absolutely crucial step if you want a pain-free shave so it’s a tool well worth investing in.

To get the best results, make sure you wet the hair first (this will help soften them and make them easier to cut) and apply plenty of shaving cream (avoid foams which can be drying on the skin). Then trim away, using short, sweeping strokes, going with the direction of hair growth. And once you’ve trimmed that hair take a tip from me and treat the skin with a soothing product afterwards (a fragrance-free aftershave balm is perfect) or use a product like Elemis’ Elemis Tea Tree SOS Spray (available from Mankind.co.uk which acts as a natural antiseptic, helping soothe and heal freshly shaved skin and preventing unsightly razor bumps.

Lee, The Grooming Guru

Tags: barbers, Beauty Therapists, Hair removal, Hairdressers, shaving