Keep your bush, wax your back & never use Nair.
By Alex Reimer for Queerty
Photo credit: Aliakbar Nosrati
The evolution of manscaping among gay men serves as a cultural chronicle. Through the 1970s and early 80s, body hair and mustaches ruled, with “Castro Clones” sporting their stashes and all-natural looks.
But as the AIDS crisis claimed the lives of gay men and gym culture became mainstream, gay people began to present more cleanly. Smooth bodybuilders hulking in their speedos were viewed as new beauty ideals, without a single strand of body hair in sight. As the new millennium began, the “metrosexual” emerged, with even straight guys coiffing their bangs and cleaning up their nether regions.
To represent a contrast, bears and their subtypes–cubs and otters–began to embrace a rugged and unkempt look. Amid the 2010s bearded homo revolution, the differences were stark, just like thick patches of chest hair!
Now in 2025, the lines between archetypes are more fluid. Just as greater education and PrEP brought back the jockstrap, hairier bods are no longer niche.
But for some, there’s still no better feeling than a smooooth bottom (literally and figuratively, we suppose).
Given the divergence of opinions–and return of Speedo Season–we asked Queerty readers to share their best manscaping tips. Let’s grab a razor and get buzzin’.
What is your best manscaping advice?
