Ranu's Reviews

I can’t really pinpoint exactly when it happened, but gentlemen, it is no longer OK to be that unshaven, ungroomed, sloppily dressed “man” that we used to be. If you want to get some play in today’s market—you better take care of yourself in more ways than one.

Next time you’re in any type of store that sells hygiene products—take a look around—there are just as many products for men as there are for women.  Now this cleaning up movement of men didn’t happen overnight, but I will make an educated guess that there was a woman behind it. 

It is only fair since we expect a lot from women to properly groom themselves. They have to shave their legs, arm pits and even remove (or bleach) the slightest facial hair. If not, they are leaving the bar with the 40-year old guy that works at Blockbuster and lives in mommy’s basement.

“Hair’s” The Deal

I tried out a bunch of hair removal products to see which provided a thick-haired Italian-American like myself with the best results. My hair was waxed, shaved, exposed to chemicals and basically ripped out from the root all over my body—yes, ALL over my body.

So in no particular order I’m going to list all the products I tried and my experience with each one. Now you would think that removing hair is fairly simple, but as you’ll find out—nothing is ever easy!

Lunar Eclips Salon – 62 Market Street, Clifton, NJ

I’ve been going to Lunar Eclips for years to get my hair cut, but never for a waxing. They do everything at this salon—haircuts, waxing, nails, massage and even spray tanning. It is basically a one-stop shop for your body.

My stylist Kathy has been cutting my hair for a very long time and now it was time for our relationship to go to the next level—she was going get topless and give me a back wax. Well, that’s what I kept telling myself, but I was the only one topless in the waxing room. Can’t blame a guy for trying!

Nad’s for Men Hair Removal Products

My massive back provided the perfect canvas for Kathy to perform the art of waxing and since I was in the hands of a skilled professional,  I convinced her to also try out two other products on me (in addition to the salon wax): Nads for Men Hair Removal Strips and Gel.

Kathy tried the strips first. You get 12 double-sidedstrips in a package for $4.89. The strips are stuck together and will separate easily after you briskly run them between your hands for a few seconds. In essence, you are using your body heat to loosen up the wax and guys should have no problem rubbing them out.

Nads provides you with soothing pre- and post-wipes for your skin. It is a nice gesture, but I don’t think there is a magic potion on earth that can completely erase the pain of having your hair ripped out. Kathy used the wipes as instructed and started Operation Deforestation on my back.

The strips worked pretty effectively and actually didn’t hurt too bad. There was no mess, but it would’ve probably taken Kathy two weeks to do my entire back if she just used the strips, so I would recommend them on smaller areas like the back of your neck or arms.

The Gel from Hell

The packaging clearly stated Nads for Men, but I’m pretty sure the fine print said it was manufactured South of Heaven. This green concoction was aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, however—when  it touched my hair and skin, it felt like somebody was trying to comb my back hair with a moist candy cane.

I’m not sure which hurt worse—the application or the removal—but I wasn’t gelling with this $13.99 product from Nads. There wasn’t a piece of straw that broke this camel’s back, but there was some Nad’s that broke (or should I say ripped?) my skin and caused me to bleed. Unless you’re a masochist, I’d stay away from the Nad’s for Men Hair Removal Gel.

For more info on Nad’s for Men: http://www.nads.com/hair-removal-for-men.

Wax On, Wax Off

Now it was time for the professional stuff. I have to admit that I was impressed that the wax at the salon was warmed in some type of giant sterno can. It provided a soothing sensation when being applied, but as I soon found out—it felt a lot better being put on than it did when it came off.

The waxing itself was not terrible, but I don’t think I’d rush back for another one any time soon. It did take a long time to do my entire back and I couldn’t help but feel like human Velcro with every tear. Eventually I became numb to the discomfort, but there were still a few instances where I was happy that nobody could see me wincing in pain.

The real agony came the next day when I went to the gym for a workout. Getting all that hair off my back was a relief until I started to sweat.  My cotton T-shirt felt like a bed of nails every time it touched my back. Thankfully the torture session only lasted one day.

I want to thank Lunar Eclips again for the complimentary back waxing which I later found out costs about $55. Like I said, they have a whole host of services, so if you live in the Clifton area you should go check them out.

For more info on Lunar Eclips: http://www.lunareclips.com/

The Philips Norelco Bodygroom+

I heard a lot of good things about the Bodygroom+, so I was pretty happy when Philips agreed to send me one to test out. There were some pretty bold claims that came along with this product, but I had the balls to test each one of them out.

Let’s Have Some Fun, This Groomer is Sick—I Just Shaved My Disco Stick

The Bodygroom+ was specifically designed to shave the sensitive areas on a man’s body and let me tell you something—this isn’t something you want to test out unsuccessfully. Whether you’re a “grower” or a “shower” shaving your penis (and scrotum) is like playing a Russian Roulette version of the game Operation.

As soon as my Bodygroom+ was fully charged I put it on full manscaping duty. I was reluctant to press it against my ball bag at first, but confidence in the Philips company grew with each shave and I had the smoothest scrotum on the block. Now I know this is going to sound real crazy, but for the sake of testing—I really tried to see if I could get a negative result from the Bodygroom+. Thankfully, my balls and I are happy to report that there was no need to call 911. Every guy’s equipment is different, so just because I had such a great experience doesn’t necessarily mean that you will. The last thing I want is a rash of injured pee pees, so use your judgment when shaving the hair down there.

Not Just For Wieners

I also used the Bodygroom+ to shave my entire chest and stomach. Once again—no problems whatsoever! Let me tell you—I put this little shaver to work and it passed with flying colors. Shaving my chest and torso with this thing is probably like trying to deforest Oregon with a single chainsaw. Might not be the most time efficient way to get the job done, but it is definitely the least painful. The only negative is that the hair does tend to grow back faster than the others, but that is a small price to pay!

This product retails for around $49.99 and has five different length settings.

For more info on the Bodygroom+:

http://www.consumer.philips.com/c/mens-grooming/bodygroom-plus-bg2030_60/prd/us/

Nair for Men?

I had no idea that Nair made specific hair removal products for men until I started this project. Hell, all I can remember about Nair is that awful, whiny commercial asking “who wears short shorts” and the horrific smell that could only be compared to vomit-smelling diarrhea.

Nair for Men has come a long way from the original Nair and actually smells nothing like their antiquated predecessor. Thankfully, the package clearly states not to use this stuff on your package or any other sensitive area of the human body. The peeps at Nair were supposed to send me this stuff for free, but I got tired of waiting for them and spent $6.99 on an eight ounce tube.

I was extremely hesitant to lather my body with this hair remover, so I tried an area of my body that I thought would be safe—my arms. My hypothesis was partially correct as my arms did remain out of harms’ way, but the same could not be said for my medial epicondyle otherwise known as the “inside part” of your elbow. Some of the Nair got in there when I bent my arm, not a lot, but just enough.

Burn Baby, Burn

I always read instructions thoroughly—especially when they tell you about the impending doom that awaits you if you don’t follow them precisely. The cream was to be tested after eight minutes and to be removed completely before you reach the 15-minute mark.

After six minutes, it felt like I dipped my arm in the deep fryer at McDonald’s. I have to say that 100% of the arm hair came off along with 10% of my skin. That inside part of my elbow had some pretty decent chemical burns for about a week. Other than that, I really had a good experience with the product.

Elbow bandage. Thanks Nair!

My arm hair was completely gone—I mean there wasn’t any sign of the slightest stubble on there and my arms were super smooth. Like I said, except for the accidental chemical spill on the inside of my elbow—Nair for Men provided me with pain-free hair removal in a really short amount of time. As long as you proceed with extreme caution when using this product, I would definitely recommend using it as long as you are aware of the potential risks involved.

For more info on Nair for Men: http://www.nairformen.com/

Moom for Men

The last product I tried was the 100% natural and organic Moom for Men. This was another product that I had my doubts about—especially the tree-hugging, hippie aspect. According to their marketing copy, Moom has revolutionized the hair removal industry by making the skin the first consideration and it is so pure that it contains nothing but these five beneficial ingredients: Sugar, Water, Chamomile, Lemon Juice, Aloe Vera and Boswellia.

I decided to try this on my legs and the back of my neck mostly because these were the only parts left on my body that I didn’t try to remove hair from. The non-offensive smelling gel went on--and even came off smoothly. There was definitely a noticeable difference between this product and the other wax-like products I tested out. Moom was less painful and it really did a much better job of protecting my skin than the others.

Moom sent me their kit which costs $19.95 and includes six ounces of Moom sugaring blend, 18 resuable fabric strips and four wooden applicators. The really cool thing about this product is the reusable fabric strips. You just soak the used strips in a cup of water and all the gook and hair come right off. Dry them out on a paper towel and the strips are as good as new!

For more info on Moom: http://www.moom.com/products.php?cat=13

The End Result

Without a doubt, the most versatile product of the bunch is the Bodygroom+ and I highly recommend this product. I’ve been using it for months and have no complaints. When my Bodygroom+ needs to be charged—I reach for Moom for Men. It protects your skin from waxing and is a lot less painful as well. And if I run out of Moom, I would go to Nair for Men, but I would be extremely cautious.

The one product I will never use again is Nads for Men. I don’t think it lived up to its claims and it was pretty damn painful. Come to think of it--I’m actually choosing a product that left me with chemical burns over Nads!

No matter which product you choose, please read the instructions carefully and do not apply them to your genitalia because a penis is a terrible thing to waste.