Almost half of young British men now practice hair removal

More young men in the UK are going “hair-free” than ever before, with 46% removing hair from their bodies, compared to 36% in 2016, according to a new report by market analyst Mintel.

More than half (57%) of men aged 16 to 24 years old are removing hair from their pubic region, up from 40% in 2016, with many choosing to shave, wax or laser their way to a smooth finish.

The popularity of hair removal from the chest has doubled as the smoothtorso trend continues to take hold, rising from 15% in 2016 to 30% in 2018. When it comes to underarms, 42% now go hairless compared to 16% just two years ago, the report found.

Facial hair removal is also on the up, rising from 73% in 2016 to 80% in 2018, and the popularity of eyebrow tidy-ups has risen, with more than four in 10 young Brits doing this as part of their beauty routine.

“Reality TV shows such as Love Island have popularised hairless torsos, normalising the hair-free aesthetic among men,” said Roshida Khanom, associate director, beauty and personal care at Mintel.