According to the highly respected British literary journal The Sun, Prince Harry is pulling out all the stops to impress his new girlfriend Meghan Markle. And by that we mean literally pulling out his chest hair with hot wax.
Allegedly, the 32-year-old revealed his newer, smoother self while in the Caribbean for a wedding and his friends took notice of his depilated new look. "“His chest is now like something you’d see from guys in Baywatch—but without the tan,” said an unnamed enemy of the British people to the paper.
But with summer looming, Harry's unconfirmed hair removal does bring up a topic guys of different hirsute situations think about this time of year: should you get waxed once beach season hits?
According to Natalia Romanenko, the senior therapist and trainer at Strip: Minstry of Waxing in Soho, New York, yes, of course you should get that extra pelt tamed. And more than that, Prince Harry is hardly alone: Romanenko has seen a noticeable uptick in men coming in to be waxed over the past few years. "The more you do it, the hair grows thinner and softer and there's less hair," she says. "When people feel that difference, they keep coming in."
Romanenko suggests doing a good scrub before coming in and making sure to be well moisturized for your appointment. And guys who want that clean look, it's not going to be painless, exactly, but it won't be like that infamous scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, either. "You can definitely feel it, but it's not terrible." Romanenko stresses that estheticians are trained for a full month and use a specially developed wax so as to make the experience as pain-free as possible. Afterward, her big advice is to avoid the gym, the pool, and direct sunlight for the rest of the day, while the pores are still open.
There are plenty of creams out there to avoid pesky ingrown hairs — Strip even has their own in-house line — a common drawback of waxing. But scrubbing and moisturizing are key after-care suggestions. Romanenko estimates that there's about a 95% return rate, and one seasonal customers are becoming year-round regulars. Interestingly their "boyzilian" is gaining popularity — it accounts for about 20% of their men's business — and includes getting rid of hair on the big three: the "back, crack, and sack".
So Harry, if you really want to impress your lady friend, you know what to do next.
