Just a few years ago, hair removal was mainly regarded as the domain of women, who have long been used to plucking, shaving, waxing and searching for new, effective and pain-free ways to get rid of unwanted hair.

In recent years, however, there has been a strong shift towards hair removal for men too. No longer restricted to metrosexual males or swimmers, cyclists and bodybuilders – thanks, in part, to the likes of David Beckham and Daniel Craig – a hair-free body, or at least significantly reduced body-hair, is becoming a focus for men in the mainstream.

At the end of 2014, a survey by Mintel looked at British attitudes to hair removal for men. Although the results are more than 12 months old, the survey reflects what we hear from men who come into Aesthetics Lab. It found that 50% of Brits think there is more pressure on men to remove their body hair than ever before. The survey also found that after shaving their heads, the most common areas to get rid of unwanted hair are the genitals (29%), chest (13%), underarms (12%), back (9%), bottom (6%), arms (5%), and legs (4%).

The survey found that your age might influence how likely you are to get rid of unwanted body hair as a man. It’s a big focus for the 16 to 24 age group, 58% of who reported feeling pressure to remove or groom their body hair. Although older age groups felt less pressure to be hair-free, the survey found that it’s still a concern for 22% of men over the age of 65, a figure that looks set to grow if the current trends continue.

We often think that women are the only ones to face mixed messages about modern attitudes to beauty but, when it comes to facial hair, men are facing confusion too. Mintel’s survey showed that 42% of us consider beards to be fashionable but 59% think it’s unprofessional to have ungroomed facial hair in the workplace. There seems to be a middle ground where beards are fine as long as they’re kept under control with some grooming.

But what about the hair on the rest of your body? Many men want to thin out the body hair they have without removing it altogether, while others want their bodies to be silky smooth and hair-free.

Laser hair removal in one of the only hair removal treatments for men or women that makes it possible to thin your body hair or remove it altogether, whereas methods such as waxing or sugaring are far less selective.

Here at Aesthetics Lab, we use the innovative Soprano ICE laser hair removal system. This is ideal for the back, chest, stomach, shoulder, pubic area, arms and legs. We can also use it to target smaller areas such as the ears, eyebrows, sideburns, nipples, and the back of the neck.

With Soprano laser hair removal, we can achieve up to an 80% permanent reduction in hair growth in the treated areas after approximately six to eight treatments. Our male patients typically pop back for a top-up treatment once a year to tackle any new hairs as most men find that they get hairier as they age.

If you’re looking for laser hair removal in North London, then call us at Aesthetics Lab in Primrose Hill to find out more about Soprano ICE.