Ball Trimmer 101: To Nick or Not to Nick?

Written by: Tommy Buckley

|

|

Time to read 7 min


What’s your excuse for not having a perfectly manicured set of balls? 

For many men, it goes back to horrific childhood memories of disposable razors, perhaps borrowed from dad’s cabinet. Maybe you tried with a safety razor and nicked your scrotum—those danglers sure can bleed, can’t they?


Even after the bleeding stops, your balls are on fire for days afterward. With many horror stories like this, men everywhere aren’t exactly enthusiastic about shaving down there.


But, if we’re being honest, shaving your balls is the only way to get your “boys” properly groomed. The other methods available, like waxing, laser hair removal or hair removal creams, are painful or bad for your balls. Or downright dangerous. 


So, if you could shave and trim your balls safely, you would, right?



Trimming Your Bush Is Best, and Science Agrees

Ball trimmers are especially useful when you know exactly how much hair you want on and around your balls. They give you the right amount of control, so you trim your pubes to the right length and style. 


With the right pubic hair trimmer, you can even get artsy and fancy in your nether region. Manscaping is a thing, with designs like Billiard Balls and Thigh’s the Limit being popular options among British lads.


Pubes play an important role and add some protection against bacteria and microorganisms entering your body.  Trimming them keeps them neat and tidy while still allowing protection.


Interestingly, studies have shown that the majority of women prefer a neatly trimmed bush on a man as opposed to fully shaven balls or going completely au naturel. 


The point is, a ball trimmer is your secret weapon when it comes to grooming below the belt, but you have to get the right one for your balls. 

What’s the Right Trimmer for Manscaping?

The first lesson in Trimming 101 is: don’t use the same beard trimmer you use for facial hair on your pubes. A ball trimmer designed for manscaping won’t have the same functionality as a beard trimmer or clipper.

Choosing an electric trimmer for grooming body hair is a big choice since they come in all sorts of designs. Be sure you choose one that is kind to your balls. Advances in technology like the SackSafe blade, cuts through coarse hair, without leaving any nicks or cuts.


Most are designed to be small to help them navigate hard-to-reach, contoured areas, but there are other special features to watch for when buying the best trimmer for ball grooming. 


Features 

Purpose

Powerful motor

  • Pubes are coarser and tend to be matted, so they need a powerful balls trimmer.
  • A powerful motor helps avoid bunching and pulling on the skin, which is a common cause of nicks and cuts.

High-quality, sharp blades

  • Sharp blades prevent bumps, burns, pinching, and ingrown hairs. 
  • A body groomer with ceramic blades is preferable because these are sharper and remain so for longer. 
  • Ceramic blades also remain cool and cut faster, leaving the skin smooth. 
  • Stainless steel replacement blades are cheaper and easier to maintain.
  • A trimmer with rotary self-sharpening blades will last longer between replacements.

Waterproofing

  • Check that the body trimmer is waterproof since the best place to shave your balls is in the shower.
  • Skin and hair that has been subjected to warm water makes for an easier and smoother shave.
  • A waterproof trimmer is ideal for wet shaving and you can use it with shaving creams or butter of your choice.

Cordless trimmer vs. corded trimmer

  • Corded trimmers tend to be more powerful and have no time limitations
  • Cordless trimmers are more convenient, but you need one with long battery life.
  • In addition to battery life, power (voltage) is also necessary for powerful motors if the unit is cordless. 
  • The time needed to recharge fully is also important if battery life isn’t impressive.

Attachments and guards

  • Look for comb attachments, a detail trimmer, a pivoting head, and a nose trimmer, among others.
  • Consider the type of guards that come with the unit. These let you trim to different hair lengths and styles.

Special features

  • Some manufactures add special anti-nicking features.
  • For example, the BALLS trimmer has a special glide coating to prevent snags and cuts.
  • A good manscaping trimmer will have a snap-on system to allow for easy blade replacements.


Oh, and speaking of trimmers, have you heard about The Archibald Trimmer?


The newly-released Archibald from BALLS™ features precision blades, ergonomic design and a no-slip grip. It's waterproof and comes with its own carry strap for use on the go. 


Managing your intimate hair - whether it's a quick snip or a full Brazilian - has rarely been this easy. With three colors (Blue, Black, and Mauve) the Archibald fits whatever your style may be. 


If you don't like it, send it back, guaranteed. How sweet is that?

Step-by-Step Guide to Trimming and Shaving Your Balls 

What you’ll need:

  • Electric body hair trimmer
  • Safety or disposable razor with a fresh blade
  • Shaving products of your choice
  • Antiseptic spray
  • Mirror

Step 1: Preparation

You’ll find it much easier to shave your balls when they’re hanging loosely and the hair is soft. The ideal place to shave is in a warm shower, before you begin the process, take time to relax and destress if you can afford it. 


The warm water softens the coarse, thick hair in your pubic area and helps to disentangle it while opening the pores on the skin. The folds on the scrotum will also stretch out, minimizing the risk of pinching or nicking the skin. 


Don’t forget to take a mirror into the shower with you. You need to be able to see every possible angle to ensure you’re getting the exact shave that you want.

Step 2: Pre-Trimming

Take the balls trimmer to your crop—that’s the thick patch of hair just above the shaft. With a powerful electric trimmer, this step should be easy and uneventful. Do this while standing over the toilet instead of doing it in the shower or tub to prevent clogging. 


You can use pretty much anything in this area, including an electric razor or scissors. However, a full-body trimmer will be much safer and faster and give you a consistent hair length.  


Next, take care of the perineum. This is the area between the anus and gonads, also called the grundel or gooch. This is a more sensitive area, so we recommend using the hover method to prevent irritated skin.


We strongly advise against using a rotary or mini foil shaver, which is more likely to cut thinner skin in this area.


Bro Tip #1: The hover method is all about trimming your balls without the blade touching your skin. Hold the blade about 1cm above the skin's surface and skim over it, letting the sharp blades trim away the excess hair. It’s the safest way of doing this and guarantees virtually no accidents. 


You should also use the hover method to shorten any long hair around the shaft and on the scrotum.


At this point, you can rinse off and call it a day if you’re not a fan of bald balls. While the best trimmer for balls will get you within hair lengths of 0.4mm without a guard, you’ll need to ditch the trimmer for safety or a disposable razor if you want more of a close shave.

Step 3: Wash Again Before Shaving

The next step is the actual shaving, where the blade meets sensitive flesh. Wash or soak your balls again with warm water to get them stretched and loose in preparation. This would be a good time to deal with ear and nose hair, too. 

Step 4: Lather up 

Apply your favorite shaving cream, butter, or shave oil. A translucent shave oil with minimum lather has the advantage of allowing you to see where the blade is going while allowing it to slide easily over the skin.

Step 5: Stretch and Shave, and Take Your Time

Using your free hand, pull the skin around your balls taut and glide the razor gently along. The same rules of beard trimming apply here: don’t press down, maintain the correct angle and use slow, short strokes.


If you miss any hairs, take a second or third run. Go against the grain for a close shave, but try to be gentle on the ball hair. 


When shaving the shaft, pull to the side and shave towards your body. Rinse the razor frequently under running water to keep the blades free of hair.

When you’re done, splash cold water over the area to close the pores. Pat everything dry with a soft towel and apply an anti-irritant post-shave BALLS lotion to prevent skin irritation.

Bro Tip #2: If you’re going for a clean shave, applying a post-shave powder instead of a balm helps to prevent friction and irritation. If you have sensitive skin, look for hypoallergenic products. Do this daily, and remember to keep touching up the area at least once a week to keep things tidy.

Ready for the Best Body Groomer of All?

The idea of having a power trimmer with blades rotating at 6,000 rpm next to your danglers may not sound exactly right, but wait till you try it. An electric shaver for your whole body designed for the intimate areas is exactly what you need for manscaping.

With a performance trimmer, you can manicure your balls and shaft so comfortably and safely that you’ll never have to worry about nicking your chaps ever again. 

Tommy Buckley

Balls.co Blog Contributor