How to Remove Back Hair: 5 Methods Compared

This post contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchase.

Back hair occupies a unique position in the body grooming conversation. The area is large. It's difficult to see. It's almost impossible to reach in its entirety without either a purpose-built tool or another person's help. And the methods available for dealing with it vary more dramatically in their results, their convenience, and their ongoing commitment than almost anything else in men's grooming.

I've been managing my back hair for years using a rotation of methods depending on the result I want and the time I have available. I'm not particularly hairy on my back — the shoulders and lower back are the areas where most of my hair concentrates, which is typical for men — but I've tried every meaningful method available, formed clear opinions about each, and I'm going to share those opinions without the diplomatic vagueness that makes most grooming guides on this topic essentially useless.

Five methods. Honest verdicts on all of them. Let's go.

The best method for you depends on how much hair you have, how much time you want to spend, how smooth you want the result, and critically — whether you have someone willing to help.

The Five Methods: A Quick Overview

The five approaches I've personally tried or researched thoroughly for back hair removal are: a dedicated back hair trimmer, depilatory cream, an IPL device, waxing, and using a standard body hair trimmer with a V-shaped blade attachment. Each has a distinct profile of advantages and disadvantages that I'll cover in detail.

Method 1: The Dedicated Back Hair Trimmer

What I used: BaKblade 2.0 Plus

The BaKblade 2.0 Plus is the most well-known purpose-built back hair trimmer on the market, and for good reason. It was designed specifically to solve the reach-and-angle problem that makes standard trimmers useless for most of the back — a long handle with a large, curved blade head that allows self-application across most of the back's surface area without requiring you to dislocate your shoulder to get there.

Best for: Men who want quick, regular maintenance without asking for help. Ideal for keeping back hair managed between less frequent use of other methods.

Method 2: Body Hair Trimmer With V-Shaped Blade Attachment

What I used: Maxgroom with V-shape attachment

This is the method that surprises most men who try it, because the V-shaped blade attachment on a standard body hair trimmer — the Maxgroom in my case — turns out to be more capable for self-application on the back than you'd expect.

I've used this approach on my shoulders and lower back without assistance and found it effective. The key is working methodically in sections, using a mirror to check coverage, and accepting that it takes longer than a dedicated back trimmer with an extended handle.

Best for: Men whose back hair is concentrated on the shoulders and lower back, who want to handle it themselves without buying a dedicated back trimmer.

Method 3: Depilatory Cream

What I used: Veet for Men and The Bald Ape Parlour with applicator

Depilatory cream dissolves the hair shaft at skin level using chemical agents — primarily thioglycolate compounds — producing a result that's smoother than any trimmer can achieve and that lasts longer, since the hair is removed entirely rather than cut short. On the back, where the surface area is large and the goal for most men is smooth skin rather than a neat trim, cream is the method that delivers the closest thing to a waxed result without requiring hot wax and a professional.

I've used both Veet for Men and The Bald Ape Parlour, and both work. Veet for Men is the most widely available and the one I've used most consistently — it's reliable, reasonably priced, and formulated specifically for male body hair which tends to be coarser than the female hair most depilatory products are originally designed for. The Bald Ape Parlour is a more premium option that comes with a dedicated back applicator, which is a significant practical advantage. Applying cream to your own back is one of the messier grooming tasks available, and anything that improves the application process is worth the attention.

The results from both are genuinely good. Hair grows back slower than after trimming — typically two to three weeks before you're back to where you started — and the regrowth comes back softer initially, without the bristle-like texture that a trimmer leaves. For men who want smooth back skin for a sustained period rather than rapid repeated maintenance, cream delivers a better result than any trimmer.

Critical safety warning — read this before using depilatory cream on your back:

Never exceed the recommended application time stated on the product packaging. Depilatory creams work by chemically breaking down the hair shaft, and leaving them on the skin beyond the specified time — typically between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the product — can cause chemical burns on the skin beneath. This is not a theoretical risk. I've seen the consequences of over-application in my pharmacy work, and on an area as large as the back where it's easy to lose track of timing, setting a timer the moment you apply is not optional. Start checking at the minimum time, not the maximum.

The honest downsides are significant enough that I want to give them proper treatment rather than glossing over them. First: the mess. Applying cream to your back is inherently awkward — you cannot do the full back alone without the Bald Ape applicator or a partner's help, and even with both, cream on a hairy back produces a situation that requires careful management in the shower. Old towels, a bath mat you don't mind staining, and a shower you can use immediately afterwards are non-negotiable.

Second: the dryness. Depilatory cream strips the skin's natural oils along with the hair, and the chemical process leaves the back feeling noticeably dry after use. A generous application of fragrance-free moisturiser immediately after rinsing is essential, not optional. Men with sensitive skin may find the dryness persists for a day or two regardless of moisturising, which is worth knowing before committing to this method.

Third: uneven results on very dense hair. On lighter to moderate back hair — like mine — the results are consistent and smooth. On very dense, coarse back hair, depilatory cream can struggle to dissolve everything evenly in a single application, leaving patchy areas that require a second pass or a touch-up with a trimmer. For heavily hirsute men, this inconsistency can be frustrating enough to make another method more practical.

Best for: Men who want smooth back skin for two to three weeks and don't mind the mess and post-application dryness. Best results on light to moderate back hair.

Method 4: Waxing

My honest experience: effective, but not for me

I'll be straight with you: waxing is the method I'd recommend least from personal experience, and I say that having tried it. I'm not particularly hairy on my back, which means I experienced waxing under relatively favourable conditions — less hair, less surface area to cover, presumably less painful than for a more heavily hirsute man. And I still didn't enjoy it.

The results are genuinely good. Waxing removes hair from the root rather than at skin level, which means the results last longer than any other method — typically four to six weeks — and hair grows back finer and softer over repeated sessions, which is a real advantage for long-term maintenance. In terms of smoothness and longevity, waxing is the best non-permanent option available.

The experience of getting there, however, is another matter. Back waxing requires a professional or an extremely patient, capable partner — there is no realistic self-application option. It's uncomfortable, particularly over bonier areas like the shoulder blades and the spine. And for men who are significantly hairy on the back, the process is longer and more uncomfortable than for lighter-haired men. I found it tolerable but unpleasant, and I didn't continue with it as a regular method.

If you have a professional therapist you're comfortable with — and this is increasingly a mainstream service at men's grooming salons rather than an awkward request — and you want the smoothest, longest-lasting result short of IPL or laser, waxing delivers it. But go in with accurate expectations about the experience rather than imagining it'll be unremarkable.

Best for: Men who prioritise the smoothest, longest-lasting result and are comfortable with professional treatment or have a partner willing to help.

Method 5: IPL — The Long Game

What I used: ULIKE Air 3 (personal experience on tummy, research-based for back)

IPL — Intense Pulsed Light — is the method that sits in a different category from everything above because it's not a grooming solution so much as a hair reduction solution. Where every other method on this list manages back hair on an ongoing basis, IPL progressively reduces the hair itself over a series of treatments, with results that are genuinely long-term rather than requiring indefinite repetition.

I want to be precise about the basis of what I'm about to tell you. I've used the ULIKE Air 3 extensively on my tummy — an area I actively dislike having hair on — and the results have been excellent. After three months of consistent treatment, the hair reduction is substantial and genuinely durable. What I haven't done is use it on my back, because back application requires someone else's help and it's a different logistical commitment than treating your own tummy while watching television. What I'm sharing about back IPL is therefore a combination of direct product experience and thorough research into back-specific application. I'll be clear which is which.

The ULIKE Air 3 is one of the better home IPL devices currently available. The treatment window is large enough to cover meaningful surface area per flash, the intensity settings are adjustable — important given that the back is not uniformly sensitive across its full surface — and the device is well-designed for extended sessions. My tummy results began to become clearly visible around the six to eight week mark and continued improving through the three month point, which is when I'd describe the outcome as genuinely transformative rather than merely promising.

Two safety requirements that are non-negotiable with the ULIKE Air 3:

First: always wear the protective glasses included with the device. IPL emits intense light that can cause serious eye damage without protection — this applies to you and anyone helping with your back. Second: you must shave the area you intend to treat before every single IPL session. Applying IPL to unshaved hair causes the energy to be absorbed at the surface rather than at the hair root, which both reduces effectiveness and risks burning the skin. Shave, then treat. Every time, without exception.

For back application specifically, the logistics are straightforward in principle and require one practical arrangement: someone to apply the device. Unlike the tummy, which you can treat yourself with full visibility and comfortable reach, the back cannot be effectively self-treated with IPL. You need a partner, a friend, or a family member willing to spend twenty to thirty minutes per session moving the device systematically across your back. This is less of an ask than it might sound — the process is not painful for the person applying it, the device is simple to use, and once you've done it twice it becomes routine.

The timeline expectation is the most important thing I can tell you about IPL, because it's also the most commonly mismanaged. The ULIKE marketing, like most IPL marketing, shows dramatic results that suggest rapid transformation. The reality is that meaningful, visible reduction takes around three months of consistent treatment — typically once a week in the early phase, reducing in frequency as results develop. Men who start IPL expecting visible results after three or four sessions and give up when they don't see them are abandoning the method before it has had time to work. Three months. Consistent. That's the realistic expectation, and it's worth knowing before you invest in the device.

The cost of the ULIKE Air 3 is higher than any other method on this list as a single purchase. Against the ongoing cost of regular professional waxing or salon treatments over several years, it becomes cost-effective relatively quickly. Against the cost of trimmers and depilatory cream it takes longer to break even. Whether the maths work depends on how seriously you take long-term hair reduction versus ongoing management.

Best for: Men who want genuine long-term hair reduction, have a partner available to help with back application, and are prepared to commit to a consistent three-month treatment protocol.

Which Method Is Right for You? The Honest Summary

If you want the fastest, most convenient maintenance with no help needed: the BaKblade 2.0 Plus. Pick it up, run it across your back, done in ten minutes. Results last a week to ten days.

If you already own a body hair trimmer with a V-shape attachment and your hair is mainly on your shoulders and lower back: try the V-shape approach before buying anything else. It's more capable than you'd expect for those specific areas.

If you want smooth skin that lasts two to three weeks and don't mind the mess: depilatory cream, with the Veet for Men for accessibility or the Bald Ape Parlour with applicator for better self-application. Set a timer. Moisturise immediately afterwards. Accept that it's messy.

If you want the smoothest possible result for four to six weeks and you're comfortable with professional treatment or have a partner who can help: waxing delivers the best non-permanent result. Go in with honest expectations about the experience.

If you want to stop managing this indefinitely and actually reduce the hair over time: IPL with the ULIKE Air 3. Commit to three months of consistent treatment. Have someone help with back application. The results, in my personal experience on my own body, are genuinely worth the patience.

There is no single best method for back hair removal — there is only the best method for your specific priorities, your hair density, and your tolerance for mess, discomfort, and ongoing commitment. Knowing the honest trade-offs before you start puts you ahead of most men who approach this by trial and expensive error.

A Final Practical Note

Whatever method you choose, back hair removal is one of the few grooming tasks where asking for help is often the practical reality rather than a failure of self-sufficiency. A partner who can help with a depilatory cream application, a waxing session, or an IPL treatment is an asset rather than a necessity you should feel awkward about. Frame it as a normal part of personal maintenance — because that's exactly what it is — and most partners are more willing to help than men expect.

For men who genuinely want to handle everything solo, the BaKblade and the V-shape trimmer approach are your best options. For everything else, a little help goes a long way.

Jerome