How to Safely Shave Your Balls: Expert Tips and Tools

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When you ask the men of Reddit how to shave your balls, be prepared for a few bits. Some will be dad jokes (“Is there really a vas deferens in techniques?”). Others will be more visceral (“I throw mine in a blender”). And a few answers are blunter than a bad razor. (“Might be awkward but if you can try to get hard while you do it. It tightens the skin on the sack and makes it a bit easier.")

Still, if you’re willing to sift through the internet equivalent of a testicular-themed open mic, you’ll land on some practical grooming advice from dudes who have already learned to avoid bumps, burns, and male bushes through lived experience.

To round this out, we spoke with licensed sexologist Sofie Roos, who shed some light on why men may want to shave their balls in the first place. “Most people think it’s more enjoyable to give oral sex to someone with shaved balls,” Roos says. Too much pubic hair can similarly cause uncomfortable friction in a variety of sex positions, but a lot of people just feel fresher and more confident with less carpet downstairs, she explains.

With the help of Roos and other experts, including the unofficial ones on r/AskMen and other subreddits, we've assembled this guide on how to properly shave your balls and get the smoothest, safest results possible—with further tips on how to trim your balls, how to shave your balls with a razor, and other delicate matters.

Related: The Best Shaving Creams for Sensitive Skin in 2024

How to Shave Your Balls: Top Tips

At some point prior to reading an article about ball shaving, you may have noticed that your testicle skin is different from the rest of your body. That's because the scrotum responds to temperature, sagging away from the body when it’s hot to protect your balls from the heat. That’s why testicle skin is a little more Shar Pei-like compared to other hairy parts of the body, like your face, and more precarious to shave. But like Roos pointed out, a lot of women on Reddit seem to agree that shaving down there has its benefits.

Let's face it: You probably didn’t start reading about ball-shaving techniques because you were looking for subtlety. To avoid any confusion and dangers associated with rubbing a razor blade around such a delicate region, here’s a detailed, step-by-step breakdown.

Start With Electricity

When it comes to shaving your balls, there are two schools of thought: guys who play it safe and use an electric razor and guys who take a gamble on an old-fashioned blade. But for the best results, you’re actually going to want to use both, says Dean Chapman, founder of men’s skin care brand MO’ Handsome.

Consider how to shave your pubes, then use a similar tactic. Chapman recommends using the electric trimmer first to tame longer, thicker, and more unruly pubic hair “because diving in unprepared is like trying to mow a jungle with a butter knife.” The goal is to “trim down to a neat stubble before moving on,” he says. Roos agrees that an electric razor is a good first line of defense if it’s been a long time since you’ve groomed the area.

Take a Hot Shower or Bath

An overwhelming amount of insight from Reddit comes down to this: Listen to advice intended for women. For instance, one guy learned that warm water helps open up the pores and soften the hair, making it easier to shave your pubes. Another echoed similar sentiments about how the shower helps relax the skin, making it less wrinkly and cumbersome to shave. And some men recommend waiting up to five minutes in the steam to prepare the skin. That may seem like a long time to add to your morning routine, but this is not a job to rush.

Tighten the Skin

If you enjoy the term “batwing,” don’t worry. You’re in good company. For a more clinical explanation of this step, Roos recommends stretching out the skin until it’s flat “since the wrinkles both lead to a bigger risk of cutting yourself and a risk of not shaving all of the hair follicles.” Not only is this method safer, it will also give you an excuse to rename the bathroom “the bat cave.”

Apply Shave Gel

Once your ball skin is softened and tightened, Chapman recommends applying a quality shave gel instead of a foam because it allows for “visibility and glide, unlike foams that turn everything into a guessing game.” And do you really want to be guessing down there?

Roos suggests Gillette Pro Shaving Gel because the cooling sensation can soothe balls that might be irritated after a close shave. But if you prefer shaving cream over shaving gel, another man on Reddit also recommended Cremo Barber Grade Original Shave Cream—the brand promises a smooth, razor burn-free shave, no matter what blade you use. Speaking of which…

Gillette Pro Shaving Gel

Cremo Barber Grade Original Shave Cream

Use an Analog Razor…Slowly

Several men online recommend using women’s razors like Gillette Venus Sensitive Women’s Disposable Razors. However, Roos thinks men’s razors are generally of better quality. She suggests Gillette Intimate Pubic Hair Razor for Men because the five-blade razors were specially designed to be gentle yet precise on your pubes.

To Chapman, razor selection can come down to personal preference, but what is important is that it’s a fresh, sharp blade. From there, proceed slowly and carefully. “We're talking surgeon-level precision here,” he says.

Be sure to rinse the hairs out of your razor afterward, especially if you’re using your wife’s.

Gillette Venus Sensitive Women’s Disposable Razors

Gillette Intimate Pubic Hair Razor for Men

Towel Off and Moisturize

After shaving and rinsing your balls clean, pat them dry, but don’t rub them, Chapman says. Then, finish up by applying a gentle moisturizer. Guys on Reddit like using a lotion with aloe, like Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion. Others opt for the more natural balm of virgin coconut oil (see: Viva Naturals Organic Coconut Oil). Although it may not look like a moisturizer on the surface, there is evidence that virgin coconut oil significantly increases skin hydration and elasticity. Other data indicates that coconut oil has antiviral and antifungal properties, so the result is cleaner, softer, less hairy balls.

Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion

Viva Naturals Organic Coconut Oil

Don’t Have Sex Right Away

When you’re likely shaving your balls for sexual enjoyment, it might seem counterintuitive to wait on jumping into bed. But freshly shaven testicle skin is extra vulnerable to the elements. There may be microscopic cuts and nicks you can’t see immediately after. “These can sting quite badly when having sex if there comes any liquid or lube on it,” Roos warns.

So, if you’re shaving to get lucky, try to do it at least 24 hours ahead. If you don’t have lead time, play it safe and stick to just an electric razor.

Don’t Shave Every Day

Experts across the board agree that the best way to avoid ball razor burn is by not overdoing shaving. Rather than shaving every time you shower, the sweet spot is around every three to four days. (On behalf of the person you’re shaving your balls to have sex with, we’re asking you to shower more than this.)

The Best Tools to Trim Your Balls

In addition to the disposable razors already mentioned, Roos recommends the Gillette Intimate Men’s Manscape Pubic Hair Trimmer for an electric razor. Or, in a pinch, the Meridian Body Hair Trimmer for Men if you’re on a budget. That said, the cheaper the electric razor, the shorter the shelf-life of its battery, Roos notes. Likewise, to get the most out of your electric razor, avoid getting it wet—even if the product claims to be waterproof.

Gillette Intimate Men’s Manscape Pubic Hair Trimmer

Meridian Body Hair Trimmer for Men

For extra accuracy, Chapman suggests keeping a small mirror (like this Gladmart Hand Mirror) to help guide the precarious process. Otherwise, it’s just the blade leading the blind… on your balls.

Gladmart Hand Mirror

Safety Considerations How to Safely Shave Your Balls

Ball shaving injuries may sound dramatic, but they are, unfortunately, a well-documented phenomenon. Research from the American Medical Association reveals that over 25 percent of adults who shaved their pubes experienced lacerations, burns, or some other related injury. While many of these cuts heal on their own quickly, they can cause their own sexual insecurities, on top of physical discomfort, Roos says.

The best way to avoid these injuries is by avoiding dull, blunt, or old blades, and stick to fresh, sharp ones, Roos and Chapman note. Chapman also stresses the importance of shaving with the grain of your hair follicles to avoid ingrown hairs. However, if you struggle with ingrown hairs on other parts of your body as well, products like High Time Bump Stopper-2 can help by exfoliating the skin to expose the ingrown hair, while neutralizing the irritation and inflammation caused by it.

High Time Bump Stopper-2

Why You Should Trust Me

After consulting with two experts, multiple Reddit threads, Amazon reviews, a few patient guy friends, and many other resources, I’m confident that I accurately understand the best way to shave your balls. And while I may not personally own a pair of testicles, I do represent a large cross section of people requesting this kind of grooming: women.

I suspect that men look look to women for the best ways to shave, not because they are sexually attracted to them, but for the same reason men ask women grooming advice in general. We know what we’re talking about and tend to be nicer about it than their buddies. But if you don’t want to take advice from a woman, then be the change: Tell your friends how to shave their balls. 

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