UrbanUpdate

Maybe in 100 years, people will read this article and think “Hahahaha, GQ was so antiquated because ass tufts are sexy and natural and beautiful and anyone with them is popular and well-sexed.” Congrats on the body positivity, 2117. But for now, assfros are—or at least should be—forbidden.

We don't know why there's a little tuft of hair on your lower back or why, on some guys, it's there but nowhere else. We're also perplexed as to why so many guys (still) choose not to remove theirs? There are no good answers to either. That said, here are the five best assfro removal suggestions (aside from laser removal), in order of easiest to most laborious.

1. Cream ItIf you want the month-long benefits of waxing minus the cost and propensity for breakouts, then stick with a depilatory (hair removal) cream. It dissolves the keratins in the hair, releasing it from the follicle. It does not remove the follicle (unlike waxing), so you need only apply cream every three or four weeks. Also unlike waxing, depilatory creams don’t require you to have a certain length of hair, so you can apply them more frequently, instead of waiting for the hair to be long enough to extract. And, so long as you monitor the skin closely during each application (typically 5-10 minutes), then you should be able to avoid any redness or irritation. Just climb in the shower and wash the loose hairs down the drain.

2. Trim ItTrimming is a close second to hair-removal creams, but ranks far above the next three options. A body trimmer cuts the hair nearly as close as a razor, and spares you from needing a full shaving regimen. Besides, using a razor grants you only a couple extra stubble-free days than a trimmer. (For example, I’m a guy with a hairy back and I’d much rather avoid any risk of redness, razor burn, and infection every few weeks by just going at it with a buzzer).

3. Shave ItShaving any part of the back or shoulders is hard for any guy to do alone (and awkward if you ask your roommate to glide a razor across your lower back). The main goal with shaving is to prevent razor burnin every way possible. Take a hot shower beforehand to soften the hairs and open the pores. Use a shave oil so that you can see the hairs as you glide over top them. Most importantly, use a clean blade. Afterwards, hit the shower in mild or cold water to close the pores before applying an aftershave to the area. Keep it ventilated as best you can (maybe just sleep with a light top sheet that night, on your stomach or side if you can). Stubble will grow back quickly, so expect to repeat the process every one or two weeks.

4. Wax ItOne GQ writer was brave enough to wax his entire ass for an assignment, but the last thing you want to risk is a rashy, pimpled ass, or in this case, lower back. So, if you decide to wax your assfro, then be prepared to spend top dollar at the very best wax salon you can find. Real professionals will make no haste of the matter, employing higher-grade products to remove hairs and disinfect the area. (Pro tip: If you’re waxing in advance of a beach trip, give yourself a one- or two-week buffer, just in case you do break out.) The hair should grow back within 6 weeks before you can wax again, but it's not that easy. Since hair needs to be roughly one-third or one-half an inch to be waxed, you'll have to let it grow out prior to your next appointment. Suffice to say, that won't help your summer place (no one should have to plan a vacation around their assfro).

5. Pluck ItPlucking takes care of stray eyebrows or even weird hairs that grow out of moles on the arm, but not assfro hairs if you have more than ten. Craning your neck just to see where you're plucking is hard enough and zeroing in on a single strand is even harder. But there is one similar, more efficient option: an epilator like this one from Emjoi. It kind of works like an electric shaver, steadily plucking each hair from the skin by using a series of tweezers (in this case, 72). It hurts a little, yes, and isn't the most reliable when it comes to great results. If you want to remove hairs altogether (instead of just shaving or trimming them at the skin), then stick with wax or depilatory creams.

Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQGrooming