Sally Hansen recently introduced both a depilatory and wax strips for men. “Men are getting into grooming a lot more than they used to, especially the younger set,” Mr. Boraczek said. While a polished torso might have once been associated more with gay men, the aesthetic is gaining currency for heterosexuals, as depicted in Steve Carell’s chest-waxing scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
A Harris Interactive study cited on About.com deals a blow to the caveman look, with more than 90 percent of women aged 18 to 44 reporting that they find back hair to be unattractive. Several so-called manscaping products are currently among the top 50 sellers in the broad Health and Personal Care category at Amazon.com, including a shaver for intimate parts called the Bodygroom, a couple of nose- and ear-hair trimmers and the Mangroomer, an electric back shaver that resembles a backscratcher.
Although Nair researchers had men in mind when first developing the depilatory in the 1930s, the brand did not introduce its line of products for men until 2001. Scientists had originally been trying to create a depilatory as an alternative to shaving, but found that beards would require chemicals beyond what the face could tolerate.
