A vasectomy is a quick and relatively simple procedure, but it requires some preparation — namely, manscaping.
That’s right, you need to shave the whole area before you go. This keeps pubic hair out of the surgical incisions afterwards, lessening the risk of your scrotum healing improperly or getting infected.
Check with your urologist on their shaving policy first, though, because it can differ significantly. Some want you to shave day of, to keep the hairs short, while others prefer three days or more, so any unfortunate nicks have time to heal.
Either way, these tips from manscaping expert Melanie Mari will help. Mari advises heavily trimming your pubes first to keep them from clogging your razor. Then, get in a hot shower to soften the hair. Apply Shave Butter (it’s clear, so you can see where you’re shaving), then pull the skin taut to avoid nicks. Follow it up with Post-Shave Dew to help avoid skin irritation. (For more in-depth advice, head here.)
Trust us, this method works. Or rather, trust Nick Leftley, our very own Head of Content, who had the procedure in 2018. “I was instructed to wet shave everything,” he says. “Being extremely familiar with all the manscaping tips we’ve published, I followed the advice in this article. When I arrived for the op, a nurse walked in, razor in hand, clearly used to having to fix botched shave jobs. Instead, she stopped and announced, impressed, that this was the best ball-shaving she’d ever seen. I couldn’t have been more proud.”