Wait a second. Take a deep breath. Don't rush into this one.

It’s important to approach Ball Care slowly, and with a bit of awareness, given how thin and precious the skin is. So follow these tips on how to do it right, and you should come out the other side with nick-free, ultra smooth balls. But first things first:

Why should you shave your balls?

Let’s not beat around the bush here: There aren’t a lot of reasons as to why you should shave your balls. Typically, there’s not a ton of hair growing there, as opposed to the pube pile above your penis. You should trim *that* in order to minimize sweat, fungus, and bacteria buildup, but you also need to keep enough hair there since those hairs secrete things like proteins and pheromones. (With too much hair you're at risk for some stinkiness.) Either way, it’s still mostly an aesthetic decision to trim your pubes. The same can be said of the balls. Some guys—and/or their partners—prefer a silky smooth sack. But if you're gonna do it, you gotta do it right.

How do you shave your balls?

1. Get the right tools

You can’t just apply the same razor to your balls that you do to your face. You need something dedicated for the task. And for this I’d recommend one of two things: An electric clipper, or a safety razor.

An electric trimmer will snip the hair super close to the skin without breaking the surface, so that you get the appearance and feeling of smoothness. Ball hair is typically fine, sparse, and flimsy, so you won’t feel the same stubble-like nature as if you shaved your pubes, pits, or beard.

A safety razor will minimize skin dragging and will tackle the shave with a single blade as opposed to 3-5 of them. You should probably learn how to shave your face with a safety razor before trying it on your balls, though. There is a method to doing it right, given the weighted handle and sharp blade.

Manscaped pubic hair trimmer Maybe you landed on this page to find different types of trimmers, like one for your pubes. If you want the best trimmer for your balls specifically, Manscaped has designed this angular device to glide carefully and uniformly around your groin, and it’s got teeth that protect your jewels from harmful nicks. (Just don’t forget to pull the skin taut before you do anything, and take it slow.) Hygienically speaking, it might be smart to have a separate trimmer for your balls, and since this waterproof one has 4 guard-setting options, it’s everything you need for the task. $60 Amazon Buy Now

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The next few tips apply more if you’re using a safety razor, instead of an electric trimmer, since the rules of skin preservation don’t apply as much if you aren’t actually scraping the surface of the skin (which is the case for electric trimmers). But there's something here for everyone.

2. Pre-trim the area

You still need that trimmer, even if you plan to shave with a razor. Now is when you trim all your ball hairs short—down to a centimeter or ideally less, so that you can shave them more easily. It’s the same reason you can’t just tackle a beard with a razor; you need to trim it down first, in order to actually manage the shave. Don’t touch the trimmer to the skin if you can avoid it, and pull the skin taut as you trim.

3. Take a warm shower

Just as when you shave your face, you need to warm up the scrotal skin and prepare it for shave. This relaxes the skin, warms your body, and stimulates blood flow to the balls, so that they’re loose and flexible for your shave, instead of climbing up into your stomach as if it’s -20 degrees. You also need to open the pores before applying a razor to your skin, and relax each hair for easier cutting. Give the area a good wash, too.

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4. Apply shave oil

This is no time for shave cream—you need something translucent so that you can track your progress and shave with precision. A shave oil will do the trick, and it’ll nourish the skin and soften the hair, prepping both for the blade. It’ll also make things a little slippery, so just remember to take things slow.

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5. Pull the skin taut

This goes for electric trimmers and safety razors: You need to pull the scrotum skin tight, and fan it out so that it is smooth and easy to trim. This will prevent any folds or ridges from getting snagged in the teeth of your trimmer, or from blocking the safety razor.