A fifth of men won’t take their tops off at the beach, says new study – here are the reasons why

A recent survey of 2,000 men has revealed 21% were worried that people might judge them for their hairy backs if they were to take their top off on the beach.

When it came to the question of grooming, 30% of men prefer to keep their body hair trimmed, while 27% embrace their furry bods.

Further questions in the study from Philips OneBlade 360 found that 47% religiously trim their beard and neck areas, but everything else is left unkept.

Over a quarter (26%) admitted the only area they do keep trim that is out of sight is their nether regions.

Of the men surveyed, 18% see their hirsute back as the most difficult area to deal with and 71% of those men said it’s impossible to reach all the areas of their backs by themselves.

A similar number of men, 27% worried about ditching their tops on the beach for fear of people seeing their “man boobs” or bellies.

Only 42% of men said they felt comfortable discussing their body hair with their friends.

“Shaving your own back is basically a team sport”

The brand committed to getting the word out and created a ‘Got Your Back, Bro’ popup beach hut on Brighton Beach this past Saturday 10 August to get men to feel more comfortable talking about their body hair and to test the Philips OneBlade 360, including having their backs trimmed with the help of a barber.

A spokesperson from the brand, Fiona Atkins, male grooming lead at Philips said: “Summer can sometimes be tough when you’re rocking a lot of body hair due to excess heat and if it’s something you’re self-conscious of.  

“And let’s be honest, for those that choose to remove their hair, shaving your own back is basically a team sport.”

The study also found 19% have received comments from other people about their body hair, which left 20% feeling self-conscious. 

It goes without saying that everyone should feel welcome to take their tops off on the beach whether they are a furry bear or naturally hairless.