The first step in solving any problem is admitting there is one. So here goes: You have back hair. And when I say “you,” I mean me. It cropped up in my 20s, like a pernicious advancing force — initially on the chest before clearing the clavicle, summiting at the shoulders, and “All right, boys, now down the other side.” My cross to bear: looking like an actual bear.
I’ve tried smelly depilatories and professional waxes, but even the most delicate “sugaring” techniques led to bright-red rashes that subsided just as the stubble returned. Shaving is the only option, but here’s the thing about shaving your own back — you either have to be a double-jointed medical oddity or have someone who loves you enough to do it for you. Even my wife says we aren’t there yet.
The solution: the Razorba, a cheap, hammer-shaped plastic wand that grips my trusty Gillette Mach 3 Turbo (it works with most Gillettes, Bics, and disposable razors) and allows me to do the deed myself with the ease of a back scratcher. I’ve had my Razorba since 2006, after it showed up in the mail at my old men’s-magazine job. With a little contorting in front of the bathroom mirror, I smooth a dollop of shaving cream onto my shoulders and back. I slap my Gillette onto the Razorba wand and perform a few easy up-and-down swipes on my backside (it’s been crucial for getting that impossible-to-reach triangle in the middle back). After a quick rinse, I simply stick it back in a drawer. The Razorba resembles an IKEA-manufactured sex toy, and if someone asks about it, it’s probably less embarrassing to go with that explanation than the real one.
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