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May a man remove hair from his body through any of the following methods:

  • Electrolysis
  • Tweasing
  • Plucking

I am asking specifically about hair between the eyes (unibrow) but I would be interested if there are halachot that apply to other parts of the body as well. Does this fall under "Lo Tilbash"?

similar topic is discussed here

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  • See "Male Body Hair Depilation in Jewish Law" in Ḥakirah The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought 29, 197-232 (2021). partially available here: hakirah.org/Vol29AdamsAppendices.pdf
    – analyst613
    Commented Jan 24, 2021 at 16:41

2 Answers 2

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From the Sefer Nishmas Avraham Siman 182

וכן שמעתי מהגרש״ז אויערבאך זצ״ל לגבי בחור שצמחו לו שערות בין שתי גבות עיניו שזה נקרא מום ומותר לו להסירם: Uni brow is called a blemish and it can be removed.


The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De'ah 182:1; unofficial translation available) holds like the Rambam (Avodas Kochavim 12:9; translation available) that one can remove other hair from the body with scissors except for the armpits and bais ha'erva. However there is a Mordechai that holds it is forbidden unless it causes the person tzar (pain), but the Shulchan Aruch doesn't bring that opinion down.

See Nazir 58b for the discussion of this topic.

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  • 2
    Rambam allows the removal of any body hair by men ( including pubic hair ) if it is accepted to do so in surrounding society, i.e. it's not considered effeminate in the general society. Commented Apr 27, 2014 at 6:44
  • Reb Elyashiv is also quoted as ruling so in the Ashrei Ha'Ish on Yoreh Deah.
    – user6591
    Commented Aug 6, 2020 at 13:10
  • Which page?....
    – sam
    Commented Aug 6, 2020 at 14:06
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The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Siman 171) writes:

171:2 It is forbidden for a man to remove the hair of the armpits or the genital area even with scissors used like a razor, that is, cutting very close to the skin, because this is a women's custom. It is forbidden to cut with one's hand the hair of the armpit or the genital area in order to remove them, but by his clothes it is permitted. One who has scabs on his armpits or on the genital area, and is uncomfortable because of the hairs, may remove them.

171:3 It is forbidden for a man to pluck even one white hair from among the black ones, for this is a woman's [custom] for beauty and is forbidden [by Lo Yilbash] [...].

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