Body Hair Removal Cream - For Men
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Question
Nowadays, there is a cream that removes hair. Is it permissible for a man to use it for body hair? I heard there are two reasons to be lenient: firstly, it is no longer considered 'do not wear' because nowadays men commonly remove hair. Also, the Gemara mentions that removing with a substance, meaning a cream, is allowed even between the eyes and on the sideburns of the beard. Is this true?
Answer
Hello,
It is permissible for a man to shave body hair with scissors, even 'like a razor' - meaning, as long as something remains, [just as it is permissible to shave the beard with a properly certified electric shaver].
Removing with wax and laser is forbidden. According to the law of 'do not wear'.
Source
Yoreh De'ah, Siman 182, סעיף 1 and Darkei Teshuva there, סעיף קטן 1, 4.
Regarding hair on other parts of the body, it is written in the Shulchan Aruch there that in places where men also remove hair, if he removed, 'he is not punished'. And the Rema wrote that even initially it is permitted, and only the pious refrain everywhere.
Some wanted to say that in our times, when non-Jews remove body hair with laser, and even Jews who do not observe mitzvot remove, and even some who observe Torah and mitzvot have become accustomed to permit this (not according to the instruction of a sage), it is no longer a prohibition of 'do not wear'. However, since the Pri Megadim there is in doubt, saying that only if there are kosher Jewish men who remove, it is not 'do not wear', therefore it is forbidden to remove body hair with laser and wax.
The words of the Pri Megadim are brought in the notes of R' Akiva Eiger there.