If you’ve ever shared a space with another dude, whether it’s your sibling, your flatmate, or a colleague on an office trip, you would understand the pain of men thinking all things can be shared.
Of course, we understand the frequent exchanges of shirts and perfumes, but when things get more intimate like your toothbrush or your trimmer, that’s where you need to draw the line.
Because no one wants their beard trimmer touching someone else’s face, or worse, private area.
So, if you too are struggling with this, here are a few ways you can communicate with the guy who’s constantly stealing your trimmer.
- Stop Simply Hinting
Most people start with subtle hints.
Things like keeping your trimmer hidden, casually mentioning how expensive it was, or sharing articles on trimmer hygiene in the group chat will not send the message you were hoping to pass on to your friend.
The harsh truth is that professional trimmer borrowers (or stealers) are immune to these things. They will not care about how expensive it was or how unhygienic it is. They’ve made their peace with that. They will also not shy away from asking you for your trimmer openly if you’ve hidden it.
A direct sentence like, “Bro, I don’t like you using my trimmer” will work a thousand times better than these tiny hints that’ll probably go unnoticed.
- Learn To Say No Without Feeling Guilty About It
A lot of men get stuck in the loop of not wanting to come across as rude while at the same time slowly starting to despise the person for borrowing their things.
But boundaries are not rude. Unless you’re literally dealing with a child. Then you’ll probably see some tantrums.
It’s obvious right? You’ve paid for your trimmer, your entire Beard Grooming Kit, and everything else in your room, so why should someone else get to take them?
You’re allowed to decide who borrows them and for how long.
A simple, “Sorry, but I’m not comfortable sharing” is enough.
You don’t need to sound angry about it. You don’t need to get aggressive when saying it. Just say this is not what you prefer and let them accept that as your boundary.
If they can’t, then we suggest switching roommates.
- Establish Some Borrowing Rules
If saying ‘no’ to their face still feels very awkward, might we suggest creating some rules around borrowing your trimmer.
This way, you will be able to set some boundaries while also limiting the shared usage of your trimmer.
Opt for simple rules like:
- Ask before borrowing.
• Clean it after use.
• Charge it before you return it.
• Don’t keep it for days and have me ask for it back.
• Don’t use on your balls.
These rules sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people need them to be stated.
Setting expectations upfront prevents future frustrations and the more stern you are with your rules, the higher the chances are of them actually not wanting to use your trimmer.
- Have A Conversation About Private Area Trimming
It’s an obvious point, we know.
But we’ve noticed that singling out a situation and pointing it out directly to the person you’re talking to has a higher chance of them accepting it.
Instead of speaking in maybes and buts, try telling them, “I hope you’ve not used my trimmer for men’s private area on your face or balls. Cause that’s disgusting and both of us will get rashes because of that.”
Having reasonable preferences about hygiene and communicating them efficiently and curtly will always work in your favour.
- Push Them To Buy Their Own
The most practical thing you can do is get them to buy their own beard trimmer or trimmer for men’s private area.
Many men keep borrowing because they haven’t gotten around to buying one or don’t know what to get.
So, the next time they ask, we suggest showing them a few options that fit their budget and needs.
You can even point them towards a complete beard grooming kit if they’re trying to improve their overall grooming routine.
- Just Give Up And Gift One To Them
If you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be working, then the simplest thing you can do is get one for them.
This way they have their own and you can use yours in peace.
There are some really affordable body groomers and Trimmers for Men’s Private Area on the market that’ll make you feel less terrible about adding an extra expense to your account, and because they work so well, you’ll also be cherished as a friend.
If you want, gift them an entire beard grooming kit and see them say the words “Can I borrow” never again.
In Conclusion…
Sharing is indeed caring.
But that rule only applies to things that don’t come at the risk of personal hygiene and overall frustration.
So, the next time you’re stuck in a situation where your trimmer is suddenly being used as everyone else’s trimmer, we hope these steps will help you draw better boundaries.
Best of luck!
