Grooming Tips For Men
People have this notion that men don’t need to have a grooming regimen that is as meticulous as that of women. While this may be partly true, grooming is an essential aspect of our everyday existence not only in terms of giving us the necessary confidence boost but also as a means of strengthening the foundation for a healthier body. Truth be told, there are a lot of unseen “guests” in every nook and cranny of our face, hair, skin, nose, ears, and even nails that we should really pay attention to how we execute our daily grooming activities. Don’t know where to start? Well, we strongly encourage you to read these 10 very easy grooming tips that all modern men should adhere to.
1. Give Your Facial Hair The Proper Trim and Care
Between 85 and 90 percent of men are genetically predisposed to grow facial hair – if not a beard, then a mustache, or even both. If you belong to the remaining 10 to 15 percent of men who may have lower levels of testosterone or perhaps are genetically-determined not to produce facial hair, then this grooming tip is not for you. Otherwise, you should really pay attention to that patch of hair on the area between your nose and your lips and in your jawline from the front of the ears.
The thing is that beards and mustaches have been largely considered as male status symbols. You weren’t really considered as manly enough if you didn’t have a beard or even a mustache. You’d look just like women who don’t have facial hair.
While our perceptions about facial hair and masculinity have clearly evolved through the decades, facial hair remains an all-important characteristic of manhood. After all, the principal hormone that is responsible for this secondary sex characteristic in males has always been equated with virility and masculinity.
That being said, even those who purposely grow their beard and mustaches always make it a point to give it the proper care that it deserves. Can you imagine Tony Stark with his iconic beard and mustache combo look more like the disheveled look of a homeless person? How about the beard of Dwayne Johnson becoming more like Nick Nolte’s facial hair in the Hulk as Bruce Banner’s father? It really doesn’t look nice. No matter how much you try to rationalize it, an unkempt hair, whether it’s on the top of the head or on your face, is simply a no-no in today’s grooming-centric world.
So, give your beard and mustache a proper trim. You can use a beard trimmer or foil and rotary shaver so that you can keep the length that you desire. Alternatively, you can get a professional facial hair treatment so that you can get that distinctive styling you’re after. The point here is to look for any hair that goes astray. Nip these as soon as possible to help keep your goatee or beard looking nice, clean, and neat.
2. Manage The Eyebrows
Are you one of those persons who are the butt of jokes simply because you have a strip of hair bridging your eyebrows, giving the impression that you don’t have two but only one eyebrow? Well, you’re definitely not alone. There are others like you who may not really have a very clear divide between the left and right eyebrows. In such mono-brow cases, you may want to shave the bridge to give you a more distinct manly pair of eyebrows. This will re-grow, of course. As such, it is important to keep on plucking individual hairs every chance you get.
If this doesn’t bother you, then there really is no issue. However, you should at least make sure that there are no stray hairs trying to go against the natural direction of the rest of the hair.
If your eyebrows don’t span your forehead like the bridge over troubled waters, then you should pay attention to each strip of lush hair above your eyes. Women are so particular about keeping the area on the upper eyelid free from hair such that they don’t mind spending several hours individually pulling stray hairs. While we don’t expect you to do the same, you should at least pay attention to stray hair at least on a monthly basis. Trim these hairs as frequently as twice a month. If that’s too much, once monthly is fine.
3. Say Goodbye To Nasal Hair
You may have never really given it much thought, but there are actually hairs inside your nose. And if you somehow forget to trim these, too, then you might have that nasty feeling of hair strands sticking out of your nostrils.
We don’t recommend plucking these hairs, however. Regardless of what others will tell you, you don’t pluck nasal hairs. There is a very important reason why they are there in the first place. We all know that the air we breathe isn’t exactly free from contaminants such as dust, dirt, and other particles. And while the lining of the nasal passages contains very tiny, almost microscopic hairs that trap smaller particles, it is the job of nasal hairs to trap larger particles or debris. Can you imagine inhaling dust- or debris-filled air without nasal hairs trapping them? These will readily enter your lungs and can result in respiratory infections.
No, don’t pluck your nasal hair. It is a very important protective mechanism for the body so the air that you breathe is free from large contaminants. What you can do, however, is to trim it using a special gadget known as a nose hair trimmer that you stick right inside your nostrils. This will trim the nasal hairs without really pulling them out from the roots. It may tickle the first you use it. But the more you use it, the ticklish feeling will be replaced with something more pleasant. Trust us. You’re doing yourself a great favor if you pay attention also to that hair growing inside your nose.
4. Don’t Forget The Hair In The Ears
There is a general observation that we grow hair in the most unlikely of places as we get older. One of the most unusual places where hair can grow and which you should pay attention to is the ears. The problem here is that we are not really aware of it. Honestly, how many among us put a mirror at the side of our heads just so we can have a closer look at our ears? If you raised your hand, then good for you. If not, then don’t worry as you’re not alone.
All hairy mammals have this peculiar characteristic of growing hair in the ears. Look at your dog and it will also have tufts of hair inside its ears. And while we can only assume that it is a natural part of our bodies, it is still not pleasant to look at. This is from the perspective of other people, of course. Try imagining talking to someone who has hairs sticking outside of his ears and you’d also lose concentration on what you’re talking about. Instead, you will also be transfixed on the ear hair of the person you’re talking to. If you’re this person, you’d also feel very conscious about the stare.
However, like nose hairs, we don’t recommend plucking out the hairs from your ears. They have essentially the same function as the hairs in the nose. They trap larger particles like dirt and other debris so that these particles will not reach the eardrum. The eardrum is that part of your ear that serves to transmit air pressure waves through the inner structures of the ear. If contaminants reach the eardrum, then there is a possibility that this organ may no longer be able to convey air pressure waves through the middle and inner sections of the ear. In short, you can go deaf.
It will be quite tricky to trim the hair in your ears by yourself so it is best to employ the assistance of someone to trim the hair for you. Don’t worry as you don’t need to do this every day. Once a month should be enough. However, we recommend inspecting your ears from time to time.
5. Have the Hair on Your Neck Clipped
Perhaps the only time you can get the hair on your neck neatly trimmed is when you have your regular haircut. Unfortunately, you should never wait for your next visit to your favorite barber before you can have this hair clipped. What you need to know is that the hairs on your neck can grow as fast as your facial hair.
If you wear a garment that neatly covers the back of your neck, then it shouldn’t really be a concern. However, if you’re the type who frequently wears tees to work or even shirts with relatively short collars, then the hair on your neck can produce a very unsightly look.
Ideally, you would want to have your neck hairs trimmed twice or even three times every week. This is to make sure that your neckline is as neat as possible. You can use hair clippers to get the job done. However, it is best to ask your partner or even have a friend come over just to give you that kind of neck hair trim that you need. It really isn’t easy to clip or trim your neck hairs especially at the back even if you do manage to get a mirror at the back and another mirror right in front of you.
Alternatively, you can shave the area for an even neater appearance. A safety razor like the one you use for your morning shave should do the trick. You can also use an ordinary disposable razor if this is what you wish.
6. Exercise Proper Care on the Stubbles
There are men who look more dashing with 10-day old stubbles growing on their face. For example, most girls find Adam Levine to be hotter and a lot sexier with heavy stubbles on his face rather than sporting a clean, boyish look. Well, you can always argue that each has his or her own preferences.
What we are saying is that if you’re the type of man who also believes in the ability of stubbles to make you look even more masculine and virile, then you really need to exercise proper care on your stubbles.
Obviously, you cannot use your ordinary straight razor or shaver for this purpose. These gadgets are designed specifically to cut hair a lot closer to the skin and root. That’s why they always say you’ve got a clean shave.
When you aim for stubbles, you’ll feel some form of roughness on your hands as you run it across your face. The hairs, in this case, are cut at even or uniform lengths to get that neat “rough” look. As such, you will need a stubble trimmer to get the perfect length of facial hair. You will also benefit from a pair of scissors to trim your stubbles, although this can be quite tedious and you might end up with uneven lengths of stubbles.
7. Clip the Nails Right After Taking a Shower
Just because we have been talking mostly about the hair and the skin doesn’t mean you can already start neglecting your nails. There are some women who look at a man’s nails to check if he is hygienic or not or whether he also pays attention to the part of his body that literally feeds him, so make sure you invest in a good manicure set.
The nails should always be trimmed short. When trimming your nails, it is best to do it right after taking a shower. This is the perfect time to clip the nails since it is softer from being soaked in water. As you press on the blades of the nail clipper, these can easily cut the nail. It helps prevent unnecessary breaks or cracks in the nail which are a constant risk if the nails are dry.
You can also clip your nails by immersing your fingers in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Water will somehow soften the otherwise very rigid structure of nails so that they will be a lot easier to cut. The introduction of heat can also help soften the nail tissues so you will get a cleaner cut of the nails.
8. Smoothen Frizzy Hair with Hand Cream
Sometimes, even with our best efforts, there will always be circumstances that can undermine your efforts at grooming yourself. There are many ways to address frizzy hair. But since the major culprit in such a situation is the lack of moisture in the hair, it would really be wise to always have hand lotion in your bag to get it fixed in an instant if you dont have your hair gel or pomade handy.
Put a small amount of hand cream on one of your palms and rub this with the other. Now run your hands over your frizzy hair to smoothen it. This is a very quick and easy fix to get your “hyperactive” hair from getting out of hand.
9. Invest in the Right Tools
It should be fairly obvious by now that proper grooming for men requires the use of certain tools. For instance, trimming the hairs in both the nose and the ears require a special kind of trimmer. You don’t use your ordinary razor or hair clipper for such an activity. Sure, you may think that using a really sharp pair of scissors can also do the trick, but you really have to have steady hands to clip the hair just right. Otherwise, you’re only courting injuries.
Stubble trimmers are also a must-have especially for those who prefer a shorter version of their facial hair. A neat trick is to get an electric razor with an interchangeable blade system so you can easily attach a blade mechanism that is designed specifically for cutting stubbles without creating a close shave.
Nail clippers, scissors, and razors should always be made integral parts of a man’s grooming kit.
10. Establish a Routine
Grooming is all about following a schedule that best fits your lifestyle. It should also take into consideration the rate of growth of body parts that you wish to trim to keep clean. For instance, there are folks who grow hair a lot faster than others. The same is true with the nails. As such, you will need to determine the average length of time that these body parts will attain lengths that will make them look unkempt.
Ideally, however, you should trim your facial hair every 2 to 3 days. The same is true with your stubbles. As for the hairs in your nose and ears, a weekly inspection and trimming should be performed. If the hairs are exceptionally long, then the frequency of trimming can be increased to once every 5 days. The eyebrows have to be cared for once every two weeks while the neck hairs need to be shaved or trimmed weekly or once every 2 weeks.
Getting that neat manly look is made easy by simply adhering to these grooming tips.
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