In today’s world when looks are more important than ever, too many men still fail to recognize the importance of personal grooming, showing little understanding of how to go about the process.
Many men take a slap-dash approach where they drag a comb across their head, splash on some aftershave and think job done.
However, there’s a problem here: people will notice your lack of grooming and from that, judge your character.
These 10 awesome grooming tips for men will introduce ideas that you can incorporate into your own grooming regime, enabling your personal care to be your signature.
Grooming Tip #1. Look After Your Hands!
But here's the deal – in business or on a date, your hands are the first point of contact, whether that be a firm handshake or taking a lady to her seat in a restaurant.
However, there would be a raised eyebrow or two, were your hands like sandpaper, your nails ingrained with dirt, and your nails jagged and chipped.
Here are some simple tips for well-groomed but masculine hands.
- Nail Scissors: These are essential in keeping your nails trim and measured. Scissors allow you to create an even cut, and unlike nail clippers, they will not break or damage the fibres in the nail or leave a rough finish.
- Moisturizer: That’s right, moisturiser, not just the preserve of ladies. If you do repeated physical work, your hands can be affected by calluses or cracked skin through wear and tear. This can then lead to infection and unsightly sores. A hand lotion with an antiseptic can enable you to leave your hands reinvigorated at the end of the day and allow you to leave the right impression the next time you reach for someone’s hand.
- Nail Brush: Why go to the trouble of trimming your nails and moisturising your hands only to leave the grime from working on the car underneath your nails. Anyone seeing your hands in such a condition is immediately going to consider you the type of man who simply doesn’t care. The simple nail brush can get underneath the nails, remove the dirt and leave a polished look.
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It’s a sad but inescapable fact that 85% of men are balding by the age of 50. If you're going thin up top, either invest in a proven hair regrowth treatment or shave your head…
…because it's another well-known fact that 0% of women think a combover is attractive.
You may be reading this and thinking it doesn't apply to you but here's the deal – you may have developed habits that will accelerate your hair loss in later life.
For example, using poor-quality hair products, filled with chemicals. These can seriously affect the scalp and hair follicles.
And it's not just hair products. If your hair is thinning, make sure you pat it dry after a shower. Your hair is at its most delicate when wet and over-vigorous rubbing can break and damage your hair strands.
Perhaps it’s time for a change of style such as a more cropped or buzz cut with a beard which will allow you to minimize the impact of your receding hairline, drawing attention to your face and creating a more masculine look.
The vast majority of men, who ditch the comb-over and opt for a closer cut, comment on the fact they wish they’d done it earlier.
Grooming Tip #3. Powder Your Balls
Look, guys, we’ve all had those long, hot days at work where you feel like your balls have fused onto your underwear and your inner thighs are like raw meat.
Not a pleasant sensation and certainly not a pleasant smell. An added itch, rash and chafing just compound the misery even further.
Here’s a way you can alleviate this discomfort: ball powder. How does it work? The powder provides a protective barrier against friction, therefore, no irritation or chafing. Also, the powder absorbs sweat meaning no odor.
Importantly, ensure the ball powder you go for contains natural ingredients as any products made from harmful chemicals are going to irritate your sensitive areas resulting in a world of pain. Ultimately, this stuff keeps you dry and fresh-smelling where it counts.
Here’s what to avoid: any type of aerosol sprays as they’ll sting, especially if you’re a bit tender. Also, give a wide berth to powders with talc or menthol (because… ouch.) Also, steer clear of powders that turn into a paste with sweat. Frosted balls: not a good look.
Now you can work in the hottest conditions in the confidence that you can function as normal knowing your Crown Jewels are safe and sound.
Grooming Tip
#4. Take Cold Showers
There’s nothing like a hot shower to ease the aches and pains after a hard day’s work. But have you stopped to think about the benefits of a cold shower? Guys, there are many.
- Skin – a cold shower can reinvigorate your skin immediately. Unlike when using hot water, a cold shower doesn’t dehydrate the skin and helps preserve the sebum layer, which provides a naturally lubricated barrier giving protection to both skin and hair.
- Increased Circulation – when your body comes into contact with cold water, the circulation on the surface skin layers is reduced. This results in the blood having to circulate faster in the deeper tissues creating an ideal body temperature, leaving you feeling revitalized.
- Post Workout – after a tough workout in the gym a cold shower can aid muscle recovery. Cold water has regenerative properties which encourage your muscles to relax and then repair, essential after an intense gym session.
- Improved Immune System – while having cold water on your skin, your body releases adrenaline. This increase in adrenaline causes the immune system to release more anti-inflammatory chemicals lowering your inflammation response to infections. Interestingly, absence of workers who regularly had a cold shower was 29% lower than those who never, correlating with the improved immunity finding.
Shaving the back of your neck once a week can add a week or more to your time between barber visits. Save money – and time in the chair getting your hair cut. Ideally, you'll want to use a trimmer – smaller than a clipper and specifically designed to trim your hairline.
If you do use a razor on the back of your neck, remember to use shave cream to avoid razor burn.
Use a handheld mirror to see what you're doing, and follow your natural hairline. Don't push it up too far or create hard lines – they tend to grow out unnaturally.
Grooming Tip #6. Condition And Trim Your Beard
When you're first learning how to grow a beard, your new beard hair tends to be very coarse and dry, often causing horrible itching that drives many potential beardsmen to give up. I know a lot of you are desperate for grooming tips to solve this.
Luckily, there's a simple solution – condition your beard along with your hair when you shower. Leave the conditioner in for a few minutes and then rinse. Moisturized beard hair is MUCH less itchy.
- Beard Oil: many brands of beard oil on the market when applied to the facial area will open up the pores on the face and help encourage more vigorous growth and a less patchy appearance.
- Beard Wax: as part of your finishing touches, beard wax provides an overall sheen to your beard, keeping your beard hairs in place. Also, in a scented form, beard wax can again give you an added edge when out on a date or even in the office.
But a conditioned beard is only one part of the equation. You also need to keep it looking neat and tidy:
- Beard Clippers: electric or battery powered beard clippers are an essential part of a man’s facial grooming in allowing him to maintain an overall beard length. Various lengths of guard can allow you to maintain a consistent length of growth.
- Moustache Trimming: Just remember that top lip doesn’t become hidden by an untrimmed moustache. Not a nice look on a dinner date when you end up sieving your soup through your growth.
Remember the last time you spoke to a friend and you caught a whiff of their bad breath. I’ll bet it made you wince.
Halitosis is no laughing matter. Why go to the bother of carefully choosing an outfit, pay close attention to detail in your appearance, and then go out for the night with breath that would turn milk sour?
Regular mouthwash can rid your mouth of any harmful bacteria – the main cause of bad breath – leaving your breath fresh and vibrant. Also, a good tip is to carry a small tin of mints in your inside pocket – just in case.
Good oral hygiene is one of the most fundamentally important grooming tips for men. Don't overlook it.
We know regularly brushing your teeth and using mouthwash can instantly freshen your breath. But did you know there are natural, everyday items that can rid your mouth of any harmful bacteria – the main cause of bad breath?
- Salt Water – probably the most natural way to freshen your breath. All you do is add some table salt to a glass of water, swill around your mouth for approximately 40 seconds and the salt will rinse away any bacteria.
- Cloves – sucking on cloves throughout the day will also aid the fight against the harmful bacteria in your mouth bringing immediate freshness to your breath.
When it comes to grooming tips for men, you've probably never heard of this tool but if you've just cut yourself shaving – it's a lifesaver. This small, medicated stick is made with powdered crystal and a waxy binder.
Styptic pencils tighten pores, clot blood, and stop bleeding from minor shaving cuts instantly. Think of it as a more effective and elegant alternative to sticking wet bits of paper on your face.
And the best bit? You can easily get a Styptic pencil for under $10.
Grooming Tip #9. Trim Up Your EyebrowsUnruly eyebrows can mess with your facial symmetry and draw attention away from your eyes – both big hits to your overall good looks according to scientists who study attraction.
If you're not quite ready to borrow your girlfriend's brow gel, hair gel works just fine. You only need a tiny bit though – if you try to use even a fingertip-sized glob you'll get an eye full.
Grooming Tip #10. Use An Electric Toothbrush
Your smile is one of the most effective ways in which you can leave your mark on someone, and that means having teeth that add a certain zing to that smile.
One of the best ways to ensure your teeth create instant appeal is to use an electric toothbrush. Of course, there’s the manual way to brush your teeth. However, recent research has shown how using an electric toothbrush enables you to have healthier gums, less tooth decay, and keep your teeth longer due to the oscillating head effectively removing the destructive plaque which leads to many complications.
With our teeth and smile saying so much about us, then the electric toothbrush is a real necessity for successful grooming.
No toothpaste? No problem.
This is another quick fix grooming tip for emergencies. Don't skip brushing your teeth the morning before an interview or big presentation – or the morning after hitting up the local Thai buffet – just because you've run out of toothpaste at exactly the wrong time.
Baking soda whitens your teeth and cleans your mouth almost as well as conventional toothpaste.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon with a bit of water and apply it to your teeth with your toothbrush or finger.
To get the teeth whitening effect, allow it to sit on your teeth for 1-2 minutes. Then brush normally. It won't taste minty but it should leave your mouth feeling fresh and clean and remove surface stains from your teeth.
Bonus Grooming Tips For Men
1. Go With The Grain
We’ve all run our hands along a piece of wood and appreciated the way nature intends things to grow in a certain direction. However, run your hand in the opposite direction against the grain and you feel the roughness, even giving you the odd splinter.
Well, guys, it’s pretty much the same when we shave against the grain. When we pass the razor over against the hair growth, the follicle is pulled up and away from the skin. The result: you feel as if you’ve just taken a blow torch to your face rather than a razor due to the consequent razor burn and skin inflammation.
Furthermore, this can lead to ingrown and trapped hairs which can cause further problems if left unchecked.
The secret is to go with the flow and shave in the direction of your facial hair growth. By heating your razor under hot water you will find this provides a more comfortable shave as the razor will glide over the hair rather than be met with the resistance of the hair being against its direction.
Using as few strokes as possible will minimize any potential damage and rinsing your razor after each stroke will ensure the blades will be free from clogged-up debris.
A final tip – if you do find any ingrown or trapped hairs, use an exfoliating scrub to release them by removing them with tweezers or squeezing as this can leave your skin open to infection.
2. How To De-Stink Your Gym Bag
Have you ever come back from the gym or a sports day, opened your hold-all or sports bag and the escaping odor suddenly makes your eyes water?
Sweat-drenched t-shirts, shorts and socks are a lethal combination from any workout and it seems almost impossible to remove that smell, even when your sports bag is empty. You even try to spray deodorant inside your bag but to no avail.
There’s a simple solution to this. Get a bar of your favorite soap, unwrap it, and place it in a dry state inside an old, clean sports sock and leave it at the bottom of your bag.
The scent from the soap will permeate your bag through the sock and into your sweat-laden clothing, neutralizing any of those nauseating odors, and leaving your bag constantly smelling fresh.
A variation of this tip works even for your everyday work bag or briefcase. At times your lunch or some sort of spillage may leave its odor in and around the interior of your bag or briefcase. The small, humble household air freshener can be placed discreetly in an interior pocket, giving your work bag a long-lasting freshness.
Click below to watch the video – 9 EASY 1-MINUTE HAIRSTYLE HACKS For Men (NO Barber Required!)
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