As a man it can be easy to take shortcuts with your appearance or health care routine, as social norms dictate – to an extent – that it isn’t necessary. However, that isn’t the case. There are many benefits to getting basic grooming right, from looking more presentable and trustworthy to feeling better and more confident about yourself.
If you’re looking to improve your grooming techniques, the five tips below are simple, basic rules that anybody can follow.
1. Keep your nails short – but don’t bite them
Biting your nails is unhygienic and can be infuriating and off-putting for those around you. If you are in close contact with people — cooking them food, shaking their hand, using the same television remote — they do not want to be watching you put your fingers in your mouth constantly. Just by looking at your nails, somebody can tell that you bite them, but there are other, better ways of keeping them short. Cutting them with nail scissors or clippers and filing them with emery boards will keep your hands looking clean and well-groomed.
2. Scrub your face
Invest in a good face scrub and use it daily to cleanse your skin and exfoliate your pores. Exfoliating your face will remove the dirt that has become ingrained in it from the day’s activities, get rid of dead skin and make your appearance smoother and livelier. Doing this if you have a beard is important for reducing itch.
3. Hair care
Wash your hair properly so that it doesn’t become greasy and matted. Another way to ensure your hair is healthy is to become a regular at your barbers and build a rapport with them. Even if you have long hair, regular trips to the barber will allow them to tend to your hair’s needs, wash it properly if necessary and remove split ends. If your hair is thinning, consider hair restoration, using oils or consulting a professional on your use of conditioner.
4. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep will aid all aspects of your health and is an undervalued part of your self-care routine. In terms of grooming your appearance, notching up your seven to nine hours a night will help prevent bags or dark spots around your eyes, keeping you looking younger. You could also look at using creams or ointments for the skin around your eyes. These products will rarely get rid of dark circles for good, but some are effective at diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and brightening pigmented areas.
5. Keep eyebrows in check
Your eyebrows punctuate your face and should be kept neat and tidy. Plucking takes time and effort, but is worth it for achieving a well-groomed, orderly appearance. Shaving in between your eyebrows is a quicker fix and, easier still, requesting your barber to sort them out should not be too much to ask.
If you are trimming them yourself, use a brush or comb to point your eyebrow hairs towards your forehead before trimming the unruliest suspects. Clean them and slick them back down to check you’ve got everything.
