Grooming for Men.

Men can groom too, and some take delight in their appearance – so spending time taking care of yourself should no longer be purely the domain of women. Increasingly, there seems to be nothing wrong with a male tending to their looks – from how they style or colour their hair, to the way they shave or cleanse their faces. More and more, men are spending time to find products they enjoy or that are most beneficial to their particular needs.

Thin or Fine Hair.

Thick hair is easy to style, but if you haven’t been blessed with lustrous locks, then there are ways you can add body to thin hair – including ways to style, cut and colour thin hair. If you don’t know if you have fine hair or not, scoop as much as you can into a ponytail (if you have long hair this is easy). If you hair has the circumference larger than a quarter, then you’re okay. Less than this and technically you have thin, or fine, hair. This does not mean that you have less hair, but only that each individual hair is fine (usually because it lacks the nutrients and chemical bonds inside the cortex or middle layer of the hair). And thin hair does not automatically mean you’ll lose your hair as you get older – this is determined mostly by genetics. Generally speaking, though, as you get older your hair will get thinner and finer – people tend not to get thicker hair as they age.

Thickening shampoo can help fine or thin hair, by infusing the hair with the nutrients fine hair usually lacks. Over time the hair will become thicker and fuller. Leave thickening products on for at least three minutes for best results. The Vitatress system by Nexxus is recommended for thinning hair – a shampoo and cysteine conditioner (cysteine bonds in the hair give it thickness) and various styling products can help hair look and feel thicker.

Styling can also give thin hair volume. Women aren’t the only ones who can benefit from curling irons or round brushes – when used at the roots, they can give hair volume (so too can hair rollers, if you want to go that far!).

Blow dry and use a volumising mousse on your damp hair (if you want to use a root lift, do so after the mousse but before blow drying, and use only at the crown). If your hair is longer, flip your head over and blow dry upside down while using your fingers to gently fluff your hair. This expands the hair cuticle, creating a cushion for the surrounding hair.

If you have shorter or straight hair, use a small paddle brush to lift the hair at the root and keep the tension on the hair. Dry the hair at the root, then using cool air to lock in the volume. This will prevent your hair from lying flat against your scalp, and make it look thicker. If you are inclined to use hair spray, hold it at arm’s length, but avoid using maximum hold sprays on thin hair (they’ll weigh the hair down). Stick to natural or medium hold sprays.

Find a stylist who is willing to work with you to find a hair cut that will make your hair look fuller and thicker. Many cuts can be not only unflattering but flattening, making your hair look even thinner than it is. Similarly, colouring your hair can make it look thicker – alternate lighter streaks or foils with darker streaks or foils to create depth and dimension.

Curly or Frizzy Hair.

If you have curly hair, you need to be especially careful as it tends to be dry, coarse and brittle. Creamy shampoos are better than clear (or clarifying) shampoos, and you need to condition every time you shampoo – and once a week treat your hair to a deep condition. Luckily, though, you don’t need to wash more than a couple of times a week. Use a cream created for curly hair to keep your curls in check. If you’re worried about frizz, style serum should calm things down (warm a few drops in your palms and them wipe over your frizzy hair). And last but not least, if you want to treat yourself to straight hair, a blob the size of a quarter of straightening balm or gel can do this, just before blow drying. Be aware, though, that blow drying can increase frizz – so too can playing with your hair! If you need to use a blow dryer, make sure it’s fitted with a diffuser and always cup your hair from below, don’t scrunch (more frizz!). Oh, and find a good stylist – not everyone can cut curly hair, no matter how hard they boast they can!

Shampoo You Too!

Use shampoo if you are looking for something to wash yourself with, and you aren’t having any luck with soap. It makes sense, as many men are covered in hair anyway. Shampoos are less harsh than most soaps, and they lather better. Tea tree shampoo is great as its minty scent is a good wake-up of a morning, and the tea tree oil’s vasodilating properties will make your skin tingle! Otherwise, there are many body washes out there for men, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding something you like.

Facials for Men?

Unless you work on a pig farm, or you’re a coal miner, washing your face once a day is enough – any more than this, and you strip your skin of oils that protect your skin from environmental damage. As your face is what most people see most of the time, it pays to keep it clean. To avoid looking older than you are, exfoliate every week or two, to remove dead skin cells. But be careful if you have sensitive skin as exfoliators can cause a rash or some other kind of irritation – as with shampoos and body washes, you need to find the one that suits you best.

Pimples.

Don’t squeeze them! Squeezing only spreads the bacteria and makes more pimples! Plus it can scar your skin if you use fingernails to pop pimples. If left to their own devices, pimples disappear after a few days anyway, so it’s best to do nothing rather than risk more pimples, infection, swelling or redness.

 Under Eye Circles.

Raid your girlfriend or wife’s makeup bag and look for something called concealer. Using your fingertips, dab it gently under your eyes to fade the dark circles that can be left by lack of sleep, among other things.

Shaving.

Most men have done it at some stage of their lives – for some, it is a daily ritual, and for others, a sometime event. But one thing is sure, it is almost always done incorrectly. As with facials – people see your face first, and usually, most of the time. So why not treat it to a shaving regime that will enhance your look, not encourage people to look for the wrong reasons.

Firstly, you need to select a decent razor – not a cheap disposable, it’s worth it to pay a little more when it comes to scraping your face with a piece of steel that’s as sharp as.. well... a razor. Sensor blades are found everywhere and reasonably priced – couple this will a great shaving cream and you can’t go wrong. If you find you get those annoying little red lumps after you shave (known as razor burn) try using Noxzema instead of shaving cream. Use a good quality aftershave lotion to finish off with.

The art of shaving needs to be as important to you as the products you use. For starters, shave before your hair gets longer than an eighth of an inch – if you need to press down too hard then chances are your hair is too long. Use sharp blades, and as soon as they start to feel blunt, throw them out! For thick or coarse hair this might be after three shaves, for finer hair it could be longer. Hold your skin so it is slightly taut and use small, short strokes. Shave with the grain – shaving against the grain will result in ingrown hairs.

If you do get ingrown hairs, always use tweezers to remove them before shaving – if you simply shave over them you’ll get razor burn. You can purchase a product to prevent bumps and redness after shaving, called bumper-stopper. It can be found in the ethnic hair care sections of a supermarket, or in the aisle where they sell hair relaxers and products for African-American hair.

Looking after yourself should not be something only women do. If you take pride in other areas of your life, such as your car, your work or your sports, why not take a little pride in how you look? You’ll be helping your skin keep young-looking, protecting it from the weather and other aging elements, and who knows – you might just attract someone who takes care of themselves too.

By:

Cm_a The Contentlab

https://contentlab.webnode.com/

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