These tips are all you need to know to groom yourself like an expert.
There are certain things every guy should know about how to take care of his appearance.
From how often you should get your hair cut to how to get the perfect shave, these tips will make any guy's life a whole lot easier.
There's bound to be at least one thing you didn't know.
1. Always tell a new barber how long it's been since your last haircut.
Barbers know how long it takes for hair to grow, so if you tell them how long it has been since your hair was last cut, they can imagine what your hair looked like way back when. From there, you can either tell them that you want it to look the same, or describe how you want it to be different from last time.
2. Tailor your haircut to your face shape.
If you have a rounder face, get a haircut that's tighter on the sides. If you have a longer face, ask for longer hair on the sides and around your temples.
3. Go about a month in between haircuts.
If you have shorter hair, you should go sooner, but if your hair is longer, it's probably fine to wait a month and a half to two months.
4. Keep the sides cropped short if you're dealing with male pattern baldness.
Get the sides cropped close with scissors or clippers and the top short with the hair brushed to the side. Don't get any kind of part, since you don't want any hard lines drawing eyes to the "problem area."
5. Follow four simple steps to avoid razor burn.
6. Wash your hair only three times a week.
Most hair professionals agree that you should wash your hair at most every two to three days. Some barbers, like Van Capizzano of Ball and Buck in Boston, even advocate abstaining from shampoo altogether.
7. Realize the effectiveness of a washing bag.
Though a washing bag can be used for underwear, for men it becomes a great tool to wash loafer socks, watch straps, and anything else that might get lost in the tumble.
8. Use sunscreen to do more than just prevent sunburn.
Broad-spectrum sunscreen protects skin from harmful UV rays, which can also cause wrinkles and skin damage. Dr. Terrence Keaney, a dermatologist working with Dove Men+Care, recommends using moisturizer with a sunscreen component of at least SPF 30 for the best effect, but any kind of protection is better than none.
9. Learn the correct number of times to wash your face in a day.
Hopefully, you wash your face every day. But are you washing it enough?
Keaney recommends that his male patients wash their faces twice a day — and only twice a day.
10. Use antiperspirant deodorant correctly.
The best time to put on your antiperspirant or deodorant is at night, before you go to bed.
That's because it takes time for your antiperspirant to work its magic and close your armpit's sweat ducts. After this process happens, good antiperspirants and deodorants usually last 24 to 48 hours, so you'll have plenty of dry times ahead after application.
11. Adopt the easy way to hide a hangover.
Eye de-puffers, like Kiehl's Facial Fuel De-Puffer ($20), are specially formulated to reduce the bags underneath your eyes after a late night. A roll-on like this works perfectly as a quick morning eye pick-me-up.
It works by giving your under-eye skin an injection of caffeine, constricting blood vessels and reducing the appearance of swelling, according to dermatologist Cheryl Karcher. The effects of caffeine will likely be temporary, but hopefully, the bags under your eyes will be, too.