Basic Grooming

Men’s Grooming Back to Basics

By Amber Flynn @expertgroomingadvice 

Get Your SWAG Back

Spring is here so it's time to put your best foot forward by                                                          shedding those winter layers and reclaiming you.

Investing a little time and money into your look is no longer considered vain or a "woman's thing". Men that put thought and effort into their appearance come across as confident, successful and sexy  Don't be fooled, even the men that seem to always look casually cool have put in effort to do so.So where do you start? With the basics. Before thinking about hair styles or fashion trends there     are basic grooming tips that all men should consider.

Cutting, trimming and shaving

Regularly scheduled haircuts should be priority. Period.

Find a barber who knows their stuff and become a regular. Not only will this make for great cuts, but an ongoing relationship with a barber can go a long way towards getting a cut in an emergency situation. Easy rule of thumb, if your friends or significant other have noticed you need a cut, you're already past due. Try being proactive, not reactive. Book your next appointment before you leave the shop from your current appointment. Depending on your hair type, style and growth rate your next cut should be between one and six weeks. I know that is a big discrepancy but a good barber will help you determine when you should come in for your next cut. This applies to hair on your head and facial 

hair.

Now let's discuss some other areas that need attention.

Eye brows, Ears and Nose   

                                                                                                                                                               Eye brows, You should have two of them. Most barbers will offer to help you with this, let them. Trimming and separating your eyebrows is easier for your barber than for you. Don't worry trimming is NOT the same as arching. 

Ear hair,  lets just say eww together. Again most barbers have got you covered here as well. If they don't normally do it or forgot, just ask.       

                                                                                                                                                            Nose hair, unless you have a really old school barber you're probably on your own. Try and trim or tweeze them at least once every two weeks but look out for any strays in between. 

 Armpits                                                                                                                                             This should not be up for debate. If you look like you 

have a troll in a headlock, trim that stuff. I'm not saying it needs to be completely shaved, which is acceptable for some people but can be very itchy and no one wants to be scratching their underarms all day.

Chest, back and groin                                                                                                                                                                                   These areas are a little more personal so discretion is up to you. It is important to note however that if you are going to shave these areas you will need to do it fairly often to avoid the itch factor, an issue that typically happens as the hair grows back, not to mention if there is something that feels worse than a hairy back, it is a prickly hairy back. Depilatories (hair removal creams) are also an 

option. Dissolving  the hair at the root means slower regrowth. But the process is a little more 

involved and would require enlisting some help for the hard to reach areas.Another factor with these 

creams is the possibility of chemical burns if left on too long. So at attention to the directions. For men that are truly brave, waxing is also an option. Keeping in mind that ingrown hairs happen so to help alleviate the problem it is important to exfoliate (remove dead skin) and moisturize  (use lotion).

Keep your nails short and clean. 

I shouldn't need to explain why long dirty fingernails are not a good look.  If your budget or schedule permits, try a monthly manicure/pedicure to have someone take care of this for you. I recommend letting them buff your nails as a way to keep the healthy shine without looking too “fancy” .Since nails grow at different rates there is no set time frame for it when to cut,  however when it is time to trim your nails, water is your best friend. Nails absorb water and as they do they soften. This is the perfect time to attack them with the clippers. Finger and toe nails become more flexible, making it less likely that you will crack or cut too low on the nail which tends to happen when the nail is stiff and dry.

Wash that Mug                                                                                                                                  Cleanse your face on a regular basis with a facial soap.Most body soaps are too strong for the face. You need to invest in a cleanser that is just for the face. No, it’s not okay to use hand soap for your face. It’s called HAND soap for a reason! Most soaps have harsh ingredients that can harm your face and actually cause you to break out. A great cleanser goes a long way. You will see a dramatic difference in the skin after one use.

Pucker up Buttercup                                                                                                                   

 Lips can suffer all year round as the sun dries them out and the cold weather can cause them to chap. My recommendation for kissable lips? Use a lip balm regularly. But use sparingly as you don’t want 

to look like you’re wearing lip gloss.

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?                                                                                            No excuses! Obviously not everyone has perfect teeth. But that doesn't mean that you should be out here making people yield like they're at a traffic light every time you smile.  There are plenty of over the counter teeth whiteners available that are safe and effective. Brightening up your smile can take more than five years off your look. Also brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day might keep the dentist away but it can help you to get a little closer to that special person you've had your eye on.

And last but not least,

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE

it's great for you skin, hair, nails and your waistline.

Coming next…

Products...  what they do and my best recommendations 

      

Getting the most from your trip to the barbershop

How to have a great barbershop experiance and leave looking better than you ever have before. 

The keys to building a great relationship with a barber and/or barbershop so that you get the best treatment and haircut every time.

I'm sure you have all been there, you walk into a barbershop on a Saturday it's packed but someone jumps up with "I can take you here." Unsure but not wanting to cause a scene you walk back and sit in their chair. They quickly wrap you up in a cape asking what you want as they turn you away from the mirror. You were hoping to try something different but feeling rushed you blurt out what you think the last barber said he did. 

    "I'll just take a three on the sides and trim on top. Oh and can you taper the back?"  You're feeling proud of yourself for remembering that detail.

Ten minutes later the barber is brushing you off and handing you a mirror asking, almost telling, you if it's ok. Looking in the mirror your feeling a little underwhelmed. It's not that it's bad, it just isn't anything but a basic a little shorter than what you walked in with. You figure the decent cut is good enough so you get up, pay and leave. You feel pretty indifferent and go on about your weekend. Not thinking much about it until you see  your buddy later that night and he looks like he just stepped out of GQ. Great haircut, smiling feeling very confident about himself. How did he end up looking so good and you look like every other average joe in the place.

    Well he might have gotten lucky, but more than likely he knows the not so secret, secrets to get exactly what you want out of your barber.

First and foremost, do some research. Start with finding barbershops near you. You will undoubtedly see their stars from Yelp or google without even opening the page up. After you have picked out a couple with some great reviews seek out their social media. Barbershops that are keeping up with the latest trends, technology and education are tipically heavily involved with social media ie; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and others. All of these sites give you tremendous insight to the types and quality of cuts they are offering at the shop. Not to mention their demographic and atmosphere.  

Don't discount the latter. If you know that you are a bit conservative, maybe a shop who's 

barbers a covered in tattoos and blasting music with curse words that I one seems to 

notice, you will probably be uncomfortable. When you are uncomfortable that makes the 

barber uncomfortable. It makes the entire atmosphere of the shop uncomfortable. All 

anyone including you will be hoping you get out of there as soon as possible. 

After you have made your choice find out if they take appointments or walk-ins. If they 

take appointments you are good to go ahead and set that up. If they are a walk-in only 

shop find out their busiest times and avoid them if at all possible. I suggest new clients 

try going in a weekday around lunch if you can. If you can avoid the busy times learn to 

have patients. There is a reason they are as busy.

Come prepared with an idea of what you might like to try. Men often have a hard time 

describing what they want so don't hesitate to bring pictures. A good barber will 

appreciate that you are invested enough in your look to take the time to find looks you 

think you would like. 

The caveat to bringing in a picture, and the reason I suggest you bring in a few, not all 

hair is created equal. Some is thinker, thinner, balding, has cow licks and many other 

variables. No need to be too concerned a good barber will be able to understand the look 

you are trying to achive and be able to help you do that. If the look is unattainable ( very 

rare) the barber will be ready to offer better alternatives for your hair and face structure. 

Do not go into the barbershop thinking that you know more about your hair than the 

barber will after looking at it for a few minutes. Remember you are at the barbershop 

because of their knowledge and expertise. 

Also try not to use barber terms or lengths that are interpreted differently in different 

areas, you yourself might think your asking for something that is totally different than 

what it actually means.

More than a few times I've had a new client tell me they want a fade with skin on the 

sides. When I say, "would you like the sides shaved when we are done?" They look at me 

wide eyed and say, "Oh I didn't mean that short!" 

Fourtunatly with experiance comes wisdom and I always double check that we are on the 

same page. I also live by the motto, I can always take more off but I can put it back.

Unfortunately I can't promise that all barbers will do this. Too often they just take you at 

your literal word. And even though I do live by that motto please understand that once a 

haircut if halfway through or even finished its going to be an entire haircut when you ask " 

Can you just take it a bit shorter?" Barbers hate this. But if it is their own fault by not 

checking in with you to make sure it's looking good then there isn't much you can do 

except go ahead and ask for it shorter. But if the barber has asked repeatedly throughout  

and you wait until the end to ask, expect that you might not be welcomed back with open  

arms next time.

If you have taken the steps above at this point you should be feeling and looking pretty 

good. As the barber finishes up ask about any product he might have used. Tipically 

barbers aren't big on pushing product down your throat, but they are more than happy to 

let you know what they used. Ask them to show you how they achieved your new look. 

How did they comb it or whatever they did t get it just right.

If you are happy, tip. I can't put it anymore simple than that. A barber is in the service 

industry therefore a portion of their income is based on the tips they recive. If you can't 

afford the tip you should look for a price point closer to a range you're comfortable with.

Don't get me wrong, if you are unhappy or got bad service, don't reward that with a tip.

My secret inside tip is this... If you've been to the same shop for a few times and every 

time you go in it seems to get a little quiet and your barber doesn't really talk to you...

You have done something rude or you're one of those 'no matter how good it is' you're 

never satisfied, and everyone can't wait for you to leave... If it's a true barbershop they 

will probably talk about you when your gone. So be cool, trust the experts and be prepared. 

Good barbers understand the trepidation that comes with going to a new shop so don't be afraid to express this. Barbers want you to be pleasantly surprised when you're nervous.