Grooming
I wanted to make a "haircut" section, but figured it would be too narrow. Info on haircuts, facial hair, skin care, or any other kind of bodily maintenance goes here.
Change the titles or something,I was bored of making bland titles.
Contents
No Poo
The ancient method of No Poo has been immensely over exaggerated and altered into a wacky pseudoscience cure all for shitty hair. Not for the uninitiated who can't tell the difference between shampooing and just washing your hair.
While their's a bit of truth to the "dangers" of shampoo, never using soap in your hair will result in a buildup of all the shit you can't hand-scrub out of your head. There's other reasons your hair could be shit, including washing with too hot water or having bad genes. As with everything else, don't shampoo your head ritualistically, only when it starts to get disgusting (STARTS TO, not IS). If your life involves a lot of physical activity/outdoor work, you'll probably need to shampoo/condition every day. On the other hand, if you're clean and don't use a ton of product, you may only need to shampoo around once a week.
When you wash your hair (shampoo or not), use your fingertips and scrub at the scalp, being thorough and methodical, making sure you remove everything you can from your hair.
Go To A Fucking Barber
No matter how awesome and crafty you think you are, never attempt to cut your own hair alone. Learn with a professional if you want to save on salon money, it's well worth it (and then you don't have to go to the salon anyway when you fuck up). Mike is a wizard, do not be led astray by his ways by just watching his video once or twice.
Do not attempt unless you are VERY desperate or okay with looking like a total dork in the learning process.
Self-dyeing
Never dye by yourself. Results in rashes, skin peeling of, etc. Besides, getting an even tone all over is one of the hardest tasks for colourists.
Skin-care Basics
A skin-care regimen is necessary for healthy skin consists of:
Cleanser/Face wash
Use a good sensitive or moisturising face wash each time you shower in the mornings. When buying facewash look for terms such as 'kind to skin' or 'light' since these tend to be less harsh on the skin.
Exfoliator
This removes dead skin and make-up stuck in your pores. Slows aging process. Entirely optional for men, still recommended though. Especially if you have blemishes. You don't want to exfoliate too much though or your skin ends up looking like gritting paper. 2-4 times a week just before sleeping is usually fine.
Moisturizer
This keeps your face moist, duh. Good for dry months, but don't overdo it or you'll look shiny all the time. A small ammount on extra-dry places is enough, and you can also get moisturizers with silicone in their formula to leave an incredible smooth finish. Don't forget to moisturize your elbows, knees, or anywhere that feels rough to the touch. There are products for these specific areas.
Notes
Apply in the order listed two times a day. After you wake up and before you go to sleep, preferrably.
You can cheap out on cleansers, but try to buy a good moisturizer that matches your skin type. Always try to avoid alcohol in your face products.
Contrary to popular belief and marketing, women's skincare products do not automatically turn you into a FLAMING HOMOGAY although some of you might want to stay away from tinted and/or scented creams. But you can alternatively use skincare products for MANLY MEN made out of MOTOR OIL scented with BBQ sauce if you feel like paying the markup those products to preserve your precious HETEROSEXUALITY.
Acne Treatment
Occam's Acne
There is beauty in simplicity with skincare. Wash your face a few times a day with a mild cleanser. Drinking enough water and eating healthy is possibly the best thing you can do for your skin (and body). Sleeping with a clean towel over your pillow each night (or washing your pillowcase weekly) also works wonders. For those whose faces refuse to clear up, consider the following treatments.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Can be extremely useful for mild acne. Its best to get lower concentrations such as 2.5% or 5% because it has the same effect at 10%. On the first few applications your skin may be dryer but after a little while it goes away.
Salicylic Acid
Get some SA based cream to exfoliate your skin and cleanse your pores. In case you're a poorfag or in a hurry, put an aspirin on a cotton ball, cup water into hand and lightly soak the pill and cotton. After one minute or so, it should crumble to the lightest touch. Apply to face (specific area), tape with bandage for 1 or 2 hours and it should do the trick. You can also mix crumbled aspirin to different ingredients (honey, milk, coconut oil, etc) and make a full face exfoliating scrub. Google ingredients for desired effects.
When All Else Fails
Talk to a dermatologist if the above suggestions do not work for you. He or she can give you various options. A common solutions to severe cystic acne is accutane. There are also other treatments for other cases of stubborn acne. Please note that accutane may cause severe mood swings and have negative effects on your hormonal balances, especially if you are still growing. Also don't forget: If you're still in your teenage years/early adulthood, there's a good chance your skin problems will vanish in a couple months or years. Treat your skin well in this stage, otherwise you WILL be scarred for life.
Shave That Beard
Or don't, whatever. Some men fit (maybe even need) a beard, and some do not. Just remember beards, like all hair on our body, keeps dirt and oil even closer to our skin. Unless you take care of it and wash it properly, it'll end up like the Amazon Forest: dark, damp, with high chances of encounters with animals.
Smells
The most important thing to remember when trying to look better than you already do is stay clean. This is very basic knowledge, but some people seem to forget it. Unless you live in the coldest areas of the globe, there is no excuse not to shower daily. Wear deodorant, brush your teeth, and kill anything else with a good dose of Listerine. It doesn't matter if you're dressed head-to-toe in Alexander McQueen, if you stink in any way you have failed.
