Personal Hygiene For Men – Personal Grooming
June 4, 2009 by Mohamed
Filed under Personal Hygiene
A few days ago I posted a brief introduction into the next topic that would be discussed around the theme of Personal Hygiene For Men. Previously we looked at one of the most important aspects of personal care and hygiene and that is showering (see Personal Hygiene For Men – Showering). This applies to ALL men regardless of size, but is of particular importance to someone that is large since we tend to sweat a little more than most others.
In this post we are going to look at another area of personal hygiene, and that is personal grooming. We will cover these topics:
- manicures and pedicures
- proper haircuts
- trimming bears
- dental care (like flossing, and regular brushing)
- body hair and dealing with it (arm pits, back, chest, abs, arms, legs, and the ‘nether’ regions)
Manicures/Pedicures For Men
I can hear the laughing already! Manicures? PEDICURES?! For men! No way. Yes way. Yes there was a time when men never had to think about manicures, pedicures or a good haircut – nobody cared. But a lot has changed over the years and more men in the business world are opting for perfection (or as close as they can get to it) by taking care of themselves and presenting a positive self image to others. Like showering daily or more often, manicures and pedicures take care of another part of the body that is more visible.
So first question is just what is a manicure? Simplest answer – it is a treatment for hand and/or nails.
Next question is why should men get manicures? I mentioned one reason above – to present a positive self image to others (the FULL package). The other reason, and a damn good one is to keep your nails neat, trim and clean.
In professions where the hands are more lightly used, manicures are great for men and women alike. Especially those people who must use their hands in sales professions, in performing arts, or in business will benefit from have nicely manicured nails. Also, it’s a great way to simply have some pampering on the side, as well as for keeping a clean and trimmed appearance.
Pedicures are meant for the same reasons – while few men will be wearing open dress shoes to the office, the idea behind the pedicure is to take care of your nails and feet for the same 
reasons – to keep them clean, trimmed and neat.
There are so many benefits men can receive from getting regular pedicures. For instance, helping to stop foot odor by removing dead excess skin from the soles and the prevention of ingrown toenail, calluses and corns (if you are a diabetic proper feed care IS A MUST).
You can go to a day spa (yes, men do go to day spas and spas in general) for a manicure or even visit your nail salons – there are even salons that cater towards men specifically. Listed below are some resources for manicures and pedicures for men.
Personal grooming is so important to give you that polished look that tells others that you do take care of yourself.
Resources for Manicures and Pedicures For Men
- http://www.professorshouse.com/family/health/manicures-for-men.aspx
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manicure
- http://www.lindarose.com/art-manicure-men.asp
- http://www.expertvillage.com/video/19471_mens-grooming-manicure.htm (video if you want to do it yourself)
- http://vonhof.typepad.com/happy_feet/2005/12/pedicures_for_m.html
Proper Haircuts
Guys – the haircut kit you bought years ago is not going to work anymore — unless you’re bald and would rather do it at home DON’T give yourself (or anyone you know) a haircut at home to save money. It’s just not worth it should you slip and lose a good section of hair.
If you are someone that hates spending a fortune on a simple haircut – LOOK AROUND! You can get a good haircut from $12.00 and up. Over the years, I’ve rarely spent more than $15 or $20 on a haircut and I’ve been happy with my hair. As I’ve gotten older and my hair has thinned out, I don’t spend as much as I did – but there is nothing like getting a proper haircut since the stylist or barber will ensure that all the trimming is done and is straight.
For men there are few styles to choose from, basically you want something that is neat, clean and easy to care for. In the buiness world, most men will opt for short hair – I’ve met very few men that keep long hair; remember most guys don’t want to spend hours in front of a mirror making their hair just right. You want to be able to wash, dry, comb and go.
Do I need to say anything else about getting a haircut? Hope not.
Get Your Beard Trimmed
There is nothing particularly cool about an unkept beard. Honestly it looks disgusting.
I found lots and lots of examples of scraggly, unkept beards but hesitate showing them as I don’t want to embaress those individuals – eventhough they are quite anonymous. But plain and simple, if you wear a beard or goatee – keep it trimmed. You can buy kits to do it at home, but if you opt to do this ensure it looks good – otherwise pay your barber or stylist $5 or $10 extra and let them do it. They’ve got better tools that you or I will ever have.
A well kept, and trimmed beard will make you look smarter, and more refined – most people will be able to tell if your beard is done by a professional or by the wearer.
Resources for Beard Trimming
- http://www.mensflair.com/grooming-abcs/beard-trimming.php
- http://menshair.about.com/od/facialhair/ig/Facial-Hair-Styles/ (excellent)
Dental Care
Aaaah dental care. Where to even start? Do you like the dentist? If so, completely ignore brushing, flossing or any care whatsoever. You’ll be in dentures in no time and won’t have to worry about anything other than tossing them into a cup to have them cleaned.
I work with people all day – in my current job and in previous jobs, including retail. It’s disgusting when you speak to someone and they smell of garlic or something that they’ve just eaten. Even worse is if they hygiene is so bad that their BO combined with bad breath makes you feel weak and about to faint.
Guys – carry some gum with you, better yet carry a toothbrush and if need be a small toothpaste – like those travel sizes.
After each and every meal brush your teeth! You should also be flossing to remove any food stuck between your teeth and to remove bacteria that can grow just below your gum line. I don’t feel that have to even go into HOW to brush or floss. If you don’t know by now, you’re hopeless – sorry to say.
Now while is may be funny to talk about dental care - did you know that the bacteria that forms can get into your arteries and cause stroke or heart attack? This is especially important for diabetics.
Not taking care of your teeth and gums can result in some pretty bad stuff happening in your mouth – for example gingivitis or gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), cavities, plaque build up, periodontal diseases.
Flossing
Flossing removes plaque and bacteria that you cannot reach with your toothbrush. If you don’t floss, you are missing more than one-third of your tooth surface. Plaque is the main cause of gum disease. It is an invisible bacterial film that develops on your teeth every day.
Within 24 to 36 hours, plaque hardens into tartar (also called calculus), which can only be removed by professional cleaning. Floss at least once a day, and plaque never gets the chance to harden into tartar. Getting into the habit of daily flossing is easier when you floss while doing something else like watching TV or listening to music, for example.
Brushing
Regular, thorough brushing is a very important step in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Brushing removes the bacteria that promote tooth decay and the plaque that can cause gum disease.
Ideally, you should brush after every meal, because the bacterial attack on teeth begins minutes after eating. At the very least, brush once a day and always before you go to bed. Brushing your teeth isn’t complicated, but there is a right and a wrong way.
I think that that’s more than enough when talking about dental care.
Resources for Dental Care
- For diabetics – http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dental-care-diabetes
- http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/a/dental_howtos.htm
- http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care/flossing_brushing.asp
The last topic that I really wanted to get into was body hair and dealing with it – but this post is getting pretty long at just over 1300 words and I don’t think you want to sit through more. I also want to talk about skin care, as it is very important as well but we will leave these topics for another day.
Enjoy!
Mohamed
Related posts:
I really like guys who know how to take care of themselves. It may seem gay to others but grooming is a must!
Pam – I agree with you 100% – guys need to take better are of themselves. We may not want to go for manicures – but a simple job of cleaning under the fingernails and cutting them goes a long way.
Regardless of your size, you should learn to dress well. There are many stores that cater to the big man (and full-figured women) out there and while they can be expensive to shop at it’s a matter of timing and hitting all the right sales!
Besides once you start shopping at these stores, you quickly build a trust and friendship with the staff and you can get in on deals that you others may get on the day the sale starts.
Best Regards,
Mohamed