Firestyle Magazine: Issue 1 - Autumn 2015

MALE GROOMING
7. Don’t neglect your
hands.
Apart from the face your hands are
the area of your body that are most
exposed to the elements and the
vast majority of blokes completely
neglect them. Your hands are one
of the first things people notice
and the state of your hands (and
nails) says a lot about you. Rough,
dry and cracked hands with dirty,
untrimmed fingernails look terrible.
Few things create a worse first
impression than dirty, untidy or bitten
fingernails. Not only do chewed
fingernails look terrible it can also
lead to nail infections. Here’s my top
tip for guys who bite their nails: STOP
immediately!!! Also, avoid using
overly harsh hand-wash, washing-up
liquid or chemicals that may irritate
and dry the delicate skin on your
hands. Protect them with rubber
gloves or barrier cream. When I finish
applying moisturiser (with sunscreen
in it) to my face I’ll add some to my
hands even in winter as this helps to
protect them from the damaging
UV light keeping your hands looking
younger for longer. Use a good
quality hand-cream after you wash
your hands. Carry some hand lotion
in your bag so you’re not caught
out. Dry, flaky hands can be very
uncomfortable. Before you go to
sleep apply some moisturiser. Keep
your fingernails clean by using a
nail brush or pointed nail file after
showering (when your nails are
soft) and trim them regularly using
curved nail clippers and file off
any rough edges using a nail file
or emery board. For a professional
result why not visit your local beauty
salon for a manicure. These days
it’s increasingly popular for men to
have their nails pampered. It’s not
called a man-i-cure for nothing!
8. Feet: look after
them!
Guys, have you ever noticed
those things dangling at the ends
of your legs? They’re called feet
and it’s a good idea to look after
them especially during the summer
months when they are on display.
It’s incredibly off-putting to see dirty
toe-nails and yellowy hard, dry skin.
So keep your feet clean! Bacteria
and fungus just love damp, dark
and warm places. It’s bacteria
that causes the cheesy ‘pong’ so
don’t provide them with their ideal
environment. Wash your feet daily
(especially after exercise) and take
spare socks to work and the gym.
Change your socks regularly. Your
feet are often stuffed into tight
spaces for hours at a time gasping
for air, so occasionally take your
shoes off (when appropriate!) to let
them ‘breathe’. Dry feet thoroughly
(especially in between the toes)
with a clean towel after showering.
Use some foot scrub, pumice stone
or metal foot file to keep dead
skin build-up at bay. For a extra
thorough feet treat book a pedicure
at your local beauty salon! More
and more guys are now having
treatments like this so there’s no
need to feel embarrassed or selfconscious
about going along.
9. Nasal hair.
Have you ever been talking to friend
or family member and rather than
listening to what they say all you
can see is their dangling nasal hair?
It’s a little off-putting isn’t it? I have
often been transfixed by a dangly
growth of nose fuzz protruding
from someone’s nostril area. We
all have nasal hair but some seem
blokes seem to be cultivating it for a
charitable cause: Nasal Hair Aid!
In my humble opinion nasal hair
should remain in the nostrils and stay
out of sight. In the same way you
clip your garden hedge there is an
effective way of keeping nasal hair
at bay so you don’t frighten pets or
small children: a nasal hair trimmer!
So if nasal hair really gets up your
nose go and get buy a nasal hair
trimmer today! They usually cost
under £10 from Argos.
10. Lifestyle: nutrition,
stress and sleep.
No conversation about male
grooming would be complete
without looking at the bigger
picture. As well great skincare, what
you eat, drink and your lifestyle will
greatly affect how you look and
more importantly how you feel. My
number one tip male grooming is to
drink more water. Most guys don’t
drink enough. From the firefighters
I’ve spoken to, dehydration is one of
the major challenges they face. Not
only will increasing the amount of
good quality water (I prefer filtered
or bottled water) that you consume
greatly improve your complexion
but can significantly improve your
concentration and energy levels.
Aim for at least 2 litres a day.
Keeping a bottle of water on you at
ALL TIMES (where appropriate) will
make you more
likely to drink it, so sip regularly
throughout the day as it’s really
important to keep hydrated
between ‘incidents.’
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