How To Be a Well Groomed Man

Anyone who has felt like their body is constantly trying to tear it all down can appreciate someone who appears to be holding it all together. Jjust about everyone can appreciate a well-groomed man. Sometimes that appreciation can sour into discouragement and the very ease with which they pull off their look can be intimidating. “It must just come naturally to them,” you think.

You worry that your own attempts just draw attention to how much effort you are putting into failing. But unless you are an Instagram celebrity concealing how heavily staffed and staged your “natural look” really is, you can relax. And you should take comfort in knowing that your attempts at self-care are slowly tipping the balance in your favor. That’s because being a well-groomed guy depends less on your budget or bone structure and more on finding the right combination of life hacks and lived habits.

Develop Regular Habits

Give a team of professionals enough time and they can elevate the game of the most average Joe. But that’s not an example of a well-groomed guy, that’s just a showcase of professional grooming. A well-groomed guy operates out of the groove of regular habits. He makes time for that charcoal face wash every day. He’s able to do that because he knows exactly how much time it should take, and why it’s worth it. These habits are most useful when they become precise and automatic, but that’s not how they start. Getting something down to a science requires some experimentation, which means the best time to establish a skincare routine and decide on a hairstyle might not be in that frantic five-minute period before you are leaving on a first date.

Work with Your Body

Experimentation isn’t just about practicing the right skills. It’s also about learning more about the variables in the environment. In this case, that means learning more about yourself. If you have oily skin and that YouTube guru has dry skin, it doesn’t matter how many subscribers he has. Stop trying to replicate his path to success and redirect your energy towards a gel moisturizer for oily skin. Lean on your personal experience. It doesn’t matter how many rave reviews a product gets if it gives you a rash every time you use it.

Be Thorough

In order to learn about all those variables, you’ve got to be thorough and detail-oriented. You don’t figure out how to keep your house clean by timing how long it takes you to hastily shove everything in a closet. Don’t assume that less noticeable is the same thing as less problematic. Just because you can’t see your back doesn’t mean it doesn’t need soap or sunscreen. Floss your teeth and clean between your toes even if you aren’t paying a visit to the dentist or the beach. And just because an issue isn’t instantly solved, that doesn’t mean that you should give up on it.

Acquire the Right Tools

Some of those solutions might require more time, but occasionally they just require better equipment. Your hands can do a lot, but their reach and scope have limits. That’s why humans invented tools – to increase power and precision. Otherwise, shaving would just be yanking out fistfuls of beard hair and exfoliating your back would require rubbing up against a pine tree like a bear. So take advantage of all the laboratory tests that produced your razor and wield that silicone body scrubber like the civilized human being that you are.

Try a Full Reset

You aren’t obligated to break out the shoe-shine kit and visit your barber before you go out in public. But it’s often easier to get something back to the way you want it once you’ve seen what that looks like. If you luck into the right haircut or the right outfit combination, don’t content yourself with taking a mental picture. Snap a pic and save it for future reference.

Get a Professional Assessment

Sometimes, it’s nice to get some professional help in terms of showing you the possibilities or making an expert diagnosis. There is a reason that personal styling services are such a big business. They aren’t a symptom of helplessness but an investment in efficiency. Even more importantly, an internet search isn’t a substitute for years of specialized training. You were blaming yourself for neglecting to water the tree in your front yard until your arborist cousin informed you that a rare leaf blight was actually responsible for its demise. When it comes to your body, your source of embarrassment might be related to a medical issue. So rather than trying to decide between sketchy home remedies for a mysterious skin condition, consult the appropriate medical professional.

It’s gratifying to hear yourself referred to as a “well-groomed guy.” It’s even more heartening to make eye contact with yourself in the mirror and see a man with a plan for taking care of himself – even if that means occasionally asking for expert assistance.

Good Luck and Thanks For Reading!