We all have mornings in front of the mirror where we just can’t get it right. Try as we might, the odds are stacked against us: bed hair and puffy eyes top the list.
Making a good impression is about powering on and presenting the best version of yourself, even when luck’s against you. For instance, you encounter a huge pimple only days before a hot date.
Here are the fixes for your most common grooming mishaps.
1\ Sore + Itchy Shave
Most guys have a habit of leaving shaving to the last minute and in the end are forced to rush it, often producing less than desirable results. Cuts and shaving rash, anyone?
If you don’t remember the last time you purchased a new razor (let alone properly cleaned out the excess hair), it’s time you invest in a proper man-tool. We recommend the Gillette Fusion ProShield.
The Fusion ProShield features Gillette’s sharpest, finest blades for incredible comfort and closeness, while shielding your skin from irritation with the added benefit of a ProShield lubrication Bar, before and after the blades.
You’ll be getting the job done in quicker time, and the results will be sharper and smoother than ever before.
2\ Yellow Teeth
With all the coffee we’re consuming in order to get us through the day, keeping our teeth pearly white is harder than ever. If you can notice your teeth losing a bit of their gloss, it’s time to act.
Men’s Health Dentistry Advisor Dr Mark Wolff recommends using either over-the-counter or professional bleach products. They contain some form of peroxide as the active ingredient and through a chemical reaction inside your teeth, it changes the colour to a whiter shade.
Also, consider eating some cheese to help protect your teeth, as it is full of calcium, helping to neutralise acids in the mouth.
3\ Bags Under Your Eyes
This could be the most telling sign of all that you’re not looking or feeling your best. Waking up with – or consistently having – bags under your eyes can signal two things: you aren’t getting enough rest, or your diet’s not as good as it should be.
To reduce the bags over time, try laying off the booze for a few weeks as alcohol can cause dehydration that in turn leads to eye-bags. Also try to consume less salt, which is a big culprit for eye puffiness.
If you can’t play the long game and are in desperate need of a quick fix, ice your eyes intermittently for 10-15 minutes, which will naturally reduce the puffiness.
4\ Dandruff
If you’ve ever been next to someone who’s scratched their head when suddenly a snowstorm of dead skin-flakes hits, you’ll know how gross it is. But despite how common dandruff actually is, people see it as a sure sign you don’t look after yourself.
Next time you hit the supermarket, invest in a 2 in 1 anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner as its zinc pyrithione’s anti-fungal properties will fight the flakes at the source. Also, never go to bed with wet hair: the moist environment encourages the growth of yeast, a big dandruff culprit.
5\ Acne Breakouts
You should’ve left acne back in puberty during your teenage years, right? Right? Some do happen to be so lucky, but for others, acne can follow them well into their adult years.
Acne could be appearing for a number of reasons: your diet, genetics, too much time in the sun or even stress. If you’re prone to breakouts and you’re washing your face with soap in the shower, you might want to stop.
Soap strips your skin of natural oils, and your glands respond by producing oil like a ninth-grader’s. Use an oil-free cleanser formulated for this problem with salicylic acid and beta hydroxy acids to keep your skin free and clear.
