Most guys know the basics when it comes to grooming - showering, shaving, and using deodorant. But there are a few other areas that you may be neglecting without realizing it - your eyebrows, neck, and hands.
Neglecting these areas may leave you looking older and unkempt. So let’s fix that.
In this post, we’ll take a look at these three common grooming areas and provide solutions to help you get back on track.
Eyebrows
Let’s start at the top. For most men, grooming their eyebrows is probably not very high on their list of priorities. However, keeping your eyebrows trimmed and tidy can make a big difference in your overall appearance.
The goal isn’t to drastically change your look, it’s to maintain your current brow shape so they are clean and symmetrical.
How to Groom Eyebrows
Grooming your eyebrows is relatively simple and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes daily.
- Starting with one brow at a time, comb your brow in the direction it naturally grows.
- Use a tweezer to carefully pluck any stray hair that is not aligned with the rest of your brow starting from the bottom up. Avoid plucking too much - we’re looking for uniform, not thinning.
- Use a small scissor to trim any long or straggly hair. Again, be careful not to overdo it - you don’t want to end up with super-short brows!
- Repeat the steps above on the other brow.
- Use a tweezer to pluck any remaining strays in between your brows. No unibrow here.
What to Avoid When Grooming Eyebrows
It’s easy to get carried away when you start plucking those hairs so avoid these simple mistakes:
- Avoid the temptation to go too thin. Over-plucking can create an unnatural look and bald spots. And eyebrow hair grows back very slowly. Take a step back after every few plucks to ensure you’re not going overboard.
- Don’t pluck from the top. Start at the bottom to keep your natural shape. If needed, use a small scissor to trim the top of your brow to keep your natural shape.
- Don’t shave your eyebrows. Your hair will grow back in a few days, potentially coarser. Just stick to plucking.
- Leave those gray hair alone. That is if they’re in line with your natural eyebrow shape. Plucking those gray hair may just leave you with bald spots.
That’s all there is to it! With a little bit of effort, you can keep your eyebrows looking sharp and well-groomed.
Neck
Just as with eyebrows, another overlooked area is the neck. Anyone who has ever seen a men’s grooming commercial knows how important the neck area is. Unfortunately, many men don’t give their necks the same attention they give their faces.
As a result, the neck can often be one of the first places to show signs of aging.
Causes of Neck Aging
Since the skin on the neck is thinner than on the face, it is more vulnerable to damage from the sun, pollution, and other environmental factors.
Additionally, the neck doesn’t have as many oil glands as the face, so it isn’t as well-protected against dryness and irritation. It’s also not an area you probably moisturize often.
Finally, the muscles in the neck are constantly in use, which can lead to tension and wrinkles. Constantly looking down at your phone, for example, may lead to wrinkles and loose skin.
Prolong Neck Aging
By paying attention to the early signs of neck aging, you can take steps to prolong them and keep your neck looking younger for longer. If you have:
- Loss of definition in the jawline. This can be caused by a build-up of fat deposits under your skin, which leads to a “double chin” effect. To combat this, perform neck exercises to strengthen the muscles in this area and apply a firming cream.
- Wrinkles and creases. These are a combination of sun damage and your skin’s natural loss of elasticity as you age. To deter further damage, use an anti-aging neck cream before bed such as our Revitalizing Anti-Aging Cream. It’s specially formulated to remove wrinkles overnight.
- Loose skin. As you age, the collagen and elastin in your neck start to decline resulting in loose skin and wrinkles. Gravity also plays a role in pulling the skin down over time. To firm up and prevent loose skin, use a firming cream or serum that contains collagen-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid such as our Repairing Night Serum.
Don’t let your neck be an afterthought. With a little bit of effort, you can prolong the aging process and keep your neck looking younger for years to come.
Hands
And lastly, your hands are just as important as your eyebrows and neck. Just as the face is often one of the first places where signs of aging appear, the hands can also give away a person’s age. For men, this may manifest as rough hands and age spots.
Causes of Hand Aging
While this is a natural part of aging, there are some things you can do to help slow down the process to keep your hands looking young and healthy.
- Age spots. Caused by a build-up of pigmentation from damages such as the sun, these spots increase with age. To lighten or remove age spots, you can consult a dermatologist for skin treatments such as laser removal or use hand cream for age spots.
- Roughness. As you get older, the oil glands in your skin produce less sebum which can lead to dry, rough hands. Use a daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to protect your hands from harmful UV rays. Follow up with hand cream for aging hands such as our Maximum Hydration Hand Cream.
Prevent Hand Aging
To prevent premature aging hands or further aging of your hands, it's important to stick to a regular hand care routine:
- Use sunscreen. Apply a daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to protect your hands. Our Element Defense Sunscreen SPF 45 uses natural zinc-oxide to block harmful UV rays while adding an extra dose of moisture to keep the skin around the hands well nourished.
- Moisturize. Keep a bottle of hand cream close by as a reminder to moisturize regularly especially after washing your hands.
- Avoid harsh chemicals. Use gloves when handling any potentially harsh chemicals, followed by moisturizing your hands.
Your hands go through a lot but with a little effort, you can keep your hands looking young and healthy.
The Bottomline
By adding a few extra minutes to step up your grooming routine, you can make a big impression on those around you. Focusing on your eyebrows, neck, and hands will have you looking sharp from head to toe in no time.
