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Grooming Mistakes Every Man Makes

After much encouragement, you gave your wardrobe the once-over it deserved. Now, you’re dressing for the part — and feeling good — but have you looked in the mirror? Getting into the habit of self-care, grooming and cleansing rituals is important for a man of any age, but especially as you age. The more TLC you give to your pores, your hair and your overall hygiene will not only help you fight against aging, but it can make you seem more approachable too.

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“Whether it's the hair on your head, body or face, grooming is critical in presenting the best version of ‘you’ and most confident self to the world — from your career to relationships and everything in between,” Austin Russo, grooming expert and vice president for Gamma Plus says.

All too often, men are guilty of skipping a few steps here-and-there, and merely getting by on the bare minimum in the morning or evening. If you are making any of these grooming mistakes, consider this your wake-up call to make a change ASAP:

You Don’t Invest in a Quality Haircut

While you may really dig your father’s barber who you have been going to for a lifetime, he may not be the best equipped for cut your hair. Many men stick with what they know, and rarely give a second thought to who is trimming their locks. Aaron David, master barber at Boss Hair Group says this can be problematic since you may end up with an outdated, unappealing style.

“Don’t be that good looking dude in a well-tailored suit with a nice pair of leather shoes rocking a bad haircut. You know ‘that’ cut: an unnatural boxed out hairline and colic flaring out like porcupine ready to attack,” he explains. Much like you invest in a solid suit staple and killer pair of loafers and athletic shoes, he also says is worth paying more to look your best. As he puts it: a bad haircut can cheapen your entire look.

You Ignore Your Eyebrows or Ears

Repeat after David: your eyebrows should never — ever — be long enough to braid. Sure, you may not be keen to pluck away like your partner, sister, friend or mother, but any stylist will know how to keep these bad boys tamed. David suggests asking for a trim when you go in for a haircut every four to six weeks. Another area you may be forgetting about? Your ear hair. Take a glance at your reflection and check out how long those strands are getting. If you can see them, it’s time for an extra snip-snip from a professional.

You Let Sweat Air Dry

No matter the season, the temperature or the reason, sweat happens. From intense, sticky workouts that leave you dripping with perspiration to the subtle sweat you forget about after a day of running errands, it’s normal to forget about how hot you were once the sweat dries. Dermatologist Robert Finney, MD, FAAD says though it seems innocent enough, it’s actually problematic for your pores since it increases your chance for acne or folliculitis on your face, back, bottom and beyond.

“Get into the shower as quickly as possible, use a wash cloth for tough to reach places and go for products with good active ingredients to help combat those pesky bumps,” he suggests. If you can’t get to a shower ASAP, he suggests keeping wipes on hand — either in your work or gym bag or your desk — so you can rinse a bit before heading to your next event.

You Go Too Heavy on the Cologne

While smothering yourself in spray-can cologne as a teenager was the ‘cool’ thing to do, as an adult, it can be overwhelming to smell someone before they’re even in a room. Rene Barnes, a personal stylist, say spraying too much fragrance is one of those habits that die hard for many men, since few learn exactly what is enough — and what’s overboard. The key is to leave folks lingering — not suffocating.

“Let us get a whiff of your favorite scent when we get close to you, not when we’re a mile away. Smell is one of the strongest senses, it can bring you back to a place or time in an instant,” she shares. “A subtle smell is more captivating than an overpowering one. Limit yourself to two spritzes and you’ll be golden.”

You Have a Straggly Beard

For much of the early 2000s, beards weren’t exactly a thing. Though many of your favorite MTV stars sported a spot of facial hair or a goatee, a full-fledged beard was out of the question. Nowadays though, many men have fully embraced this trend as part of a hipster scene, lumberjack vibe or more relaxed office culture. However, Bertus Rietveld, a co-founder of Reuzel says not every dude knows how to care for his new look. And worst of all? They come in with a smelly, straggly beard that — well — won’t turn anyone on.

“If you're trying to get laid, the worst thing you can do is have a nasty, stinky beard, who's going to want to get close to that?,” he shares. “Get yourself some good beard balm, which will soften the beard and protect your skin.” He suggests applying throughout, including at the roots, to ensure your beard is less itchy, less smelly and beardruff-free.

You Ignore Your Body Hair

No matter how well you take care of your hair up there — you can’t forget about down you-know-where. Peter Lappin, a custom clothing designer, sewing expert and blogger says generally speaking, men have a lot of hair and some have it everywhere. Hair around your genitals is healthy, it helps to wick perspiration away from your skin but if you don’t trim it or tame it, you may collect odor.

That being said, you don’t want to go overboard and go completely bare, which can leave you looking younger or um, smaller. Keep up with your hair by shaving or waxing as you feel comfortable, and don’t be afraid to ask your stylist or doctor for their suggestions.

You Shave Without Products

Whether you realize it or not, Joshua Zeichner, MD, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital says shaving isn’t just about cutting hair. Rather, it’s an interaction between hair, skin and the blade. So if you are trying to get rid of stubble without any type of cream or oil, you are putting your pores at risk. It also matters when you shave, if you want to avoid irritation or unwanted bumps.

“The best time to shave is towards the end of your shower, or immediately after, when the skin and the hair is hydrated. Make sure to apply a shave gel to the skin to enhance the glide of the razor against the skin to minimize the risk of razor burn, or irritation of the skin,” he recommends.

Once you’re smooth and clean, your job isn’t done, Zeichner reminds. Though many men aren’t a fan of the old aftershaves that were alcohol-based, a new wave of hydration products has made it more comfortable and less painful. “Aftershave was once used as an antiseptic after shaving. With advances in razor technology, men are not cutting the skin as much and are getting much closer shaves. After you are finished shaving, it is important to apply aftershave lotion to replace hydration and repair a potentially damage skin barrier from the shaving process itself,” he explains.

You Push Back Your Hairline

Many men will suffer from some level of hair loss over the course of their life. Though it happens at varying ages for everyone, it’s important to allow your hair to go at its own shedding speed. Russo says one of the worst grooming mistakes a man — or a barber! — can make is pushing back a hairline. This is when you trim your beard or buzz too far back, causing damage to your natural growth. “It can take weeks or sometimes even months for hair to grow back normally again,” he warns. When in doubt, ask a stylist where your hairline is on your face and head and ensure there is no shaving past it.

You Don’t Have a Regimen

If you’re in a heterosexual relationship, you probably watch in amazement as your girlfriend goes through a multi-step process before putting on her makeup or hopping into bed. After all, you brush your teeth and might wash your face and then go dreamland, right? Too often, men forget to develop a skincare routine of their own, according to Finney. This can sometimes be because they believe it’s time-consuming, difficult, or just annoying. It doesn’t have to be.

His best advice is to wash your face twice a day, use a vitamin C serum in the morning along with an oil-free moisturizer and sunscreen, and a retinol cream at night. It’s also important to exfoliate your face two to three times a week, to remove dead skin cells that can linger on your face resulting in a dull appearance and clogged pores. “This regimen takes minimal thought and is greatly beneficial to prevent and reverse signs of aging, also while cutting down on acne,” he raves.

You Over Style Your Hair

Everyone has insecurities and if yours are found in your hair, then you may have a heavy hand with product. In fact, Russo says many times men are trying to achieve a clean, refined look and end up drenching or dying out their locks. “Too much gel, clay, wax and pomade may hold your hair in place better, but may also make it look like you are wearing a helmet and can also result in flaking,” he continues.

Additionally, if your hair is thinning dramatically but you just can’t seem to part with it yet, using a product that results in a “wet look” such as a pomade, gel or even some hair sprays can cause hair to stick together exposing even more of your scalp. This means thin hair looks thinner.

The next time you are styling your hair, take a dime-size amount, let it dry and then see if you need more. Chances are slim you actually need as much as you have been using of your go-to products. Or, you can follow Russo’s rue: Use enough product to get the job done and hold the hair in place, but not so much that it looks like you can bounce a ball off your helmet.

If you have read this and see some of your habits called out, it’s OK. It’s never too late to polish up your grooming game. Find plenty of tips and tools at AskMen. 

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Lindsay Tigar, Khareem Sudlow