Grooming the Man Mane!

This is something that has, in recent months, become near and dear to my heart. Properly grooming your beard is not something that can be taken lightly as it requires a lot of attention to detail and patience.

Beards have really made a major push in pop culture as of recent years. Young whippersnappers, like myself, have fallen into the realm of wanting to be more manly, and what better way to self-identify than by having a beard?

But what happens when we run into the major issue of having to maintain professionalism in our nine to fiver? Or setting a good example for the kiddos? That is where proper grooming comes in.

Should you be the type of person that is ready to take that leap into the lifestyle of owning a facial fashion statement then let’s proceed. Below is a sequential guide that will help you along the journey to beard perfection.

Identify the Direction of the Grain
Do this by lightly massaging your beard hair in every direction. Should you feel it necessary to light some candles and play a little love music to help calm the mood then that is acceptable here. By understanding the direction of the grain on your face it will help you achieve a better shave and less razor burn if you have sensitive skin like myself. Once I was able to really embrace this, my shaves improved, and razor burn declined tenfold.

Properly Clean the Surface of Your Face
Thoroughly clean your face. I prefer to wait to shave until after I have finished my showers. This helps me ensure I have a clean surface that I am about to essentially slice. When shaving, you are literally opening many tiny wounds on the surface of your face and neck. If the areas are dirty then you are increasing your chances of infection.

Choose Your Razor
Not sure which one you should use here? Stay tuned for an upcoming post regarding the various types and their respective applications. Ultimately, you should choose the one that best suits your desired shave, and fits the shape of your face. Select carefully and learn how to properly use the one you choose to decrease the chance of serious injury.

Lather
While this one might sound simple, there is much more to it. The canon that all you have to do is plop some cream in your hand and smack your face with it is far from the right way. Lathering should be very similar to that of identifying the grain of your face. Make sure to not over apply your lather and give the area you intend to shave a good massage. Imagine you are applying lotion and rub it in thoroughly.

Deciding the Proper Water Temperature
While this step doesn’t sound necessary, your face will thank you when you find the proper water temperature that agrees with it. For me personally, mine responds very well to steaming hot water. While others may respond better to cold water shaving. Cold water is something I haven't attempted in a very long time, due to the way my face responds to it. I recommend testing these out to find your sweet spot.

The Big Moment
You’re now ready to kiss your face! You start this step by announcing aloud, “Gentlemen, unholster your hair erasers!”. Here is where the identifying the grain direction comes into play. One doesn’t simply start shaving and ripping the hair off the face by going against the grain. You will want to ensure you are shaving with the grain, this will help achieve a closer and more dapperly shave. Remember the many directions of your hair when shaving as you will want to change directions of the razor when necessary. Never, I repeat, never, shave over an area you have already removed the lather from. If necessary, then rinse and re-lather as needed. Trust me! Your skin will thank you many times over later on.

The Cleansing
You will almost always have leftover lather when you have completed. Make sure to clean the face with lukewarm water. Once again, you guessed it, slow and steady is the name of the game. Once you are fully cleansed them lightly dab the water off your face with a soft towel.

Tidy Up
Now is when you bring in the trimmers and scissors to fine tune you freshly sculpted work of art. Clean up any long hairs out of place, buzz those pesky nose hairs and straighten those edges.

Bask in Your Glory
Take a moment to stand back and admire the mastery that is now your freshly groomed Man Mane!

Thanks for tuning in, and that's your Daily Dose of Dapperness!