7 Grooming Rules to Live By for Men with Facial Hair
Naked Armor
Remember those days when male grooming wasn’t as fashionable as it is now?
Published by Naked Armor
Nowadays, men are expected to groom
themselves stylishly.
Back then, it was just a simple affair between a man’s chin and his razor.
Gone are those days. With the metrosexual trend firmly entrenched in the public’s eye for fashion, there is now an expectation that men should also groom themselves stylishly. This is welcome news for the grooming industry particularly since the female segment is already saturated.
According to research firm IMARC, global revenues in male grooming are expected to reach $78 billion (£60bn) by 2023. This large demand for male grooming products online is partly fueled by social media where influencers and brands constantly try to make us more conscious of how we present ourselves to the public. We now live in a global community, and we’re also influenced by trends from around the world.
You may have decided to grow a beard just for the heck of it, but trust us, it’s not an excuse to wear it sloppily. You owe it to yourself to groom it properly because it’s also a healthy thing to do. That’s why here at Naked Armor, we’ve rounded up the top grooming rules to live by for men with facial hair.
When you decide to grow a beard, you need to make sure to groom it properly
and regularly.
Grooming Tip 1: EXFOLIATE
With or without a beard, men should regularly exfoliate. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, excess sebum, and dirt caught in pores. It keeps your skin fresh and clear and makes you look younger, brighter, and healthier.
Exfoliate once or twice a week depending on your skin type. For the average Joe, once a week should be sufficient, but if your skin is a bit more oily or drier, increase or decrease accordingly.
While there are a lot of exfoliating scrubs and chemicals in the market, you don’t really have to buy any of those. You can use your finger to exfoliate your face in tiny, circular motions, moving methodically around the face. Just steer clear of the eye area and lips - the skin here is extremely thin and very sensitive and may be aggravated and damaged by grainy scrubs.
Grooming Tip 2: WET SHAVE REGULARLY
Regular shaving helps promote collagen production because the removal of the dead skin layer with a razor is somewhat similar to a facial peel. Collagen is a protein that is important in the creation of skin cells. A facial peel stimulates collagen production by peeling off the outermost layer to induce the production of new skin cells.
During shaving, not only are the whiskers cut down but the debris on the outermost layer of the skin is also swept away by the razor strokes. This debris is usually made of dead skin cells and dried sebum, which is the natural oil that moisturizes our skin. This allows the skin to generate a fresh layer of skin and sebum, rejuvenating the entire epidermal layer.
It also makes the skin permeable to absorption. If you’re using natural-based and organically-produced wet shaving products, the oils that your skin will be absorbing during wet shaving are healthy for your skin.
Depending on how fast your facial hair grows, a daily routine of wet shaving is ideal. But if you’ve got sensitive skin and are prone to razor bumps or irritation, you can always do it every other day. And always use the appropriate tool. Which brings us to the next basic grooming rule.
Wet shaving helps the skin generate a fresh layer of skin and sebum. Also, using natural-based and organically-produced wet shaving products also makes the
skin healthy.
Grooming Tip 3: USE A STRAIGHT RAZOR
Nothing beats a straight razor in terms of its efficiency and effectiveness. A straight razor not only cuts your facial hair cleanly and closely but it also makes the whole shaving experience comfortable.
That’s because it does not have multi-blades which tug on the hair when shaving. This and the increase in blade friction often causes skin irritation. This does not happen when one is using a straight razor.
It is also narrow and maneuverable so that you can use it in a variety of angles when shaving your facial hair. And because a straight razor’s blade is very sharp, it will cut hair smoothly and cleanly, reducing the risks of accidental nicks and bumps.
A straight razor's blade is very sharp so it can cut hair closely and reduces blade friction as it doesn't tug on the hair when shaving.
Grooming Tip 4: ALWAYS APPLY AFTERSHAVE
Never skip applying aftershaves. They are an important aspect in wet shaving not only because it makes you good after a shave but also because of its hygienic benefits.
The aftershave helps seal the microabrasions in the skin which are caused by shaving. Since most aftershaves also contain natural oils with astringent properties, it can keep off acne-causing bacteria on your newly shaven face.
Grooming Tip 5: WASH YOUR BEARD REGULARLY
If you want to maintain a beard, however, this rule should always be followed.
Like your hair, the beard gets dirty and greasy eventually. When you go out of the house, it accumulates grime and dirt from the environment. So you need to wash it regularly like you would with your other body parts.
It goes without saying that you need to feed it, too. A pre-shave oil, with its nourishing organic essential oils can actually make sure that the beard is healthy and thriving. The oil also softens the whiskers, prevents dryness and split ends, and moisturizes the skin beneath the beard. You’ll have a more tamable beard (meaning fewer strays, less trimming necessary), and it will look lustrous, too.
Beards can get dirty and greasy that's why you need to wash it regularly.
You may have decided to grow a beard just for the heck of it, but trust us, it’s not an excuse to wear it sloppily. You owe it to yourself to groom it properly because it’s also a healthy thing to do.
— D'Rock, Naked Armor Founder
Grooming Tip 6: BRUSH IT FREQUENTLY, TOO
It also needs to be brushed daily.
The skin produces sebum which is good for your skin because it conditions and nourishes the strands. But sometimes, it doesn’t get to where it’s really needed.
By brushing, you take the sebum collecting near the shaft of the hair and evenly distribute it to the rest of the strand, so that the entire hair gets these nourishing benefits.
For brushing the beard though, always use a beard brush. Unlike a comb, a brush is more suited to evenly distribute natural oils throughout the entire beard. Leave the comb for styling your beard.
Brushing your beard frequently can help evenly distribute the sebum to all hair strands.
Grooming Tip 7: TRIM NECK AND CHEEK LINES
Twice a week, always clean up your neck and cheek lines. When hair on your neck lines and cheek lines are allowed to go untrimmed, they make you look sloppy and dirty.
And for an Extra Special Grooming Tip: GET A NAKED ARMOR BLADE
Here at Naked Armor, our straight razors have a unique design as it’s between a half hollow and full hollow grind design so it’s very versatile in trimming beard lines or shaving facial hair off.
It’s also made from Japanese steel which makes it doubly hard and sharp, like the samurai swords of old. It’s also stylish and luxurious because it uses algum wood for its scales. It’s supposedly the mythical timber used for King Solomon’s temple.
So if you’re looking for an awesome razor to jumpstart your shaving makeover, check out our blades at our site.
Naked Armor's Solomon Straight Razor is made from high-quality Japanese Steel and durable algum wood handle and is guaranteed to give you a close and clean shave.
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