Male Grooming Advice for the Modern Man

Go from looking worse for wear to fresh-faced in a flash using a little skincare know-how and the right products - all available from Jacks Male Grooming, naturally.

It's an all too familiar scene - waking up from last night's excesses, feeling less radiant than you did 12 hours ago. You stumble to the bathroom mirror to inspect the damage and recoil at the sallow-skinned, bloodshot-eyed reflection staring back at you. To make matters worse, you've got a brunch with your girlfriend and her folks in an hour. So, what can you do to remove all evidence? Make a beeline for the bathroom cabinet and give your face some serious TLC.

The perfect shave
Though the temptation to stay in bed nursing a sore head may be strong, letting your stubble grow in for more than a day can result in razor bumps. Use a gel or cream designed for sensitive skin and always shave against the grain. Finally, splash your face with cold water to close pores and remove residue.

TRY: Organic Grooming Shave Cream

Deep clean
The cornerstone of any skincare regime, as any dermatologist will tell you, is cleansing. You should be spending at least one minute cleansing the skin to remove all the pollutants and oil from the previous night that, if not properly removed, can cause blackheads and under surface congestion. Avoid skin-stripping soap and use a cleanser specifically developed for men's skin, which is oilier and thicker.

TRY: Jack Black Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser

Hair Raising
A good cleansing routine doesn't end with your skin. Hair is porous, which means it absorbs odours. Also, an excessive application of hair product the night before can block hair follicles, leaving hair looking fine and dull. Make sure you remove all traces of product and night-club air, and give your hair a thorough clean.

TRY: Paul Mitchell Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo

Oil Slick
Remember, all oil isn't bad. The oil produced by the skin is essential for its overall protection, but over-production - which is often another side effect of late nights, stress and alcohol - can wreak havoc. Mop up the excess oil with a clay mask. Clay is highly absorbent, so it's perfect for oily skins.

TRY: Kyoku Oil-control Lotion

Shaving while maintaining smooth and supple skin takes a lot more than a splash of water, a hand mirror and a rusty blade - follow these five easy steps to clean shaven heaven...

1) First steam the face with a hot, wet towel to open the pores. Apply a shaving oil in upward motions to the face and neck to loosen the bristles and reduce razor friction. Pre-Shave Oil by Anthony contains skin conditioning Vitamin E and healing Calendula making it especially good for those with heavy beards or those prone to razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

2) Next apply shaving cream or gel to the face, either with fingers or a shaving brush in circular movements, lathering well. For more sensitive skins, opt for a product that is fragrance free. Kyoku's Sake infused shave cream for sensitive skin is perfect.

3) Using a clean, multi-bladed razor, begin shaving with the grain of hair growth (usually downward). Use short strokes, rinsing the blade often. Shave the 'easy' areas first (cheeks), while leaving the neck, chin and upper lip for last. This will allow these areas more time to soften up.

4) Gently cleanse your face and then rinse thoroughly with cool water and then apply a toner to close the pores. Astringent Toner Pads by Anthony are convenient and quick, tightens pores and controls shine. If needed, pat your face with a soft towel.

5) Generously moisturise with an oil free moisturiser and stay clear of any aftershave containing alcohol, which will - in addition to hurting like hell - dry your skin out.

Is your face looking more Elephant Man than Superman after a few too many nights out? Rest easy, some of the damage can be undone with these simple solutions using products stocked at Jacks Male Grooming.

PROBLEM: Fine, smelly hair
Hair is porous, which means it absorbs all those nasty night-before niffs - think cigarettes, drink and sweat. And zestful post-night out product application can block hair follicles, causing hair-loss and leaving hair looking fine and dull.

SOLUTION: Strip your locks of product build-up with a deep cleansing shampoo such as Redken's Go Clean.

PROBLEM: Eye bags and dark circles
Bags can be the result of a diet high in salt and alcohol, and dark circles - the tell-tale sign of a heavy night on the tiles - are down to pollution and a lack of sleep.

SOLUTION: Invest in a good under-eye cream, such as Restore Herbal Under Eye Cream from Zirh to reduce puffiness.

PROBLEM: Dull, dry skin
Dehydration caused by alcohol can leave skin dry and flaky, which prevents light reflecting off the healthy pink tissue beneath.

SOLUTION: Exfoliate with Baxters of California Facial Scrub which buffs away impurities and dead surface cells, stimulating skin renewal, helping skin to renew itself faster.

PROBLEM: Blotchy skin
Alcohol, combined with a sleepless night often equals blotchy and uneven skin as blood rushes to the surface causing discolouration.

SOLUTION: Even out your complexion with a good quality self-tan.

PROBLEM: Stubble
Though the temptation to wallow in bed nursing a sore head may be strong, letting your stubble grow in for more than a day can result in unsightly razor bumps.

SOLUTION: Prepare the skin for shaving and soften the beard with a lightweight pre shave oil such as Anthony's Pre-Shave Oil and follow with an Aloe-based shave gel. Anthony also has a great product in their range.

PROBLEM: Dry lips
Lips only have three to five layers of skin, compared to the 15 on other parts of the body, which means they are especially vulnerable to dehydration.

SOLUTION: To get your lips back in shape quickly, choose a super-strength lip treatment such as Lip Defender - SPF 15 by Brave Soldier

PROBLEM: Red, tired eyes
Bloodshot eyes are the result of the body enlarging blood vessels in an attempt to dilute irritants such as dust and cigarette smoke.

SOLUTION: Revive tired eyes and ease redness with eye drops a few times daily.

Waxing Lyrical

Despite hairy being `in' at the moment, for many the idea of baring a Tom Jones-esque chest on the beach is far from desirable. For those that are eschewing the hirsute look - though are cursed with the genetic legacy of a hunter-gatherer pelt of fur - take heart. Now more than ever, there's an array of methods to remedy even the most persistent of unwanted body hair

Shaving
Have you shaved your chest and unibrow until it dawned on you that the hair grew back, and thicker? Yes, it's perfect for a quick touch-up, but it's definitely not a long-term solution. Shaving can also cause irritation and razor burn in sensitive areas.
Pain factor: 1/10

Laser
The daddy of hair removal treatments, laser offers a permanent solution to the hairy problem. The laser penetrates the skin, targeting pigment in the hair follicles, destroying your foe at the root. Results depend on your skin pigmentation and hair colour (dark hair absorbs the laser energy, making it easier to treat), so the best results occur with men who have fair skin and black hair. There are various different types of lasers, but one of the most effective is 'soft light', a laser which produces prolonged heat, destroying the follicles in the stage of active hair production. With a treatment that produces such efficient results there's a matching price tag. The total cost depends on the size of the desired body part, as well as factors like hair density and number of treatments required.
Pain factor: 8/10 (the sensation feels like an elastic band flicking your skin)

Waxing
A removal process that fills most men with dread, waxing involves spreading hot wax onto the desired area, applying a strip of cloth or muslin and then yanking it off - taking the wax, hair and root with it. There are do-it-yourself kits, but unless you've been doing it regularly, it's probably best to leave it to the professionals. Results are temporary and it's not ideal for sensitive skin types. Expect re-growth after 3-4 weeks.
Pain factor: 7/10

Plucking
Perfect for a few troublesome back or shoulder hairs that we're all prone to, plucking is ideal for small areas. Using tweezers, the hair is gripped close to the root and pulled out. Though inexpensive, plucking is time consuming as you can only remove one hair at a time. Invest in Tweezer Man's Roundtip Grooming Tweezers.
Pain factor: 5/10

Threading
Increasingly becoming more readily available, threading is an ancient method of hair removal practiced in Eastern countries. A cotton thread is pulled along unwanted hair in a twisting motion trapping hair in a mini lasso and lifting it out of the follicle. Used on the facial area - especially the eyebrows - threading removes the entire hair follicle and can last for up to six weeks. Best of all, frequent threading can actually cause the hair follicle to stop growing altogether.
Pain factor: 4/10

Banish your monobrow with the Jacks Male Grooming guide to guybrow shaping...

So you've got bushy eyebrows that would make even Noel Gallagher blush - what to do? As men age, our eyebrows tend to become more fuller and even a bit overgrown. However, despite a genetic legacy that leaves us predisposed to eyebrows erring on the thicker side, you needn't live a life of embarrassment. Yup, men can pluck their eyebrows too!

As everyone knows a unibrow is never a good look and, while you may think that the sneaky swipe of your razor is a solution to the problem, as with facial hair, brow regrowth leaves stubble and it does indeed grow back thicker.

Men are finally cottoning on to what women have long recognised: that groomed eyebrows can transform a face. Department stores are reporting a record number of male visitors to their eyebrow grooming bars and the rise of male celebs sporting groomed brows - think Jude Law and David Beckham - is spurning on demand.

HOW TO

Plucking isn't for the faint-hearted: there is a small amount of pain involved, particularly as male eyebrows tend to be thicker than female brows. If you're a wuss, sorry, I mean, sensitive - ease the pain by applying a bag of frozen peas or ice to the area for a minute or so. To identify the unruly hairs, brush brows up and out with a clean toothbrush.

Ensure you're near a window or under a bright light - or better yet, use Tweezerman's Tweezermate 10x Lighted Mirror. Speaking of tweezers, make sure you have a good pair with a slanted edge. Tweezerman are great and they'll last forever because the company will sharpen them for free.

Next, holding your skin taught, get the tweezers as close to the hair root as possible - pluck each hair individually to ensure a clean break. Avoid plucking anywhere below the brow - aside from the odd stray 'freak' hair that is - if you stray into this area, some rookie overly zealous plucking could turn your once masculine eyebrows into the overly-arched brows of Kylie Minogue. The only place you have to eliminate is the bridge between both eyebrows.

You can close the open pores with a splash of cold water or with some toner. And there you have it - brows that'll wow!

TRY

Tweezerman Tweezermate 10x Lighted Mirror
The lighted magnifying mirror is perfect for grabbing even the most illusive and tiny of stray brow hairs - it's also great for contact lens insertion.

Tweezerman Wide Grip Stainless Steel Slant Tweezer
These ergonomically designed stainless steel precision tweezers have an extra wide grip area for fingertip control and easy handling.