Grooming and style go hand in hand. You can’t really have one without the other. If you want to step up your grooming game, keep reading.
Just imagine you’re walking down the street, and you see a man wearing a perfectly tailored Italian suit. He’s sporting an expensive silver watch, and his shiny black shoes look like they were just polished.
But his hair is an unkempt, sloppy mess, and it looks as if he hasn’t shaved in days.
Kind of ruins his whole look, doesn’t it?
This is especially true if you’re a shorter guy. We have to do everything in our power to put our best foot forward in terms of appearance. And grooming is definitely within our control.
Plus, it’s one thing to be short and another to be hairy. But short and hairy? That’s hobbit territory, my friend!
Not to mention, grooming just feels nice. It’s great for morale. Seriously, next time your in a funk – feeling unmotivated, lacking confidence, etc. – take an hour to clean and groom yourself.
Get a haircut, give yourself a close shave or trim that beard. Take a longer than normal shower, then take it a step further with these three simple grooming activities.
1. Tweeze your eyebrows
No one likes a unibrow. Even if you don’t have a full-blown uni, you probably have some rogue hairs between your eyebrows. It only takes a couple of minutes to clean up this no man’s land, and it will make a subtle-but-noticeable difference.
The key here is to not go overboard. Stick to the space between your eyebrows. You can also remove renegade hairs from your actual eyebrows (you know, those rebellious hairs that grow way longer that their neighbors), but remember that less is more.
Pro Tip: using round tip tweezers works great for removing hairs by the root without unintentionally snipping them off.
2. Let your nails grow (don’t cut them too short, and stop biting them)
Most men cut their nails too short. Some even pick at them or bite them instead of cutting them. This is an unhealthy habit for several reasons. Plus it leads to uneven nails and ugly cuticles.
If you’re guilty of this, it’s time to procure a pair of high quality nail cutters. The kind that makes you want to let your nails grow just so you can use them.
Instead of chopping off big pieces at a time, strive to become a fingernail sculptor. Go around your nails slowly, making small cuts and evening things out as you go.
Do this for a couple of weeks, and I guarantee you (and your significant other) will love the results.
3. Trim your ear and nose hair
Not only am I a relatively short man, but I just look young. I couldn’t grow a beard to save my life, and I’m generally not that hairy. But that doesn’t mean I have an excuse to slack off in bathroom.
Nose and ear hair come with aging. If you don’t have it already, you will someday. It’s easy enough to get rid of, but you need the right tools.
Safety scissors are a good option because they have rounded tips that make it hard to accidentally cut yourself.
Still, you should be careful. Take it slow. It’s about routine maintenance, so don’t worry if you can’t get everything at once. Make this part of your regular routine.
Your Grooming Arsenal
I use these ApeX tweezers, clippers and safety scissors from GorillaKilla.com. They’re very high quality. Definitely an upgrade from the two dollar nail clippers you can buy at the convenience store.
I’m no expert on grooming supplies, but I can say that these ApeX tools feel heavy and sturdy. I’m pretty sure that, if I had to, I could perform basic surgery with these things.
Ok, maybe not. But they do the job, and they’re easy to clean and store, which is pretty much all you can ask for in grooming tools.
They feel like they’ll last forever, so you’ll never have to replace them. After all, you have better things to do than shop for new tweezers, right?
If you want to step up your grooming game, check out the First Date Kit. It includes nail clippers, tweezers and safety scissors, and it comes with a full grain leather pouch for portable storage.
Special Discount
Ken, the owner (head gorilla?) of GK created a special promo code that you can use to get free priority shipping within the U.S. for the First Date Kit (tweezers, clippers, scissors). Use the code MODEST during checkout.
For those of you outside the U.S., fear not! I appreciate all of my overseas brethren (looking at you, Canada, UK, Australia, India and Asia). So I asked Ken to hook you up with a $5 rebate on your order, and he generously agreed.
Use the same code – MODEST – during checkout to get your rebate.
Bottom Line: grooming is just as important as clothing. If you’ve been slacking off in the grooming department, and you want to step up your game, now is the perfect time to get the necessary tools and learn how to use them.
What’s your least favorite grooming activity? Let me know in the comments section below!
Deniz says
So I guess, you won’t be doing an article on beardstyles then, any time soon. 😀
Cyrus says
I really enjoy reading this article. It has humor but straight to the point. The statement, “….Plus, it’s one thing to be short and another to be hairy. But short and hairy? That’s hobbit territory, my friend!” was quite funny. In fact, it gave me a chuckle. LOL
You are doing great. Love your work!
thekentuckygent says
Least favorite grooming activity is shaving, ie. why I had that huge beard for a hot minute. But at least I’ve finally learned the difference between plucking & over plucking the brows.
Kevin says
Very helpful article Brock will definitely check out GK. Just followed you on YouTube! I look forward to your videos!
Bill Ballard says
Brock,
I’ve been getting manicures and pedicures for many years. I highly recommend them. For the first few times, try going with your girlfriend or spouse – she will likely be thrilled you want to do it. Also, keep a pumice stone or some other type of smoothing stone in the shower to get rid of rough and calloused skin on the heels and feet.
I’ve found a barber that does my eyebrow trims for me.
My least favorite grooming activity is shaving my beard. I have very slow – I’m talking slower than glacial – beard growth. I can go three days before I have a ‘5 o’clock shadow.’ Shaving every day is not an option for me; I wouldn’t have skin left on my face. So, I tend to get a bit scruffy looking between shaves. The longer I allow the whiskers to grow, the closer and longer lasting my shave. Thus, I tend to only shave once every five days or so.
hello726 says
Happy Birthday to you Brock. I hope you have a fantastic day!
Nick says
I suffer from a hairy back and buttocks. I use to get these area’s waxed but this was really painful. I then found a place in London where they use a technique called ‘sugaring’. This is a lot less painful and hair regrowth is reduced as well. It last’s around 5-6 weeks.
Jbells says
Nose hair clipping is a must. Especially when I grow more in there than on my face