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Mens grooming

Take action now to stay young-looking. Keep your skin in good shape, zap your zits, and learn how to give yourself the ultimate shave.

Skin
Does your skin look tired, grey and out of condition? Drinking enough water is crucial for keeping your complexion vibrant and healthy. Make sure you have a minimum of two litres a day.

Soap makes the skin dry, and sluicing your face under a scorchingly hot shower creates red thread veins. Try a soap-free cleansing wash, and turn the temperature down a tad.

An exfoliating scrub used on your face once a week gets sluggish circulation on the move, sloughs off dead cells and helps keep spots at bay.

Leave them alone! Picked-at spots end up inflamed and look even worse. Use a medicated skin wash and zit-clearing products instead.

Moisturiser can really improve the look of your skin, and there are loads of products designed just for men on the market. Use after shaving, and your skin will feel and look smoother all day.

Don't forget your hands. Dirty or broken nails spoil the whole effect, so keep them scrupulously clean, cut them short with proper nail scissors, and file the tips smooth. Have a manicure to deal with thick cuticles or hang-nails.

Shaving
No more nicks, cuts, missed bits or after-shave rashes. Follow these six simple steps for the ultimate shave that leaves skin looking stroke-ably smooth.

Splash the face with hot water to open the pores.

Shaving foams dry the skin. Use oil, gel or cream for best results.

Rub in thoroughly for at least one minute, especially under the chin. With cream you can use a top-quality badger shaving brush and more hot water.

Use a good, sharp razor in front of a well-lit mirror, and shave in short strokes, following the direction of hair growth towards the chin.

Be extra careful on the neck and throat.

Rinse, then apply moisturiser to keep the skin supple and young-looking.

Hair
Fancy a new style? Don't expect to get there in one cut. Some looks have to develop in stages, so plan ahead if you want a change of image for a special occasion.

If your eyebrows are unruly, ask the barber to trim them when you have a haircut.

Use an anti-dandruff shampoo if you've even a hint of flakiness on the scalp.

Wash hair frequently. If you use styling gel or wax often, wash hair with a product-clearing shampoo once a week to prevent build-up.

Mens grooming help and info
Channel 4 Television takes no responsibility for the content of any third-party sites.

Links
Ask Men.com
www.askmen.com
US Lifestyle magazine and men's portal site with over 10,000 articles.

Looking Good on a Hangover
www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/skincare/male/articles/0,,547685_566506,00.html
Men's grooming expert offers tips on how to look good the day after a binge. There are other useful articles on ivillage like the 'Men's guide to shaving'.

Men's Health
www.menshealth.co.uk
Online version of the men's mag with top tips on health and grooming for the boys.

Books
Grooming Essentials for Men by David Waters (Carlton Books, 1999)
Virtually every area possible is covered, from the obvious like the best way to shave and what sort of products suit which skin types, to healthy living, exercise and avoiding fashion faux-pas.
Get this book from Amazon

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab 5's guide to looking better, cooking better, dressing better, behaving better and living better by Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez (Weidenfeld and Nicholson, June 2004)
Official tie-in to the runaway US hit series broadcast on Channel 4, in which five gay men, the 'Fab 5', invade a straight man's life and turn him from drab to fab.
Get this book from Amazon

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