Our top tips for manscaping and body grooming

For obvious reasons, many of our posts discuss beard care and maintenance, but that’s only one part of manscaping. Here we discuss the wider points of men’s grooming to ensure that your toes to your beard, and all the bits in between, are primped and primed to perfection.


Eyebrows


As you get into your thirties, you may find your brows getting a little unruly. Invest in a good pair of tweezers – our favourites are the Slant Tweezer from experts Tweezerman, as the angle and sharpness of the tips allows you to grab every stray hair with ease. Reduce pain by tweezing when your pores are open – after a hot shower or by pressing a warm washcloth to your face for a few seconds beforehand. Pull in the direction of growth to prevent the hair snapping and use a magnified mirror to help you with accuracy but make sure you step back and look at your whole face every few hairs to avoid getting over-zealous.

Focus on the area between your brows (i.e. the monobrow) and the ends, and don’t try to make them look identical – nobody has a perfectly symmetrical face after all. If they’re looking too bushy, use a fine comb to brush the hairs upwards and very carefully trim a little off the length with scissors. Remember, over-groomed brows are not a good look on guys! If you feel especially hesitant – go to a pro.


Nose and ear hair


Protruding hair from these areas isn’t exactly attractive. However, approach with caution – your inner nose and ears are sensitive and plucking will be very painful. Instead get yourself a specialist trimmer that will mow your nooks and crannies with ease. We like the Wahl Rechargable Ear/Nose/Brow Trimmer for the detachable rotary head, making cleaning a doddle.

For particularly stubborn fuzz, you may want to consider laser hair removal – you’re never going to regret not having hairy nostrils are you?


Chest and back hair

There’s no right or wrong answer here, it’s down to your (and perhaps your partner’s) personal preference. Discuss options and pros and cons of the natural look, trimmed, waxed or shaved.
Let a professional waxer take care of your back if necessary – it’s too hard to reach for regular self maintenance and it’s highly unlikely you’ll get an even finish if you go it solo. Chest hair gives you a little more leeway, so whether you choose to go for hairy Hugh Jackman or smooth Daniel Craig, start with the longest setting and work down.

‘Down there’ hair

Sometimes the grooming industry neglects the more sensitive areas but keeping your visible hair tame is only half the job. Gillette conducted a survey which revealed 92% of women prefer a neat and tidy nether-region and you can’t argue with those stats.
Generally this doesn’t mean going completely clean. Keep your pubic hair low-maintenance by using a beard trimmer to shear any unwanted wildness and a razor to neaten up the edges. Refresh your razor every few uses to avoid painful nicks and grazes and don’t skip the foam – lubrication is key to a smooth, close shave.

Neck hair


Prolong the life of your short-back-and-sides by keeping your neck in check. You can take care of regrowth to keep your haircut looking fresh between trips to the barber with some deft trimming.
Stand with your back to a mirror and hold a hand mirror so you can see the back of your head. Hold the trimmer with the teeth of the blade facing the back of your neck and parallel to the floor so the blade side is up and move it horizontally, then turn it over so the teeth of the blade are facing upward. Start at the nape of your neck and shave vertically upwards to meet the horizontal line. Find more tips here.


Finger and toenails

Your nails can be a good indicator of your current state of health, and can uncover internal conditions such as diabetes and anaemia so keep an eye out for any sudden changes. For brittle, flaky nails, check out the recipes in our Eat Your Way To A Healthier Beard series to make them stronger. Keep them clipped and scrub underneath with a nailbrush if you do a lot of manual work to prevent dirt build-up. If you have to wash your hands a lot for your job, there’s nothing wrong with using a little hand cream from time to time to replenish lost moisture.

Trim hairy fingers and toes if necessary and don’t bite your nails unless you’re hungry for bacteria…

 

Beards

Finally – our favourite area to groom! Discover our guides, from growing a beard for the first time to dealing with ingrown hairs, to really get up to speed with face fuzz maintenance.


If you’re a newbie to beard grooming, it’s worth getting yourself a few basics. Work your routine around two steps – cleansing and conditioning. Using The Miller’s Beard Shampoo Bar will get rid of product build-up, environmental dirt and excess sebum without drying your skin out. Then moisturise, tame and shape the hair using a beard oil, beard balm or moustache wax - a little goes a long way, so find out how much works for you.

And that’s just about everything! A lot of these things are personal choice so do what works for you (in addition to what is hygienically necessary) and let us know how you get on by tagging us in your before and after photos with #brightonbeardco.

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