There was a time when a man who spent too long in the bathroom was met with a level of scorn and suspicion often reserved for politicians. Times have changed but even now it’s easy to feel bemused by the overwhelming amount of advice, opinion and small pots filled with expensive goop in the market. Presenting some concerns men have about their appearance and how they take care of them. It’s time to steal their secrets and reap the benefits.
Pawan Dhami
My biggest concern, especially during the winter, is dry skin and excessive dandruff in my hair. Hot showers take all the moisture out of the hair leaving the scalp dry and itchy. So I wash my hair with lukewarm water only and usually shampoo at night. This gives my hair about six to ten hours without any products on and gives it space to breathe.
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I try to avoid hair cream if I know I will not be able to wash my hair at night and try to oil my hair whenever I remember even if it is right before stepping into the shower. To avoid dry skin I use moisturizer and drink a lot of water. Although I’m not picky about the products I use, I recently discovered that Himalaya Herbal Extra Protein hair cream works wonders for my hair.
These days, looking good is no longer just a luxury. First impressions matter a lot and being well groomed just happens to boost up your confidence a lot. Nobody wants a presentation from a person in a round-neck t-shirt and pajama bottoms. For many of us, going out has become a momentous presentation where we must dress to impress and nothing less.
Ishan Onta
I have a very pimple prone face and the most I do for it is wash it with a regular face wash. I have stopped caring much about the pimple because I realized that the more I think about it, the more my confidence level takes a dip. My hair and my beard are my silent rebellion against the societal norms and I want it to reflect my personality so I don’t do much to it apart from the regular shampooing and conditioning. It’s very dry, curly and frizzy so I tie it in a bun most of the times.
I have been growing out my hair for the last two and a half years and had my first trim about two weeks ago. I have been criticized for my long hair and my beard and asked if I was planning to join the ISIS but I have stared tuning those out now. I take particularly good care of my beard and I use beard oil to try and tame it and a beard comb to stimulate the growth.
I feel like men have become conscious about how they look because the world nowadays judges too much. It comes down to the choice of the individual at the end of the day but we are all conscious about how we look at some level. Even I, if I were attending a conference, would want to look neat and presentable no matter what my hair or my body looks like.
Parikshit Pokharel
I have never given much thought to using particular kinds of products for myself. I have always been the kind who will slather on a moisturizer meant for the body on my face if it feels dry and I usually only think about things when I notice a change. For example, the only time I use sunscreen is when I notice that I have become a little tanned or if I get a sunburn. I get a haircut when my hair feels a little rough to touch and gets a little tangled. I do think about what kind of haircut I would want before I go to the barbers but that is about it for the next five to six months or so till I need another haircut. Some people are blessed with even beard growth but I’m not one of those people. Even then I feel like I look like a kid with a clean shaven face so I try to keep some stubble at least.
Although grooming has always been a concern for men, there certainly has been a boom in terms of products available in the market in the past few years that in turn has made men more conscious. The number of hair products available makes my head spin. From the ones that change the texture of your hair to the one that help it keep tidy, there are just so many choices. The only one I feel comfortable using is a hair wax and that too if there is some special occasion and I need to look extra presentable.
Abhishek Maskey
As a person who works in Marketing I always say that ‘your face is your logo and your behavior is your brand’. Thus I try to make myself look as presentable as I can at all times. Taking care of your skin is hard in the valley with all the dust especially since I travel on the bike so much. This has made me add a moisturizing cream to my daily routine of just washing my face with my Nivea for Men face wash. I have always admired men with beard and have, on several occasions, tried to grow one myself but I have come to terms with the fact that it isn’t meant for me and have given up on it.
Men certainly have started becoming a lot more conscious about their looks and I too fall in that category of people. Taking care of my hair and skin comes like second nature to me now and I shampoo and condition my hair every alternate day to keep it from being dry and rough due to the heavy pollution these days.
Ashween Neupane
Grooming has never just been about how you look. Dressing up has played a huge part in grooming as well. I have recently stopped wearing all black and started playing with colors and patterns. I have curly hair and I find that the market in Nepal doesn’t have enough products for this type of hair. I spend about half an hour everyday to straighten it out a bit. It is always messy and I have given up on trying to tame it and have learned to live with it. I wash my hair every alternate day to help control the frizz and retain the natural oil in the hair and use conditioner only once a week.
Men these days have become extremely interested in grooming and I do find myself trying to keep up with certain trends too. But even when all my friends are following a certain hairstyle, I find myself instructing the barber to cut my hair the same way everytime I go for a haircut.
(As told to Isha Upadhyay)
