6 myths about male beauty
Gents focuses
You shouldn't believe everything you read or hear, right? Because there are some persistent myths about male grooming that are both persistent and refuse to die. Here are some that you may have encountered.
It doesn't matter where the perfume is applied
To maximise the effect of your perfume, apply it where you have glands, i.e. your wrists, neck and arm pits. This is because the radiation of body heat from the pulse points intensifies the scent, making it easier for the perfume to live up to its full potential. An interesting option that has become increasingly popular is to also apply it to the back of the neck, as this is where the perfume is usually left alone from hands and touch.
shaving makes your beard grow better
You often hear this pitfall mentioned in connection with haircuts, and it would be handy if it were true. But alas - shaving, plucking and waxing does not make your beard or hair grow faster. Nor does shaving more often increase the coarseness of beard hairs. Instead, the hairs are thicker at the base, which is what you see when you cut them. So it's an optical illusion. On the other hand, beard hairs often become coarser over time as a result of ageing, but this has nothing to do with shaving. However, it is possible to have a positive effect on beard growth by using a so-called "micro roller" which uses small needles to activate the hair follicles to produce more, but there are no shortcuts with a razor.
the 'purer' the perfume with a higher extract content, the better it sits.
This is a rather persistent myth. A perfume with a high percentage of pure essence may indeed smell and behave differently, but it's not as simple as saying that an eau de parfum (EdP) is automatically better than, say, an eau de toilette (EdT). Perfumes with a high percentage of extracts such as Profumum Roma - a whopping 43 %! - often stay on the skin for a long time, but also stay closer and don't stand out as much in the environment. What ultimately determines how long-lasting a perfume is is your skin chemistry and how your skin absorbs different notes, especially when they are combined with each other. The quality of different ingredients (which can differ between manufacturers and brands) also has an impact. Therefore, it is always important to test the perfume on your skin and give it some time instead of relying solely on the percentage of the perfume.
"never shave against the grain"
Of course, you have to take into account how sensitive your skin is, but in general it's probably one of the most persistent myths about shaving. If you have sensitive skin, then shaving against the grain can certainly result in irritation (especially if you use modern multi-blade razors that create a lot of friction), but at the same time you should also consider that it is difficult to get that really close shave by only shaving against the grain. The result can instead be that you still get irritated in the skin because you then take in more and stress the skin in your eagerness to be as clean-shaven as possible. The basic rule should be to take a pass against the grain if possible - use a classic safety razor and proper accessories such as shaving cream or shaving soap and maybe even pre-shave as a base, then counter-shaving should not only be risk-free for the skin, but even desirable for ultimate results!
jag odlar skägg, så jag slipper rakning och grooming
A fairly common misconception is that growing a full beard means you can ignore shaving and facial care. There are even some people who grow a beard for this purpose. However, this is a slippery slope. Unless you have deliberately set out to achieve a wild look, you will soon realise that even a beard requires grooming if it is to look good. Shaving your neck, for example, is probably not something you can get away with, and if you have hair high up on your cheeks, it makes a big difference to the impression if you at least shave a few neat lines if you don't want to carve a proper beard hairstyle (which you can get help with from a barber in the beginning). Give it a go, and fix the edges and lines with a safety razor or shavette (interchangeable blade knife). And of course, a beard also needs to be trimmed from time to time with scissors or trimmers. Regular use with, for example, beard oil along with brush is now standard for most beard enthusiasts;
Shampoo and conditioner in one makes showering faster
The biggest mistake many people make in the shower is using a 2-in-1 solution for shampoo and conditioner. There are advantages to this, including the fact that it's quicker, but forget that. A 2-in-1 solution makes showering virtually undoable and, to be blunt, completely pointless. The reason is that the properties of the shampoo and conditioner cancel each other out, resulting in a less-than-desirable effect. To get your hair really clean and smooth, we recommend that you shampoo your hair in two rounds with a gentle shampoo with conditioning properties. Next, take conditioner and rinse it out thoroughly to avoid greasy hair.
