Top 12 male grooming myths exposed
Myths abound in the male grooming industry. As you may be aware, not every shave culminates in an attractive woman slinking over, hugging you from behind and gazing deeply into your freshly shorn follicles, despite what the adverts would have you believe.
The realities of grooming are often a lot more nuanced than the overblown marketing makes out. Myths circulate that exaggerate a modicum of truth well beyond the realm of reason.
In the interests of cutting these myths down to size, we asked Sam Norsworthy, Store Manager at Ruffians's Marylebone shop and all-round grooming wizard, for what he believes are the 13 peskiest myths out there (and the realities behind them).
Be warned: you may have to unlearn your grooming routine.
1. Shaving makes facial hair grow faster
Sam Norsworthy: "It does to a degree but very minimally. It will give you healthier facial hair coming through, which may appear thicker because it's not damaged. But in general, facial hair growth is a pre-determined genetic factor. You can't start with whispy facial hair, shave for a few years and all of a sudden look like a Viking."
2. Using multiple skincare products gives you spots
Sam Norsworthy:"Some people get spots straight away when they initially begin using products, but that's just the skin adjusting. Moisturiser reduces the chance of spots because when you exfoliate your face you wash off all the natural oils, so you need to replace that moisture that you've washed off. If you don't your body will start to produce the moisture itself in the form of oil. If you have naturally oily skin, just use lighter products."
3. Too much exfoliation damages skin
Sam Norsworthy:"Exfoliation is almost always a good thing, especially for men with beards. It doesn't take off any of the healthy skin, it gets rid of the dead skin. What is crucial is to choose a good, natural exfoliator. Good ones use sand, natural grit or stone. Bad ones are essentially face wash with plastic beads in."
4. You have to stick to skincare products marketed at men
Sam Norsworthy: "Skin is skin. Men's skin tends to be a little bit tougher but you don't have to have the men's product for a man's face. Nine times out of ten the difference is a smell or the packaging. There can be a difference with shampoo because men's hair tends to be a little bit thicker than women's hair which tends to be finer, softer and more likely to be coloured."
5. Beards don't need to be washed as much as other hair
Sam Norsworthy: "You eat through the middle of it so you're going to have more debris, dirt, and other things getting in it than the hair on your head. Some guys have more hair in their beard than their head but they'll shampoo their head and not wash their beard."
6. It's necessary to moisturise after every shower
Sam Norsworthy:"There's isn't a one size fits all rule with this one, as a lot of it depends on skin type. Some people have naturally oily skin so when you moisturise it can end up looking really oily."
7. Barbers understand your trimmer's grading system
Sam Norsworthy:"A lot of home trimmers don't follow the same grading and lengths that a professional would. So customers might come in and say 'when I do my beard at home I do it on setting 6', whereas we work on a different grading system. It's best to go by the actual millimetre length."
8. Home trimmers don't require any maintenance
Sam Norsworthy: "Reading the manufacturing instructions can mean the difference between buying one every year and buying one every three years. Wahl's home kits are really good. Panasonic have done some really good ones recently, and Braun have been getting better and better too. Don't throw away the box in a hurry, it'll have everything you need including a little cleaning brush and a bit of oil."
9. Hair grows faster on holiday
Sam Norsworthy: "It does happen but it's very minimally. People tend to go for a shorter style before they go on holiday because of the worry that it's going to grow so quickly when they're [in a hot climate] but the reality is that it probably won't. Granted, if you spent an entire year in a hot country you'd probably notice that the speed of growth is a little bit faster (which is down to the scalp having more bloodflow going to it in hotter weather), but from a holiday? The difference will be minimal."
10. The difference between a £10 haircut and a £50 haircut is a cup of coffee
Sam Norsworthy: "One of the main differences in the majority of salons that are more expensive is that the people that are doing it have spent a lot more money on education. When you are charging a premium it's nice to have a coffee, but it's also down to the fact the customer is going to be in the chair longer. You can't do a technically good haircut that's going to last four or five weeks in ten minutes."
11. Expensive skincare products are a sham
Sam Norsworthy: "Cheaper products generally contain higher water content. The actual ingredients are probably not as high quality and also they're diluted, so it's kind of a false economy."
13. There is a miracle cure for baldness
Sam Norsworthy: "There isn't one. There are tablets, caffeine shampoos and regaines that can help promote growth and slightly slow it down or thicken up what's there to give it the appearance of being thicker but they tend to work with what's already there. They can't magically revive a hair folicle that's gone out of business.
"The only thing that has been proven as far as I'm aware to help aid hair loss is head massage and that is down to promoting bloodflow into the scalp to give hair the nutrients it needs."
The ultimate grooming essentials
Gillette ProShield Chill
Wet shaving may not more facial hair grow back, but it can make better facial hair grow back. Gillette's ProShield Chill is a grooming bread and butter but it also comes with icing: the flexball technology gives extra maneuverability while the cooling technology in the so-called lubrastrip helps stave off irritation.
Available from Amazon for £10.50
Panasonic i-Shaper ER-GD60
This 3-in-1 trimmer is easy-to-use and effective at reaching hard to reach areas without irritating skin. It's a 3-in-1 trimmer that comes with guards and all the necessary extras (yes, that includes a little bottle of oil and a tiny brush to keep Norsworthy happy.)
Available from Amazon for £79.99
Braun Series 9 9296cc
"They were always the classic home shave people", said Norsworthy of the Braun brand, who've been battling (and we think succeeding) to stay relevant in recent years. The Series 9 is a simple shaver, largely gimmick free, but a refreshingly gentle and effective shave, even on dense bears.
Available from Amazon for £219.99
Aesop Purifying Facial Exfoliant Paste
If you're after a natural exfoliant of the type described by Norsworthy then Aesop comes at a premium price but does the job beautifully. Alternatively, try Lush's Ocean Salt scrub. It's cheaper, and contains vodka (please don't try and drink it.)
Bulldog Original Moisturiser
If you work by the principle that the more natural the ingredients in a moisturiser the better for your skin it's likely to be, then you can't go wrong with Bulldog. This bottle contains aloe vera, camelina oil and green tea.
