Important Grooming Tips for Athletes

Strength and speed are critical in sports, but you should also consider your appearance. Hair, skin and nails go a long way in determining your comfort and confidence, so grooming isn’t something to take lightly. How can you look, smell and feel your best before and after workouts?

What Grooming Tips Should Athletes Know?

Caring for your body before and after workouts is key. Incorporate these grooming tips daily to improve your hygiene, whether you’re heading to work or a date after working out.

Try Cold Showers

The thought of cold showers can be intimidating. I’ll admit that I wasn’t a fan, but I’ve become accustomed to chilly water. I can’t go back because now I embrace it.

Why do people take cold showers? Research has demonstrated the benefits of sitting under a cool waterfall in your bathtub. A 2022 report shows cold water exposure can aid your immune system by producing T-cells and antibodies. Your immune system will thank you even if the cold water initially feels too much to handle.

Athletes benefit from cold showers because they help muscles after a workout. Soreness is commonplace after physical activity, so immersing yourself in cool water constricts your blood vessels and mitigates swelling.

The benefits sound great, but acclimating yourself to cold showers is challenging. Make the transition easier by gradually lowering the water temperature with each bath. This strategy was more sustainable for me than quitting hot showers cold turkey.

Wear Good Deodorant

Working up a sweat is the goal of your workouts. However, body odor is an unfortunate side effect of exercise. Your skin starts to smell bad when bacteria mix with the salt and water from your sweat. Various medical conditions — such as overactive thyroid or kidney disease — can exaggerate and worsen the scent.

The athlete’s solution for body odor is a powerful deodorant or antiperspirant. These products are essential if you exercise outside in the summer. Antiperspirants wield aluminum salts to reduce the amount of sweat coming from your underarms. While it won’t stop the smell completely, you’ll feel more confident that those around you can’t detect it. I always keep antiperspirant and deodorant on hand. Exercising before work necessitates this grooming routine for me.

Consider Your Sport

Body hair is a crucial detail for athletes and comes with differing opinions. Some guys prefer a clean-shaven face and well-groomed hair, whereas others don’t mind flowing locks and a Viking beard. Preference is critical here, but you should consider your sport when trimming your hair.

For instance, swimmers often remain clean-shaven to improve performance in the water. Michael Phelps and other elite swimmers have meticulously shaved to become more hydrodynamic, akin to marine life. Shaving hair can improve your lap times because you’re reducing drag.

Safety is also a consideration when it comes to dangerous contact sports. The CPSC reports that American football leads to almost 400,000 serious injuries each year due to its physicality. While beards are common among athletes, most elect to keep them carefully groomed to avoid having them caught or pulled in a tackle. Some sports teams, most notably the New York Yankees, have gone as far as to have strict rules about their players’ facial hair.

Develop a Routine

Regardless of your preferences, a routine is vital to keeping your appearance sharp. Find time in the morning, afternoon, or evening to shave or trim your hair. Maintaining your hygiene will make you feel more confident in your workouts and during the rest of your day. Creating and sticking to a schedule has benefits that extend to your mental health. Experts say effective routines help your stress and anxiety levels and improve your well-being.

Many swimmers prioritize pool time at least 1-3 times weekly. Lap times are typically better when shaving body hair, making swimmers up to two percent more aerodynamic. Shaving before swimming has also been shown to increase skin sensitivity and help prevent friction resulting in chafed thighs.

Care for Your Beard

Beards have a long history of male confidence. Research shows our ancestors associated facial hair with strength, attractiveness and health. If you have a beard, don’t take it for granted because physical activity can affect it. For example, friction from a helmet can cause ingrown hairs and unwanted pain.

Your routine should include beard maintenance to help your comfort and athletic performance. Trim your beard before matches and practices to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your vision.

Shower and apply beard oil when your workout is over. My favorite has a soothing sandalwood smell and conditions and moisturizes my beard while keeping a well-groomed appearance.

What Lesser-Known Tips Do Some Guys Forget?

Beard care and antiperspirant may be obvious for hygiene. However, a holistic approach to your cleanliness is vital for comfort and performance. Here are some lesser-known areas guys forget to check.

Feet Washing

Most sports require shoes and socks to protect your feet and enhance athletic performance. One downside is your feet can get sweaty and risk infections — such as athlete’s foot — if you’re not careful. You could contract this infection from someone else, so thoroughly wash your feet and socks to care for your body. Athlete’s foot is more pressing if you share shoes or walk barefoot in the locker room, so be mindful of this infection.

Sunscreen Spots

Sunscreen isn’t only for beach days. This product is essential when you’re outside for long stretches, so get the SPF best for your skin. Remember to apply sunscreen behind your ears and other easy-to-miss areas because sunburn is the last thing you want. Athletes with photodamage may wrinkle and lose skin tone because of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Chafing

If you don’t skip leg day, you probably know what chafing feels like. Frequent movement can cause chafing and rashes after exercise, so use balm before your workout. This product is useful when running or cycling because you repeat the same leg movements.

Feeling Cool and Confident

Grooming is standard for job interviews, dates and weddings. However, body care also affects athletes and their performance. Maintaining proper hygiene can boost your confidence in the weight room and the workplace. Center your routine on what works for you and stick with it. Your body will appreciate it.

Posted on April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 by Jack Shaw

Can UV Exposure Stunt Facial Hair Growth?

Conflicting opinions on ultraviolet (UV) radiation’s effects on facial hair circle around. Some people claim clear skies are beneficial for beards and mustaches. Others warn against sunbathing when trying to grow impressive facial hair. Which side of the fence is right?

The truth lies in the middle. Understand how the sun influences facial hair growth to know how therapeutic and destructive it can be.

Does Sunlight Stop Facial Hair Growth?

No, sunlight doesn’t stop facial hair growth. On the contrary, the sun stimulates it. Solar radiation helps you grow the Chevron, a burly beard, a goatee, mutton chops, sideburns or whatever style your DNA permits. That’s because it’s an essential ingredient for vitamin D production.

Sunlight contains ultraviolet B (UVB) light that turns a chemical in your skin into vitamin D. Healthy levels of vitamin D — as well as vitamins A, B7 and C — allow your body to generate plenty of testosterone and convert some of it into dihydrotestosterone, a hormone vital in facial hair growth.

Timing matters to produce an adequate amount of this sunshine vitamin. The best time of day for sun exposure is midday. Experts suggest exposing your face, hands, arms and legs to sunlight without protection for 5-30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is crucial in preventing vitamin D deficiency. This period lets you get a safe dose of UVB radiation efficiently.

The recommendation may not apply to all, though. Race plays a role in vitamin D production because of melanin. This pigment is responsible for skin color and is a natural sunscreen protecting skin from damage from excessive sunlight exposure.

People with more melanin have to spend more time under the sun than those with less of it to stimulate facial hair growth. That’s why lighter-skinned individuals can produce sufficient vitamin D fast. In contrast, darker-skinned people need more prolonged UV exposure to create the same amount of the nutrient.

Does UV Light Stop Hair Growth?

UV light is a double-edged sword. It doesn’t stop hair growth but can damage beards and mustaches. This solar radiation can burn away the protective oils coating individual strands. Without them, your facial hair is more vulnerable to sun damage.

The more brittle your hair becomes, the less effective it is at safeguarding the skin underneath from UV rays. Less natural protection against sunlight increases your risk of skin diseases, including cancer.

Moreover, UV can change hair color. Overexposure to this invisible light can break down your hair’s melanin pigments, causing any hair on your face to appear lighter. Melanin helps combat the undesirable effects of excessive sun exposure, so losing it in your hair is bad news for your health.

How to Ensure Healthy Facial Hair Growth When It’s Sunny

Follow these five tips to grow and maintain healthy facial hair during months when the sun is at its most intense.

1. Limit Sun Exposure

Rule number one is to catch some sun moderately. What’s moderate depends on your natural skin color. If you have lighter skin, you only need a small window to produce enough vitamin D your body needs to grow facial hair, so avoid basking — or baking — in the sun for too long.

Aside from damaging your facial hair, getting too much UV radiation increases your risk of skin cancer — a growing health concern. It affects more people than other cancers. Skin cancer is so prevalent no less than 20% of Americans will likely get it by the time they reach 70.

Avoiding UV rays is challenging anywhere, even at home. The sun can penetrate your indoor spaces deeply, leaving you with few hiding spots. Fortunately, there are viable solutions to protect yourself without wearing sunscreen. Growing trees and thick foliage around your home or switching to energy-efficient windows will significantly reduce your chance of unexpected UV overexposure.

2. Moisturize With UV Protection

Using a moisturizer prevents dryness due to washing your facial hair during warm months. Choose a product with Sun Protection Factor 30 or higher to keep your beard hydrated while rendering most of the UV radiation hitting your face harmless.

3. Put a Premium on Grooming

Split ends indicate damaged hair. You can’t undo them, so you should trim them to give your facial hair a chance to regrow stronger and healthier.

Contrary to popular belief, shaving your face doesn’t accelerate facial hair growth rate. Observe how fast your beard can grow to your desired thickness to determine your suitable trimming frequency.

If you have a patchy beard, shave off the sparse strands to look neat because they’re too far from each other to cover your skin. Use a traditional razor instead of an electric trimmer to avoid having a five o’clock shadow.

4. Wear Sunscreen

Applying sunscreen to your facial hair sounds strange, but it works like a charm. Utilize a moisturizer with SPF to both keep your beard feeling fresh and protect it from the sun. It can protect your beard from sun damage if you coat your hair with it thoroughly and reapply it every once in a while.

While you’re at it, use some on the skin under your beard. It can complement your facial hair’s sunlight-blocking prowess, keeping the skin where your beard grows healthy. Keep in mind that you’ll want to utilize a chemical sunscreen to avoid leaving a white cast on your skin.

5. Wear a Beard Cover

A beard cover is more of protective gear than a fashion item. It’s something you wear when you have to be under the sun in unshaded areas for long periods because of your job.

This device can only block some sunlight because it’s porous. Still, it’s better than wearing nothing and leaving your facial hair bare.

Healthy Is the Beard the Sun Shines On

Sunlight is a non-negotiable requirement to grow as much facial hair as your genes let you. UV rays can be damaging, but they’re not the enemy — overexposure is. Be mindful of how much daylight your skin absorbs and when you receive it to stay in the shade no less than you must.

Posted on March 19, 2024March 19, 2024 by Jack Shaw

What Are The Different Types Of Razors?

Everyone likes a neat and clean appearance. The good news is that it doesn’t take much effort to get that classic look. All you need is a good razor. There are different types of razors flooding the market. We’ll help you pick the right one.

Use in the stone age, the first known version of a razor was a shaving stone which was essentially a flaked obsidian.

The Egyptians used a rotary razor.

Shaving was adopted by Alexander’s troops. The Romans replaced the circular razor with a straight one.

Straight razor was most commonly used till the 20th century. This razor had a stainless steel blade that is sharpened on one side.

Next came the shavette, had a disposable blade. It is easy to use but less durable.

In 1880 came the first marketed safety razor. Safer to use than straight razor but required practice.

1903 saw King Gillette sell the first double edge safety razor which had edges and protective bars on both sides of the blade.

First disposable safety razor came in 1960. The entire razor is discarded after use over a period of time.

Then came the cartridge razor with disposable blades. whose head remained bent at a slight angle for a closer shave.

The foil electric razor run on batteries or can be recharged. For this, no shaving gel or foam is needed. Since the blades move back and forth, they don’t work well on facial curves.

Based on the same principle as the electric razor, the rotary electric razor has blades that rotate on the head. They are easy to use and work well on facial contours with minimum effect.

If you are interested in learning more, check out the infographic below.

Posted on February 5, 2018July 13, 2018 by Sean Mason

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