Toolbox
Even if you're the type who knows his way around hammers and wrenches, you may not know the difference between a rotary hair trimmer and a straight-edged clipper. If you do, congrats on being a well-rounded fellow. If not, here's the lowdown on the implements you need to become a grooming gearhead.
Clip (and don't save)
Fingernail clippers are smaller than toenail clippers. Clip fingernails with two cuts per nail, aiming for an oval shape. Clip toenails with one cut, straight across, leaving them long enough to avoid ingrown nails. Scrub under your nails with a brush before clipping, and cut while they're still wet -- both tactics give a cleaner edge. If you clip correctly, you can minimize or avoid the need for much smoothing with a file. A good set of clippers will include an under-the-nail cleaning edge and a usable file -- it'll also be chrome-plated to reduce rust.
Brushing up
Especially necessary is the right brush. Those with thick, coarse or longer hair should go for a natural-bristle brush. Boar-bristle brushes (like Mason Pearson) are costly, but they gently maneuver through your tresses, making hair manageable, shiny and fuller-looking, so you'll save on product in the long run. A shortcut for short cuts is a hard-bristled, plastic-tipped brush -- not only will your hair fall exactly where you want it to, but those stimulating tips also help your scalp's circulation, encouraging shine and vigor.
"Pull gently and smoothly, making sure not to yank."
Tweezers can be painful, but if you suffer the heartbreak of unibrow or ear hair, a little pain is preferable to extreme embarrassment or a lifetime of dating the myopic. Spend a few dollars more on your tweezers -- this is one of the few cases where you're actually getting what you pay for. Good tweezers will be precision-edged (even hand-filed) and made of stainless steel to stay sharp longer. A slant-edged pair is good for brow maintenance, while pointy edges work for ingrown hairs and orifices.
One good bet is Tweezerman, which comes with a lifelong promise to sharpen any instrument they've ever sold (just mail it to their factory). While you're checking it out on their site, tweezerman.com, also look up its "Five Steps to Accurate Tweezing," including the no-yanking directive above.
Fine pruning
Larger hair-removal problems require even more torturous-looking implements. Scissors usually come with safety blades -- still, they're meant to trim only visible (i.e., protruding) ear and nose hair. Electric trimmers for orifice hair go a little further, but they can seriously hurt if blades are dull. By no means should you ever purchase anything with plastic blades. Instead, go for stainless steel (or sharper) rotary blades, which cut shorter hair without nicking. Try one like the Turbo-Groomer 5.0 from ShaperImage -- a magnificent machine with titanium rotary blades that twirl at 6,000 rpm, which allegedly trims unsightly hair down to 1/16th of an inch. Wonder if it does lawns.
Stubble trouble
The closest shave, especially for tougher beards, comes from a twin-blade razor. If you get ingrown hairs or razor burn, go for a single blade instead -- it's less irritating. Blades with a platinum chrome finish stay sharp longer. Pivoting heads let the blade follow your face, shaving more closely and helping you stay nick-free. Safety wires over the blades and lubricating strips also minimize cuts and nicks. So does a sharp blade, so change it as soon as you feel it dragging on your skin.
If you're just not a morning person, use an electric shaver. Your beard will grow back more quickly, but hey, it's gone in a flash the next day. Shavers reduce the risk of skin trauma (unless you use them repeatedly on the same spot, or if you don't keep them clean, in which case they're more irritating). Tougher beards need double or triple heads; temperamental skin needs fewer blades (single or double). Some shavers are "wet," requiring preshave lotion or gel; others are "dry" and others are both. Your best bet is to buy a wet/dry shaver, then always use a gel or lotion (it gives a closer shave and is better for your skin), unless you're in a pinch. Rechargeable shavers are a good investment, too. Change your heads as soon as you feel them dragging -- every year or so.
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