Men's Personal Care Information
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Make A Great First Impression With Your Appearance
Beyond taking a shower every morning, here is some basic tips:
Check your face
You don't necessarily have to shave, but at least ensure that your face is clean and free of "debris." A quick look in the mirror to check for nose hair, stuff in your beard or crust in your eyes doesn't take more than a few seconds, and is well worth the effort.
Groom your hair (ear, nose, chest, head, etc.)
Hair growth happens with regularity, so make trimming and upkeep part of your routine. Wash and condition your hair every day (or every other day, depending on your hair type and length). Set aside one day a week (preferably a Saturday or Sunday, when you have more time) to tend to ear, nose and chest hair.
Clean your hands
In the business world, handshakes can make or break you; in the dating world, a woman expects to see nice hands. So all you have to do is cut your nails regularly, scrape away the dirt with a "nail cleaner" or a nailbrush (which you can keep in the shower to save time), wash your hands frequently (to avoid sweaty, sticky hands), and use lotion on occasion (to keep them smooth).
Apply lip balm
There is nothing worse than looking at chapped lips, and trust me, no girl will want to kiss them. Find a good lip balm and use it regularly. Just don't put too much on, or it will end up looking like lip gloss. And if you don't like applying it in public because of the unmanly look it portrays, then do it in private when you go to the bathroom.
Dress well
You don't need a suit (unless the occasion calls for it), but you should always wear clean clothes that are wrinkle-free and smell good. In other words, wear clothes that were just in your drawer or closet, not your hamper.
On a related note, select clothes that fit. After you put on your clothes, take a look in the mirror for a few seconds to make sure they fit properly. Yes, their preferred fit will vary over time as styles change (along with your body and taste), but the key here is to pay attention to what you're putting on.
Use some sort of scent
Many guys go to town wearing some sort of fragrance, using everything from scented soap and deodorant to aftershave and cologne. Other guys prefer not to use anything. Like most things in life, the answer is moderation. Pick one scent (otherwise you'll combine fragrances, which will result in a weird smell) and go with it. Just make sure it isn't too strong and make sure not to bathe in it. One final note: Don't skimp on cost here; cheap cologne will act like repellant.
Shine your shoes
People tend to look at your shoes right away. If dress shoes are appropriate, make sure they're shined. If you're wearing casual shoes, make sure they look clean and new. Tattered shoes tell the world that you either don't have money or don't care -- neither option is attractive.
Adult Weight Gain Tied to Prostate Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Men who pack on excess pounds as young adults are at heightened risk of developing prostate cancer, although the risk varies by ethnic group, researchers from the University of Hawaii report.
Obesity is a risk factor for many common cancers, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. However, whether obesity plays a role in prostate cancer risk has been unclear, researchers say.
The new study finds that "body mass in both younger and older adulthood, and weight gain between these periods of life, may influence prostate cancer risk," said study author Brenda Y. Hernandez, an assistant professor at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
The report is published in the September online issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
For the study, Hernandez's team looked at the relationship between weight and prostate cancer in a multiethnic population including blacks, Japanese, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and whites, all of whom who participated in a long-term study called the Multiethnic Cohort.
The researchers collected data on almost 84,000 men who participated in the study. In all, more than 5,500 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Men who were overweight or obese at 21 had a lower risk of localized and low-grade prostate cancer, the researchers found.
When men put on weight seemed to matter, as did race and ethnicity. For example, "higher weight in older adulthood was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer among white and Native Hawaiian men and a decreased risk of prostate cancer among Japanese men," Hernandez said.
And excessive weight gain in young adulthood increased the risk of advanced and high-grade prostate cancers (the more dangerous kind) for white men, the report found. For black men, excessive weight gain as a young adult upped risks for less hazardous, localized and low-grade forms of the disease.
Genes and lifestyle may account for these differences in risk, Hernandez speculated. "The relationship of certain characteristics, such as body size, with cancer risk may vary across ethnic groups due to the combined influence of both genes and lifestyle," she said. "This study underscores the importance of investigating cancer etiology in diverse populations."
Victoria Stevens, strategic director of laboratory services at the American Cancer Society, said the study shows there are differences in ethnic groups, but these differences are not straightfoward.
"Their findings aren't definitive," Stevens said. "They are just not clear-cut, you don't see a simple linear relationship."
"The paper is very suggestive, but it is not clear in prostate cancer whether weight gain is as important" as it is for other malignancies, she said. "Exactly what that risk is, we still don't know."
More information
For more information on prostate cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
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