MALE GROOMING
Male Grooming Advice For Firefighters - how to avoid getting all hot under the collar about Male Grooming !
The image of a fireman as a macho , tough and fearless man is one we are all familiar with . Despite the fact that the nature of the job is often dangerous and very serious this doesn ’ t mean that male firefighters aren ’ t interested in their physical appearance . Over the past 15 years there has been a massive cultural shift in attitudes towards male grooming . Prior to this the thought of a man with a ‘ skincare routine ’ would have led to much sniggering and speculation about his sexual orientation but thankfully times have changed . It used to be cool for men not to care about how they looked and a ‘ real ’ man certainly didn ’ t use moisturiser !
Breaking news : there is nothing macho about sun burn and using a moisturiser doesn ’ t make you less of a man . So a ‘ real ’ man should grin and bear it : sun burn , dry skin , spots , chapped lips and razor burn ? I say , no way ! The statistics show that the amount men are spending on male grooming products ( i . e . lotions and potions for the hair , face and body ) has increased dramatically since the late 1990 ’ s .
“ I ’ ve noticed that these days younger guys in the fire service are more interested in male grooming because they are more aware of the adverse effects of not taking care of your skin . They also are more fashion conscious .”
Tony Formela , Firefighter
From caveman to new man :
Unless you ’ ve been living in a cave since 1989 ( if you have been I hope it ’ s not too draughty !) you can ’ t have failed to notice that in this age of media saturation we are constantly bombarded with images idealised male perfection . Now you know how women feel ! Muscular , hairless and tanned models with rock hard six packs stare out at us from the covers of fitness magazines , sports stars model underwear on giant billboards , on screen we see shirtless movie stars with bulging muscles and reality TV stars that have Botox , their chests waxed and eyebrows plucked !
So where does that leave the ordinary man on the street who simply wants to improve the way he looks but doesn ’ t have a stylist , a nutritionist , a personal trainer and millions in the bank ? I believe that taking care of yourself and making the most of your appearance is not just reserved for pop stars and male models . Every man regardless of their age or income bracket deserves to look and feel great .
First impressions :
People shouldn ’ t judge by appearance but they do , you do , we all do ! When you look in the mirror how do you feel about what you see ? Is there room for improvement ? Would you like clearer skin , less spots and to deal with your shaving rash ? If so then read on ! You may never be on the cover of Men ’ s Health magazine ( sob !) or a gorgeous sex symbol ( double sob ) but here ’ s the good news ...
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