Wax! Pluck! Moisturize!

I saw this on MSN today and thought I would share it with those who might have missed it. I totally agree with this, except #3. You do not have to spend $100.00 to get a good hair cut. High price does not equal a great haircut. It depends on the stylist. With that said...Enjoy!

Wax! Pluck! Moisturize!
By Bethany Lye

In a man's world, beauty is typically reserved for objects with four wheels, eight cylinders and the capacity to hit 60 mph in the space of a breath. In all other cases, men consider the word "beauty" as feminine as the tampon aisle.
The irony here is that men need a little beauty in their lives. Sure, the 'stache has made a comeback, but the unibrow was never in style. If women had their way, men everywhere would shave the calluses off their feet, slather Carmex on their lips and even pluck the long coils of hair from their toes. Oh, what a glorious day that would be.
If you really want to impress a woman, keep reading. Here are five beauty rituals (that's right, sports car not included) certain to add extra bonus points to your game.

1) Back Facial: Don't take off your shirt without it.
For men fortunate enough to escape the fuzzy back affliction, there's no reason to run shirtless just yet. "You may want to know what's behind you," says Heidi Lamar, owner of the Lamar Everyday Spa [www.thelamar.com] in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Exercise, sweat and chaffing clothing often leave guys with acne, black heads and dry scaly backs." To banish unsightly blemishes, Lamar's technicians perform extractions (i.e., clear clogged pores) and treat backs to a cleanser, exfoliation, mask triple-play, followed by a deep moisturizing massage. "This treatment will give your neglected back the attention it craves," says Lamar, "and even improve your chances of getting spooned later."

2) Hair-Free Hearing: Nothing screams "old man" like ear hair.We can tolerate wrinkled shirts and brown socks with black dress shoes, but we will not—we will never ever ever—tolerate long spindly hairs growing on or inside your ears. Ewww. "Men look like wolves with their hair growing there," says Joanna Czech of Sava Spa [www.savapsa.com] in New York City. Czech readily admits to pouring hot wax in her husband's ears every now and then to strip the surface clean. In fact, "we wax whoever we can grab," says Czech. "We hate hairy ears." But the road to bald lobes ain't pretty; some men complain of the sting and even describe a pounding in their ears post-treatment. "Depending on a man's tolerance for pain, we either give them lavender cooling lotion or ice afterwards," says Czech. Hey, nobody said beauty came easy.
P.S. While you're at it, men. Trim "down there," too. Cut back the Amazon with a pair of haircutting shears and a disposable razor, and we'll worship you like a God.


3) A Good Haircut: It's time to say goodbye to Fast Freddy and the $5 cut.
There are several instances in life where faster doesn't mean better, and this is one of them. Any salon promising a quick cut has limitations—in the form of a bowl cut, a buzz or a trim. "You don't go out with women who are spending umpteen dollars on themselves and expect to compete," says Greg Savarese, co-owner of Club 316 Barber Spa [www.316barberspa.com], a men-only spa in Chicago. Men spend serious money on nice clothes, says Savarese, so why not complete the look? "If the haircut feels good and it looks good—it's certain to boost your confidence."


4) Moisturizer: When we rub our body against yours, we want it smooth.
Men love things "rough"—they think it's a reflection of their masculinity. The bigger the mountain, the higher the stakes, the more trash-talking involved—the sweeter the victory. Women can tolerate a man's desire to crush, shoot and destroy. Some even like their guy a little wild around the edges. But one thing that women cannot stand—no exceptions here—is when a man's skin is crusty and dry. Forget snagging the silk sheets or shedding scales in public, rough skin can have greater consequences. Women won't touch a man with sandpaper skin. The fix-it? Moisturizer. "Using a head to toe moisturizer does not make you less of a man," says Tony Sosnick, the founder of a skincare line Anthony Logistics for Men [www.anthony.com]. And if memories of your sister's floral-scented lotion makes you queasy: "Moisturizers for men actually smell, well, manly," says Sosnick. "So slather it on with no fear." The lady in your life will be pleasantly surprised.


5) Treat Your Feet: Hands aren't your only body part we check at hello.
"If a man has calluses and rough spots on his feet and he's going to be rubbing them up against a woman, that's not going to go over too well," says Jennifer Di Francesco, spa director of the Well Spa [www.miramonteresort] in Indian Wells, Calif. At the Well, pedicurists set to work in private rooms, filing down calluses and corns until they're perfectly smooth. Men emerge sans polish, but with their toenails buffed matte instead. "It's a very masculine treatment," adds Di Francesco. "We just wish more men in our lives would get it done."

Freelancer Bethany Lye specializes in health and human-interest topics, and she has written for
MSN.com, Health and People magazine.
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