10 Biggest Problems Men Have - No. 9 Bikini Wax

40-Year Old Virgin

10.  Cowlicks

9.  Bikini Wax

Yeah, I said it – Bikini Wax!  Obviously one of the reasons we avoid them is for the implicit name itself.  But if you think it’s only metrosexuals, swimmers, or triathletes who would choose to go totally bare down there, think again.  A lot of guys are getting into the routine of doing a little manscaping or my fav term “Bum Sack and Crack”.  So if you’re tossing the idea around here’s a few things you might want to know before you go.

Myth:  “It’s painful.”  Well I definitely wouldn’t label the experience a “pleasant” one, the pain factor is certainly overstated though.  Having a band-aid ripped off repeatedly is what comes to mind — it’s really no worse.

Tip:  Don’t shave.  The longer the hair the easier it is to extract, thus making the experience less painful for you, the wax-ee.

Myth:  “It’s for chicks.”  More men are becoming open to getting waxed because their girlfriends and wives are encouraging them to “clean up downtown”.  Note to the fellows: women are a bit more encouraged to go down on you if they know they don’t run the risk of involuntarily flossing while they’re at it.

Tip:  Try to keep things casual with your wax-er.  Cordial conversation throughout the procedure limits the number of uncomfortable silences and keeps you from preoccupying yourself with the physical intimacy (and awkwardness) involved.

Myth:  “I’m not comfortable with anyone other than myself, my girlfriend, or my doctor handling the family jewels.”  Subjecting yourself to a bout of manscaping is an unnerving social experience; you’re not sure how your body and mind is going to react.  But keep in mind you’re in a professional environment, receiving a service from someone who treats it as such.

Tip:  It’s estimated that at least half of first-time clients succumb to a NARB (No Apparent Reason Boner) at some point.  If your waxer is a female, that’s one thing; but if it’s a male then it is no wonder that the majority who do surrender to this ordeal never come back for a second session.  For the waxer, this is simply part of the job, but for the waxee, should this be weighing heavily on you, you might want to consider “taking a load off” before your appointment.

To be continued...

10 Biggest Problems Men Have

Ahh…. Reddit.   Thank the Reddit gods for being the nucleus of advice when it comes to men seeking clever hacks to all things men: razor bumps, back hair, cowlicks, uni-brows, etc..  For real, people will hide behind their usernames to ask (and answer!) some of the most intimate guy questions they have to offer. Well, allow us to save you some time (and embarrassment) and give you our 10 biggest grooming problems guys have.

10.  Cowlicks

A cowlick is that often annoying little spout of hair that seems to grow in all direction from everything else and just won't lie down.  What’s a guy to do?  Here are a couple of tips we gathered from sources that may be of some assistance.

Cowlicks at the Crown

When you have a cowlick at the top and back of your head (your crown), you'll often find this will stick up if not properly cut. To control a cowlick at the back of the head, you'll either need to leave the hair long enough so the weight of the hair holds it down or cut it short enough so it doesn't stick up in the first place. Examining the direction of the hair growth can also be helpful. Often a cowlick will pop up as a result of trying to style the hair against the growth pattern and simply brushing the hair in the opposite direction can fix the problem.  For those wanting to go short you could go for the buzz-cut, or an IvyLeague haircut is probably a better option.

Cowlicks at the Neckline

Most guys don't have eyes in the back of their own head, therefore you can’t see what everybody else sees, so it's not a bad idea to take a look once in awhile. Cowlicks at the nape are often sections of hair that grow in an upward pattern causing the hair to stick out at an odd angle. Not to sound like a broken record, but the two best solutions are to either get really acquainted with the buzz-cut or grow it long enough so the weight of the hair pulls it down. For neckline cowlicks, a short classic taper or bald fade are my favorite options.

Since you will never be rid yourself of cowlicks my best advice is to – OWN IT.  Learn to work with them instead of against them.  Whenever you go to have a haircut, let your barber or stylist know of your cowlicks, and a good one can help work them into your style. 

To be continued...

Most Common Myths About Shaving

There are myths about everything from “Shaving makes your hair grow thicker?” to “Peeing on a jellyfish sting will soothe the pain?”.  We have our suspicions on a lot of it, but for the sake of short attention spans we’re just going to focus on debunking four of the most common shaving misconceptions out there and set the record straight.

               

Myth #1: Shaving cause hair to become coarser

I call bull on this one. Hair becoming courser is not caused by shaving. The thickness of your hair is governed by the location on the body and its response to hormones. Not to get all scientific up in hea’, but when a hair is cut by a razor in the middle of the shaft, it's flat surface feels a bit sharp. Not to worry it will feel soft again as the hair grows out more. But let’s also not forget, when you are shaving you are cutting the hair shaft at its thickest part, if allowed to grow, it will be thinner and finer.

Myth #2: Shaving causes hair to grow faster

Nope, again.  Shaving does not cause your hair to grow any faster than Spiderman’s symbiote costume – you know, that black gooey stuff in Spiderman 3.  Apparently our hair grows at a different rate depending on location on the body, whether you’re male of female, our age, and even depends on the season. From what I hear, our hair grows faster during the summer.          

               

Myth #3: Shaving causes hair to re-grow darker

You can’t make this stuff up. Personally, I have never heard of shaving making your hair darker, but here’s a reasonable explanation: The color of the hair is determined by the amount of pigment (melanin) in it and bleaching is caused by the sun, destroying that pigmentation. Hair that has been exposed to the sun is lighter. When it is shaved, the part that was not exposed begins to grow out of the skin. Since this part of the hair shaft was not exposed to the sun, it will appear darker. So therefore, the longer you allow your hair to grow, the lighter it will become.

               

Myth #4: Shaving a previously unshaven area will cause new hair to appear

I think 9 out of 10 sixteen year olds’ having probably laid this myth to rest already. Shaving a previously unshaven area is not going to cause new hair to appear. Our growth patterns are determined by factors such as hormones and genetics. Over the course of a lifetime, hair growth patterns have a tendency to change. If this myth were true, I can picture a bunch of men feverishly standing in front of their bathroom mirror with shaving cream for yarmulkes.  Sorry bruh’, not going to happen.

WEEK 11 - WOW!!!

Did I mention this is my hundredth blog I've tried to be consistent with??  What can I say, writing is not my passion.  But I'll admit I left you guys in limbo since my last post, which means I have a lot of catching up to do.

First and foremost, the Bro Towel Kickstarter campaign has officially launched - two days ago.  And so far I've acquired $1, and I think that was out of pity.  But I'm hopeful and optimistic that it's going to steamroll towards the end.  This has happened one too many times in my life where what looked gloomy and unpromising in the beginning turned out to be very fruitful - I just gave my life's synopsis.  I'm proud of how the page turned out and if you click on the image above you can see for yourself.  Not too bad for a first-timer and I'm relieved Kickstarter allows you to tweak your campaign while it's still running.  I've already had to adjust my reward tier due to a slight oversight on my part.  And now the PR starts.  Marketing is definitely not my forte', so I've hired some assistance to help me out starting with CrowdfundingPR.  Also, I've reached out to some popular social communities to help get the word out.  This is a task that normally you want to set into motion at least six months ahead of time - at least.  Check out Crowdfund Insider here for some a few tips.  Problem for me is, even if I did see this article six months ago when you're a lone wolf you can only cover so much.  So I primarily focused on the developing the product and building the campaign page and ended up grossly neglecting pre-launch marketing.  Let's see if I'm able to overcome this pitfall.

Well, I'm back now.  So over the next few weeks I will be getting you guys caught up on this crazy journey of mine.  Also, don't forget to check out the campaign and, by all means, let me know what you think.

WEEK 10 – STAY FOCUSED!

Tonight was another meeting with fellow inventors and entrepreneurs in Suffolk County.  Basically, a few weeks ago I look up groups of similar interest on Meetup.com that were in the Long Island area that I could network with.  I cannot express enough how important it is to put yourself around people with the same goals and level of ambition as you that are willing, in fact, are delighted to help you as much as they can.  In other words, if you want to become a better soccer player you don’t hang out with the swim team.  Tonight was no shortage of inspirational people bringing their ideas and products to the table, along with a guest speaker from Dart manufacturing, a custom manufacturing company, here in L.I.    What I got out of tonight’s meeting was the importance of learning the lingo in whatever industry you find yourself in.  For example, when the time comes for you to inquire about MOQ’s (Minimum Order Quantities) it sends a message manufacturer’s that you’re in the game.  It’s amazing how people or companies treat you a little differently when they see you have some industry knowledge.  It really shows you have been doing your homework and, in a way, it is a testament to how much you respect their field of work.