Page 24 - Indulge August 2017

MAN CAVE

Threeno fuss, no muss stepsto becoming a better guy ByPatrickO’Donnell

Self-care and pampering they’re having symptoms such as frequent urination, or if a relative has
aren’t in the playbook had prostate cancer).
for most guys. We wake, shower,
shave, run a comb through Sure, getting a prostate exam isn’t exactly fun, but trust me, it’s
our hair and maybe splash on better than cancer. So, man up — you have family and friends counting
aftershave before heading out. on you. Do you really want to tell them you’re dying just because you
We cling to a “no fuss, no muss, were scared of a painless, 5-minute exam once a year?
no hassle” policy as if it’s the
core of our masculinity. 2 Exercise
Technically this is health care, but it gets its own category because
Yet in other aspects of
our lives — work, sports, car too many of us ignore it. There’s always an excuse.
shopping — we pride ourselves Truth is, you don’t need to do much. Experts recommend 150
on attention to detail. So why
ignore ourselves? minutes of moderate exercise weekly. That works out to 2.5 hours
In the interests of bettering my fellow man, then, I thought I’d spread out over seven days — hardly a huge time commitment.
examine a few areas where many of us — myself included — could use
a little help. You can hit that target on a stationary bike while you watch the
1 Health care game. You can go for a brisk walk after lunch; go for a swim; or take out
This is a no-brainer. Too many of us ignore symptoms, skip annual a kayak and explore the lake. In short: just get moving.
checkups, and treat our doctor’s advice like it’s a challenge:
Doc: You need to eat more fruits and vegetables, cut back on beer 3 Grooming
and burgers and get exercise, or you’re headed for heart attack city. This is a four-letter word to many guys. It conjures up images of
Guy: Wanna bet? Hold my beer and watch this.
This is especially true when it comes to things like prostate exams, frou-frou salons (shudder!), waxing and, perish the thought, putting
something all men should have regularly after they turn 50 (earlier if “product” in our hair.

INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE! You can improve your appearance without turning in your man card,
though. For one, there’s the age-old practice of going to a barber. You
PRE-OPENING, SPECIAL PRICE MEMBERSHIPS know, the guy with the red, white and blue striped pole? It doesn’t get
much more manly.
Relic Hunter
It’s the “shave” part that interests me. I often end up with razor
Firing Line burn, cuts or bumpy skin. I skip the razor altogether on weekends. If I
could, I’d probably let my facial hair grow to ZZ Top proportions. But
5507 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall • (610) 451-1064 • relichunter.com since I’ve never let anyone get close to my face with a sharp object, I
don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
24 | indulge • August 2017
So I talked to the guys at Jimmy’s Barbershop in Allentown to see if
they could offer some tips.

The first? Use a hot — not warm — towel to soften your
whiskers and open your pores before shaving to help prevent
the burn and bumps. Afterward, said barber Zach Romero, “You
should use an antiseptic to cleanse the pores,” because those
open pores collect bacteria.

Secondly, be aware of the direction in which you’re shaving. “A lot
of guys get irritated right around the collar,” says barber Jim Altimare.
Here’s where the hot towel, along with shaving slowly and properly,
pays dividends. Why? Because from the chin down, facial hair grows in
different directions.

On most guys, “from the bottom of the chin to halfway down
the neck, hair grows downward,” says Romero. “From the bottom
of the neck to right under the Adam’s apple, it grows upward.” That
means you should shave downward for the top half, and upward for
the bottom half.

I still think going ZZ Top might be easier, but I hit “peak beard” in
my 20s and it’s been downhill ever since. If I had one, though, Altimare
says Clubman Beard Oil would work wonders. It prevents itching,
soothes dry skin and provides a nice sheen. He also suggested Lucky
Tiger products, like Menthol Mint Vanishing Cream.

Both are “old school” products, but still great options, says shop
owner Jimmy Moyer. Romero prefers a newer solution called Beard
Butter, which they mix at the shop. “It conditions the beard, oils the
beard, conditions your skin, and makes it smell great,” he says.