Aalim Hakim’s Essential Tips on Self-Grooming for Men
Corona virus has put much of the world under self-isolation lockdowns. In these circumstances, people have picked up their kitchen scissors and are trying their skills in personal grooming. From giving haircuts to trimming out a new beard style, most men have no choice than to take the matter into their own hands – or put their trust in those at home with them. While we still recommend you to hang in there and leave the complicated techniques to the professionals, a little trim or shave is inevitable as the lock down extends into a full month and beyond. So men, let’s make sure you have the essential tools and a few expert tips to see you through the challenge. Celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim shares some tips on how to get grooming at home done right.
It can be extremely irritating for some men to do without their regular haircut. Experimenting with at-home DIY haircuts is the new norm – even celebrities like Virat Kohli and Ronaldo are doing it. But be careful when you cut your own hair; it’s a simple process but requires precision.
- Get your tools ready – A pair of scissors (hair cutting shears / sharp kitchen scissors), comb, mirror (a large one is preferable or make sure you are leaning closer to the bathroom mirror), and towel
- Dampen your hair prior to cutting, as it makes it easier to cut. Then, run a comb through it to keep it in line
- Get the right look which suits your face
- If you have a round face, keep the sides sharp and leave a bit of length on top, where you should try and show your forehead, so the face looks more elongated and sharper. Similarly, keep the back also short and sharp
- If you have a lanky/thin face, try and keep longer hair on the sides so you can cover your ears and keep your hair floppy, so the face looks oval/diamond shaped
With the current situation, a out-of-bed hairstyle is highly recommended. You just need to trim your hair, twist it and cut it from between to create texture. Keep checking in the mirror, and once you have your desired look, you can stop.
Do away with the facial fuzz
Isn’t this the perfect time to experiment and try all those beard looks to see what suits your face. Nowadays, men prefer sharp jawline styles like Anchor Beard, French Beard, Soul Patch, Handlebar moustache etc.
Gather all your tools. Pick up a good razor – depending on your skin and beard type, use a Mach3, Fusion Proglide or a Skinguard. Along with this you will also need a comb, scissors, aftershave gel and the below tips to get the desired style:
Anchor Beard
- Use scissor and comb to even out your beard hair length
- Wash your face with hot water or apply a hot towel on your beard as it will help soften the facial hair as well as open the pores
- Apply a shaving gel or foam and massage it in a circular motion all over the face and neck area to condition the skin for a smooth shave
- To achieve this look, the soul patch and goatee at the chin will be connected to create an anchor shape. The corner of the anchor will be hugging the jaw line of the face, keeping the length and shape as required
- You can keep your moustache in a pencil-shaped or a pyramid-shaped; disconnected with your anchor beard
- Shave with light and gentle pressure to give yourself a close shave
- After the complete process, wash your face with cold water and apply aftershave lotion or balm, as it is the best possible way to close your pores, soothe the skin and smell nice
French Beard
- Apply a shaving gel or foam and massage it in a circular motion all over the face and neck area to condition the skin for a smooth shave
- Start shaving by moving inwards from the side locks towards the centre, leaving the beard around the mouth and chin area including the moustache
- Smile to check the desired line for the French beard. Imagine a line that runs from the sides of your nose down the corner of your lips and shave everything in between that line and your ear, leaving the hair around the chin and moustache
- You can experiment with this look by leaving different lengths
- Make sure the moustache and chin remain connected creating a square or round shape depending on the face shape
Handlebar Moustache
- Using your scissors and comb, bring down your overall moustache length to about 1/5 of an inch. Keeping it longer at the edges around your mouth
- Start defining the shape of your handlebar moustache by following your lip line to the corner of your mouth and trimming in a downward direction
- Create clean edges and tidy up any stray hair around your handlebar moustache
- Create a neat parting with rounded edges in the middle of your moustache
- Give yourself a clean shave with the best razor on the cheeks, chin and neck, taking extra care around your moustache
- Comb and re-shape the ends of your moustache by twisting the edges around your fingers into a curl
Soul Patch
- Clean shave the entire face while leaving a small downward facing triangle of hair below your lower lip that extends to a small spot above your chin
- Your shaving strokes can be in a downward direction from the sideburns to the chin, going through your neck.
- If you need an extra close shave you can use your strokes in an upward direction against the grain of your hair
- Try different lengths with this look; a short soul patch can barely be noticeable while a long one can create an air of mystery
Stay home, stay safe and stay well groomed!