The good news is they’re no cause for alarm. Under-eye puffiness, as it’s also known, doesn’t point to medical attention. It’s actually just your body retaining fluids, and generally the result of actually consuming too much fluid, excess salt in your diet or not looking after your sleep or energy over a short period of time. Seasonal allergies and skin conditions like eczema also impact add to the dark circles, and some of it is (unfortunately) is just caused by good old-fashioned genetics.
But before you pick up the phone to yell at your parents, understand that there are ways to remove bags under your eyes. With some easy lifestyle changes, habits and diet choices, you can keep your face looking fresher for longer. Here are our tips to get you back on top and winning again in the face department.
Salt is a killer for more reasons than one. It can mess with your blood pressure, but sodium also contributes to excess water retention which creates puffiness. The impact is small but definitely big enough to observe, especially if you’ve just woken up after a salty dinner. If you see the bags forming, lay off sodium-rich foods like pizza and soup, and eat more vegetables for a few days. The bags will go down quickly, we promise.
We hate to say it, but those weekend beers are dehydrating you which causes fluid build-up. There’s no cause for panic, though. You don’t have to go alcohol-free to reduce that sunken eye look. If your face looks like a headline act at soundwave, try reaching for the soft drink for a couple of days. Cigarettes, on the other hand, dry out skin and speed up ageing. They create faster wrinkles and a hollow look – neither of which you’re going for.
If you have a string of allergies that flare up from time to time, you’ll already be acquainted with the puffy eye effect. Stay on top of any seasonal allergies you might have for a fresher looking face. Essential Oils can offer surprisingly good relief, as does good medication and some over the counter products like allergy sprays. Just monitor it closely to stop it becoming a downer.
Cold temperatures can ease eye puffiness and swelling, especially as a result of allergies or even insect bites. They shift the excess fluid and bring colour back to normal. Use a cold pack, cucumber slices, cold spoons, frozen pea packs or any item from the freezer. Anything will work as long as it brings the temperature down. Give it 10-15 minutes to see a difference.
Neti-pots are an ancient remedy found in most health food stores. It looks like a small teapot and used mostly for drying up excess moisture from sinuses as a result of a nasty cold or flu. It’s also great for removing eye puffiness fast. Just pour the salt water up one nostril, and let it drain from the other side. Strange, yes. But very, very effective.
Sleep is important to removing eye bags for two reasons. Firstly, you might want to consider changing your sleep position if you’re usually on your sides or front. Lying on your back works to stop gravity drawing extra fluid into your eyes during the night. Bags also occur when, as you might have guessed, you just don’t get enough sleep. If it’s a once-off you can probably get away with it, but regular discolouring may require an early bed time for a week until your eyes look vibrant again.
Give these tips a go to combat those bags under your eyes and keep you looking fresher for longer. You’ll not only appear energised, healthier and on the ball, but you’ll get more second tinder dates too. Who can pass that up?
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Blackheads are those familiar black dots that pop up on your skin (usually your face) with the highest oil levels. Common areas include your nose, chin and forehead. They’re a double punch – no one likes a greasy face, but these beady little guys make the problem even worse.
While they look like an accumulation of dirt, blackheads are caused by your hormones. They produce oil on some parts of the skin more than others. Your pores in these areas get overloaded and mix the oil with dead skin cells. Throw in some oxygen and the whole combination of oil and dead cells oxidise – BAM! and like that, we have blackheads.
It’s impossible to stop them altogether, but there are many ways to help reduce blackheads and remove their effect on your appearance (and self-esteem). Here are the 5 best, most effective ways to do it.
They might sound like something on your girlfriend’s shopping list, but pore strips are great for removing blackheads fast. Just like waxing hair, pore strips are products that you apply over your nose or oily area and yank off fast.
If done correctly, the blackheads will stick to the strip and get pulled cleanout. They will look like tiny hairs. There’s a variety of special strips for pores on the market, and you can find them at your local chemist or pharmacy. Some come in single strips, while more expensive packs contain two or even three strips with different functions.
It’s not exactly the mark of Batman (though we reckon he was hiding blackheads of his own), but blackhead removal masks are effective and affordable. It comes as a lotion that you rub on your T-zone within thin layers. Wait for it to dry so it can bond together and peel off when it’s done. Your blackheads will come with it.
There’s a range of options available out there, so do your research on which product is right for your face and give it a run.
Yes, those notorious acne-cleaning face washes do help reduce blackhead build-up - but salicylic acid is what you’re really looking for. Find it in soaps as well as cleansers, and leave-on gels with this as an active ingredient.
Salicylic acid helps to unclog your pores and prevent permanent marks. It therefore also helps dissolve those annoying blackheads. Using it for a few weeks will remove some blackheads but loosen up others – so if you’re not seeing full results you might have to go with pore strips as well.
Most of the above tips are for stripping blackheads complete, but in doing so they can also remove much-needed oils from your face. You know what they say, the best treatment is often prevention. It’s true for blackheads too. A high-quality moisturiser will keep the skin on your nose, chin and forehead healthy. It will keep the oils balanced and stop the surface from drying out, which often happens as a result of exfoliation or other skin treatments.
If your blackheads are becoming a serious worry, a dermatologist can help. Not all blackhead infestations (sorry, gross visual!) can be fixed with the methods above. So if you have tried everything above for little to no results, go and see a specialist. As well as access to more powerful prescription-based products, dermatologists also carry tools to clear problem areas on the spot.
You can do your best to stop blackheads but it happens to almost everyone. Genetics impact some more than others, but everyone can help reduce blackheads with the methods above. Follow them to achieve healthier, smoother skin.
]]>Waking up on a pillow full of grease isn’t fun. Neither is the feeling of torching your hair with your favourite product in the morning, only to watch it go limp and lifeless by midday.
Let’s not get started on thinning, either.
But while most guys accept their fate and put it down to the evil genes of their parents, the truth is that only plays a very small part. For most men, the only thing standing between an Amy Winehouse situation and a luscious weave is a few basic adjustments to their hair care routine.
The good news is most of the hair care mistakes guys make are pretty common, and they’re all easy to fix.
Here are the 6 fastest and easiest ways to lift your hair care game.
Using too much product
There seems to be a common practice of guys overdoing the wax, gel, or clay in their hair in the morning, and it’s a rookie move of the highest order. Too much product gives your hair a greasy finish, causes a build-up that can appear like dandruff, and actually makes it harder to achieve the style you’re going for.
How to fix it: Less is more when it comes to product. Most waxes only actually need a five-cent piece size to be effective. Unless you’re using something light, start with that and adjust if needed.
Forgetting the conditioner
Don’t roll your eyes at me. While it’s not a big problem, it’s an easy win which can make a noticeable difference to the overall health of your hair and ability to style. Only using shampoo in the shower causes static which weakens your hair with breaks, split ends and even hair loss.
How to fix it: Duh - use conditioner. Using a conditioner seals your hair cuticle, avoids fluff and separates your strands allowing for an easier styling experience and sharper look overall.
2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Next time you check yourself out in the mirror, think about this: each strand of your hair has a bunch of scales called ‘cuticles’. They’re rather important. Here’s why:
To properly clean your hair, these cuticles first need to be ‘opened up’ to release any product or build-up of nasty stuff. This is what shampoo does. A conditioner, which you use afterwards, moisturises and then ‘closes’ your hair cuticles.
A single product can’t open and close your cuticles at the same time. The 2-in-1 products coat your hair with silicone and leave cuticles permanently open, causing it to pick up pollutants and get dirtier quicker.
How to fix it: Buy separate shampoo and conditioner, use shampoo first.
Colouring your hair (at home)
It may have been cool to try at your mate’s place when you were 15, but DIY colouring is never a smart idea. Amateur mistakes can lead to canary yellow bleaching, dyes way too dark or flat for your skin, or worse: colour tones that pick up on greys.
How to fix it: Say no to peer pressure. Ask your friendly hairdresser before colouring for the first time or changing colour.
Using the wrong product for your hair type
Men’s hair types are more than just ’parted, un-parted and departed’. Textures vary, for example, and each product nails different types. If you use a light clay in long, thick hair, it will dissolve as soon as it’s hit with a breeze. If your weave is thin, shine finishes are often not the best idea.
How to fix it: Ask your barber about the right product for you. A small addition like boost powder or sea-salt spray can make a big impact.
Using cheap-and-nasty hair care products
Low-quality shampoos are like using dishwashing liquid. They strip your strands of their much-needed moisture, damage your scalp and rob your mane of the natural oils that keep it healthy.
Refined shampoos and conditioners that contain natural oils, proteins and carefully chosen ingredients are worth the investment. A good product will prevent the destruction above, as well as delay hair thinning and give you a vibrant finish.
How to fix it: Check the ingredients before you buy your products. Look for natural oils and proteins in particular.
Summary
Following these tips will put you in an elite company of men: those who actually know what they’re doing when it comes to hair care. Membership includes thicker, fuller hair, a healthy shine and clean styling. Stop making the same mistakes, and start looking after your luscious locks. The results are worth it.
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While there are many benefits to growing older ourselves, the passing years carry with it some side effects we all try our best to ignore.
One of those is wiping the shower steam off your bathroom mirror, reaching for your comb, and realising 5 minutes have just passed and you find yourself duck-facing sideways like a Kardashian on Instagram, examining a new wrinkle on your forehead. You frown and un-frown, thinking maybe it’s just the wrong angle. But it’s not. It’s there, and it’s not going away.
Ageing is most obvious on our skin. While it’s not noticeable day to day, as the months and years pass skin becomes more and more weathered looking, wrinkled, creased and blemished. It’s inevitable. No one can outrun it, or escape the process completely.
But you can slow it down, and stop it affecting your self confidence. While there’s no way to make the time go faster, by doing the right things and looking after body the right way, you can control the impact of ageing on the skin and make sure you don’t look like your old man’s leather jacket for a long time yet.
Here are 4 easy ways to stop the ageing process in it’s tracks, without spending longer than your girlfriend in the bathroom.
It may seem way too simple to be true, but maintaining a healthy diet has a big impact on your body’s overall health and the glow of your skin. Choosing fruit and vegetables over processed foods slows down brain ageing, fills the body with antioxidants that stop physical signs of ageing, and speeds up your skin’s metabolism.
While staying out until 2am sinking your favourite beer and smashing a burger feels good at the time, it also wreaks havoc on your ageing system. Heavy drinking increases the risk of heart disease, blood pressure problems and diabetes, and eventually gives you a sullen, tired look that reflects how your body feels inside. Healthy looking skin starts with a healthy body. Everything in moderation.
Exercise
We don’t want to sound like your mother, but regular exercise is one of the best ways to keep your boyish good looks in tip-top shape. As well as increasing blood flow around your body, exercise also reduces severe inflammation in the body which causes unwanted skin blemishes like wrinkles.
Aim to get out there and exercise at least 3-4 times per week. If you’re just getting started, begin with a regular walk and slowly ramp it up to gym workouts. You will boost your immunity to disease, improve your memory and stamina, and help you to get a good night’s sleep. And most importantly, your Blue Steel will stay on point for longer.
Avoid too much sun
Enjoying the warm sunshine does wonders for the body. Vitamin D keeps your bones healthy and your sleep cycles working, as well as helping keep those depression demons away. Too much exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, however, can cause irreparable damage to your skin, and render all of that effort towards getting yourself a tan wasted.
We’re not going to say you should avoid the sun, but it’s a good idea to make sure you do two things: balance it with some time out of direct exposure, and protect your skin with sunscreen and clothing, particularly if you’re out surfing or roaming the beach for a while.
Invest in high-quality skincare
Every 28 days your old skin cells are replaced by new ones, and for it all to happen smoothly and without skin dryness and flakiness your skin needs the right amount of oil and moisture at the ready. Regular low-quality soap can strip moisture and oils which is exactly what you don’t want for healthy-looking skin.
For those reasons, it’s important to get yourself a good body scrub and a high-quality body wash or cleanser. Use the scrub in the shower as regularly as possible with the body wash, and make sure you apply both rigorously to your face as well as all the other important areas. Quality and ingredients make a big difference with body wash, so make sure you pick something that contains plenty of natural oils and no nasties, and stick with it.
While we would all like whiskey to be some sort of magical fountain of youth, the reality is it’s not. The next best thing to stop the ageing process is to look after your skin by eating well, protecting yourself in the sun, exercising regularly and getting yourself some good quality shower companions. Until then, we’ll get to work on that magical whiskey. Join our mailing list to be the first to know when we figure it out.
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