Seemingly trifling concerns can cripple your body confidence. Here’s how to deal with those grooming gremlins.

Patchy Beard

If your sparse facial hair is keeping you from joining the beard gang, it’s time to work on promoting growth and detangling. Start by using beard oil daily to soften hair, allow for easy combing, and promote growth. If your beard is excessively coiled or knotted, use a beard conditioner to gently detangle and work out knots before using a wooden comb or beard brush to groom 

Ingrown Hairs

Razor bumps and ingrown hairs are probably on the top of every black man’s list of annoying problems. Since beard hair is coiled and coarse, it tends to grow out and down back into the skin. This can cause painful, inflamed bumps, especially after a close shave. Swap straight-razor shaves for clippers to create less friction on the skin. Ensure that you always apply a bump-relief solution after shaving to calm irritation and combat post-inflammatory pigmentation. 

Oily Skin

Men tend to have very oily skin, which manifests as a shiny T-zone, enlarged pores, and visible sebum in the pores. Controlling excess oil will guard against other skin concerns, including acne, dullness, and rough texture. Look for products with ingredients such as salicylic acid or use a charcoal-based cleanser or mask to purify the skin and draw out excess oils. Get into the habit of performing weekly facial exfoliations to slough off dead skin and sebum.

Unwanted Hair

It can get pretty hairy when you have an awkward case of hair growth on the back, shoulders, neck, toes, or ears. You can address this concern by shaving every week at home or going for a professional wax (ouch!). If these remedies are inadequate, consider laser hair removal. This method once had a bad reputation for causing pigmentation on darker skin tones, but the latest Soprano Laser System technology is your friend. It helps distribute heat in a circular motion rather than zapping individual hair follicles, which delivers a less painful and faster process that doesn’t damage the skin.

Dry Scalp

Men who are used to rocking a chiskop may list a dry scalp as one of their grooming concerns. Not having hair to hide the condition of the scalp means that you’re more susceptible to embarrassment due to tiny flakes resembling dandruff. Dry scalp can be the result of genuine dryness, as the skin is constantly exposed to the elements, but can also be caused by sensitivity to constant shaving. Look for shampoos with ingredients such as urea and lactate. These naturally produced components help to hydrate and soothe the scalp skin. Follow cleansing with a scalp serum or lotion for added protection and moisture.

Bacne

No one likes a case of bacne, however mild it is. Using a spray allows you to treat problematic body skin that’s hard to reach, so you can show off your back with confidence. Look for a spray with ascorbic acid and niacinamide to calm inflammation and reduce dark spots and body acne on the back, shoulders, or neck.