10 Ways to Look Hotter, According to Grooming Experts

Perfecting a grooming routine is like tailoring a suit: to see results, it takes one small alteration at a time. You have to hem the trousers, take in the waist, shorten the sleeves, let out the chest—the list goes on. None of these mean anything alone. Together, they make something elegant and personalized.

None of us need every little product that the grooming marketplace has to offer. Instead, consider addressing what catches your eye in the mirror, in photos, or halfway through a long day. Those could be a shiny forehead, stubborn breath, lingering acne scars, thinning hair at the temples. Each is hardly anything on its own, but more difficult to ignore when taken together.

And it takes a village. That’s why we consulted a dozen sages, from the worlds of dermatology, dentistry, hair restoration and more, to answer some of the most common questions in the realms of hair, skin, and hygiene.

“My face is shiny by midday no matter which cleanser or moisturizer I use. How do I actually manage oily skin without drying it out?”

Many men treat oil as if it’s the enemy, scrubbing it away with harsh cleansers or skipping moisturizer altogether. London plastic surgeon Dr. Yannis Alexandrides, founder of 111 Harley Street and luxe skincare label 111Skin, says this tactic can make things worse. “Shiny skin by midday usually means your skin is overproducing oil to compensate for dehydration or ineffective cleansing,” he explains.

In other words, your skin might actually be thirsty, despite the excess oil. Aggressive cleansing can trigger more oil production, so Dr. Alexandrides urges you to be conservative: “The goal isn’t to strip the skin,” he says.

When skin is properly hydrated and the pores are unobstructed, oil production tends to regulate itself. The shine fades not because you’ve stripped it away, but because your skin no longer needs to overcompensate.

Alexandrides recommends salicylic acid–based products to dissolve excess sebum and keep pores clear. Specifically, a gentle cleanser can remove build-up without damaging the skin’s barrier, followed by a lightweight moisturiser that delivers hydration without heaviness.

“I only want to shower once a day. Is it better to do that in the morning or at night—and why?”

There is no universal “correct” time to shower. It comes down to what you do with your days and nights. New York–based cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green reminds us of the straightforward purpose of a shower: “It is essential to hygiene, as it removes dead skin cells, dirt, sweat, oil, pollutants and other impurities,” she says.

From a skin-health perspective, a nighttime shower has a clear advantage. “Showering at night removes the impurities accumulated throughout the day and prevents them from being transferred to sheets and pillowcases,” she says. It can also reduce microbial growth while you sleep, since bacteria and yeast feed on skin oils.