Having acne sucks. In your teens and early twenties it can dramatically affect your social life and self esteem. Left untreated, severe cases of acne can scar your face and have an impact on your life well into your adult years. Fortunately, science has come a long way in the treatment of acne. Following are our recommendations for controlling acne using Menscience products. These products are, in our opinion, the best available.
1) NEVER overscrub your skin or pick at blemishes. This can lead to further infection and scarring. Nothing is more satisfying than popping a big ole zit, but resist the temptation.
2) Wash your face every morning with lukewarm water. For a great wash, we recommend Menscience Daily Face Wash. It helps improve your complexion with glycolic acid and other professional grade ingredients that will help smooth, heal and renew your skin.
3) Apply a topical cream such as Menscience Acne Therapy Lotion that contains benzoyl peroxide and allow it to absorb into the skin and let dry before applying any additional product.
4) One to three times per day, remove oily residue and buildup with a face pad. Menscience makes a great one - Menscience Adcanced Acne Pads - that contains salicylic acid, witch hazel, tea tree, and glycolic acid to help clean and heal the skin.
5) Wash the face again before bedtime using Daily Face wash and lukewarm water. Pat dry. As an alternative to washing, use Menscience Advanced Face Tonic to clear the face of oil, buildup, and dead skin cells.
6) Once or twice a week, use a gentle scrub like Menscience Microfine Face Scrub. Remember… very gently wash your face with this product using a circular motion. Allow to sit for two minutes and then rinse.
7) To quickly eliminate breakouts, Menscience Acne Spot Repair will help heal blemishes with the highest concentration of benzoyl peroxide to provide fast results.
These products will provide great results. As always, consult your dermatologist before beginning any skincare regimen.
For more great skincare tips, check out our Guide to Skin Care at the Metro Men’s Grooming website.
Tags: Acne, Menscience, Skin Care
So this one’s really got me hot under the collar. We were recently asked by one of the companies whose products we carry if we would like to be included in a feature about their shaving products in the Atlantan magazine.
Of course, being the publicity whores that we are, we jumped at the chance and sent them the required information and prepared to place a large order of their product to be ready for the masses that the Atlantanwould surely bring in. Foolish us. Here was the Atlantan’s response:
“I think we’re going to have to pass on including it in our coverage. We focus on the high-end demographic, and American Haircuts isn’t the kind of place our readers would frequent.” Huh? Pretentious pricks.
American Haircuts isn’t the kind of place their readers would frequent? Our shop is an upscale barbershop in Roswell where men can get a great haircut or hot shave, have fun and real conversation, and maybe even be treated to a shot of 18 year old single malt scotch. The demograpics in our area are right in line with the target markets the Atlantan lists in their media kit. Our shop is patronized by high powered executives from many Atlanta corporations, an award winning movie writer and producer, local auto executives, and two legendary pro baseball players. Guys who far exceed the Atlantan’s target demographic and could probably write a check on the spot to buy the whole damned magazine. These guys come into our shop for a dose of reality - to relax and get away from all of the “politically correct” bullshit and to interact with regular guys as well as those who hold similar positions. It’s the kind of place where men can be men and decompress from their stressful lives. Exactly the kind of place the male segment of the Atlantan’s demographic would appreciate.
Could it be that American Haircuts only charges $20 for a man’s haircut instead of $75? Or that we’re not located in thug infested Buckhead? It sounds to me like the Atlantan is probably a little out of touch with what their demographic is reallyafter. I hope our current shop or future shops never become the kind of places that fit into their vision of what men want. Thank god our clients aren’t that pretentious.
I have to admit, I’ve only casually flipped through the Atlantan and put it down after I found the countless ads for cosmetic surgery and condos a bit dull - although I did find a great place for some teeth whitening and it sure looks pretty on my coffee table right next to the Guns and Ammo.
Hey, guys… let me know where you want this truckload of manure delivered.
Tags: American Haircuts, Metro Men's Grooming
Most drugstore brands of bar soap are great at doing their job — if you define their job just as “getting the dirt off.” And unless your mom still cleans your shower a good shower wash leaves much less soap scum for the dreaded weekend chores. That scum that gets on your shower walls gets on your skin, too, by the way.
Define a bar soap’s job as “getting dirt and other things off without damaging your skin,” however, and it’s a different story. First off, there’s a job just as important as cleaning off dirt that most bar soaps are not very good at doing: exfoliation, or removing dead skin, and leaving your skin free from pore clogging residue.
Skin is made of dozens of layers of cells. New ones are constantly being made on the inside and pushing the old ones to the outside, where they dry up and, if dry enough, will visibly flake off. Usually, however, they tend to come off invisibly when you wash.
And that’s what bar soaps are just not good enough at doing. They only get some of the dead cells off, and they leave behind a residue (including those dead cells) that tends to clog pores, which can even increase acne breakouts.
When you use a higher-quality exfoliating cleanser, you not only scrub more of the dead cells off, revealing the younger, fresher skin below. You also open up those same pores, so they don’t clog and cause breakouts. (On your face, removing more of that outer layer also means hair and beard follicles are better exposed, for a closer shave.)
But the other important reason to use something other than that “soap on a rope” your dad used is that bar soap contains grease-cutters which not only do their job, they overdo it. They cut through both the oils you build up during the day — and the oils you need to keep your skin from drying out. And it’s dry skin that ages, wrinkles, damages in the sun, and chaps in the winter.
A better-formulated exfoliating cleanser in combination with a moisturizer will enable you to be even cleaner than someone using that old yellow bar, while allowing your skin to keep its natural protection against aging and damage.
Get Your Groom On Guys Recommend:
Menscience Daily Body Wash
Jack Black Cool Moisture Body Lotion
Tags: Body Wash, Skin Care, Soap
Face it guys there is nothing that kills a fun evening like frying yourself before the sun even goes down. If it’s the pool, the beach or just the backyard - no matter where you’re headed for your outdoor pleasure - protect your full rights to have fun without the burn by protecting your skin (don’t forget the lips, too). You’ll stay looking good and avoid that “George Hamilton” look.
Overexposure to the sun’s invisible rays causes skin damage. And that the damage can be both immediate and long-term — ranging from sunburn, rashes, and cell and tissue damage to premature wrinkling and skin cancer. So before departing to your vacation destination, a few tips:
Tips and Facts to Know:
1) An SPF (sun protection factor) number gives you an idea of how long you can stay in the sun without burning. For example, let’s say you’d typically burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen. However if you apply a sunscreen with a SPF number of 15, you should be protected from sunburn for 150 minutes.
2) Studies show that most people typically under-apply the amount sunscreen needed to get the full protection a sunscreen offers. They often apply only 25% to 50% of the recommended amount. Be smarter and always apply liberally.
3) Some medications may actually make your skin even more susceptible to burn. Certain antibiotics, antihistamines, and antidepressants are commonly used drugs that can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun’s rays. Be sure to consult your doctor.
Consider a sunscreen with Titanium Dioxide (or TiO2)
which provides a broad spectrum of protection but is much less visible to the eye (no white haze on your skin like with other sunscreens).
Get Your Groom On Guys Recommend:
Menscience Ti02 Sunblock SPF 30
Menscience Advanced Lip Protection
And a product great for spraying on that thinning spot on the top of your head:
Jack Black Sun Guard Ultra-Light Spray
Tags: Jack Black, Menscience, Skin Care, Sunscreen
Sloughing not slouching. Not like when you Mom said stop slouching and sit up straight. When it comes to your face, sloughing is a good thing. Sloughing—aka exfoliating—removes the dead, flaky cells from your skin. It can help you reduce fine lines and achieve a more even skin tone and glow.
For men, the added benefit of using a scrub is that it helps raise your whiskers, giving you a closer, better shave. And it helps prevent nasty ingrown hairs that cause razor bumps.
One important tip…even though it’s called a scrub, you don’t want to apply the same pressure as if buffing your car. Just glide the scrub gently across your face in circular motions to hit the dead cells from all angles.
A few other things to keep in mind when using a face scrub:
• Use a scrub made specifically for the face. Body scrubs can be too abrasive.
• Avoid scrubbing directly below your eyes, since the skin is thin and can easily be damaged.
• After scrubbing, splash your face with cold water to close the pores.
Get your Groom on Guys Recommend: Jack Black Face Buff
Tags: Exfoliation, Face Wash, Jack Black
First off guys DHT does not stand for Damn Huge Tits. The best thing you can do for the hair you have is protect it by preventing formation of DHT on your scalp. Scientific evidence shows that DHT formation on the scalp, combined with family history, is a key factor leading to male hair loss. But what is DHT and how can it put you on a path to baldness? Put simply, a guy’s natural mojo, testosterone, gets converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT then forms a waxy substance that gathers at the bulbs of your hair follicles and causes constriction of the blood vessels on the scalp. 
As a new hair is produced, it gradually gets thinner and breaks off more easily. Soon a protective membrane develops on the scalp, preventing new hair growth. And over time as hair falls out naturally, it isn’t replaced. But by integrating quality hair care products into your daily routine, you can better ensure the ongoing health of your hair. Also, remember that good health, exercise and nutrition can contribute to healthy hair growth. And some minerals like zinc and Vitamin B can help improve your hair’s physical properties—elasticity, strength, and shine. The Get Your Groom on Guys recommend: Menscience Daily Shampoo
Tags: Baldness, Hair Loss, Menscience
As a result of a recent blog post on balding, I had a somewhat terse response from a man named Jerry who accused me of not always doing what a client wants. That exchange prompted me to think about what really great service means.
I’ve trained shop owners in customer service and have even posted a fairly lengthy article on service on our “brother” site, haircutsformen.org (READ PAGE HERE). Our Atlanta shop is, in all likelihood, the busiest shop in metro Atlanta and our client retention is through the roof. But what makes it so?
Great customer service in a barbershop or salon includes: always making the client feel welcome, making sure the client is comfortable, giving a great cut and knowing your products, and being dependable and consistent. I think it also means pissing a few people off once in awhile. Let me explain…
As barbers and hair stylists, we’re paid to make people look their best. We’re trained to know how the shape of a cut can enhance or detract from key facial features as well as the advantages and limitations of different hair types and how to cut and style the hair to its best advantage. Often, clients see a cool haircut on an actor or athlete and think that cut is the way to go when, in reality, it can often be the worst option for their face and hair. Is good service doing what the client wants contrary to what training tells us we should do? I don’t think so. As a barber, I would rather refuse service to a client than do something that I feel will make him look like a dumbass. Is that good customer service? I believe it is. In our shop, we take a great deal of pride in offering outstanding quality and realize that every cut leaving the shop is our signature - our reputation - and we’re not willing to sacrifice that to make a quick buck.
In our shop, we don’t follow the old favorite slogan “the customer is always right.” I don’t believe this is the case. All too often, in this industry and others, we fall into this misguided belief that we must do everything to make everyone happy all of the time - even if it means disrupting an environment or putting up with someone who’s being a prick. In doing so, I think we often create environments that are “antiseptic” and not very satisfying to anyone. This is one of the reasons I’m no longer in the corporate franchise business. It seems that shops which try to be everything to everybody often fail. It’s important to focus on what you’re really good at and do it consistently well. This means sometimes turning a client away.
For example, the focus of our Atlanta shop is adult men. To that end, we do everything we can to make a man feel comfortable and enjoy his experience with us. For that reason, we don’t cut the hair of children who are crying (well behaved kids are always welcome) because it disrupts the atmosphere and frankly, most men don’t want to hear it. Sure, we’ve had some pissed off parents storm out of our shop, but in doing so we’ve made the environment comfortable to our core market - adult men. Most franchised stores will require their barbers and stylists to put up with the wailing and do everything possible to complete the service and get that cash. In doing so, I think they’re sacrificing customer service for a quick buck. Why irritate a shop full of men for the sake of one misbehaving child? We also don’t put up with clients who are disrespectful and those who can’t take a joke. Such people make other clients and staff uncomfortable. We strive to always maintain a fun “real” atmosphere where a guy can cut up, relax, and have a good time. Assholes don’t fit well into our environment and we’d rather them go somewhere else. Most of our clients find this attitude refreshing. Those who don’t are likely those that fall into the group that we don’t want to serve in the first place.
Is this good customer service? I believe it is. By turing away a few clients who don’t “fit in” with the atmosphere of our shop means that we create a better environment for our target market - adult men who know the value of great haircut served up with a good joke or two (and the occasional shot of 18 year old single malt).
I believe “the customer is right when the customer is right” and when he’s being a prick, I’ll tell him as much.
- Dave
Tags: Customer Service
So, I had a guy come into my barbershop with a comb-over. Not just any comb-over. This thing was a masterwork that started just above his right ear and swirled artfully around his entire bald head.After what seemed like hours of negotiation, I just could not convince him to cut it off. 
Does this guy think he’s fooling anyone? Does he look in the mirror each morning after creating his hair art and say to himself, “whew, now nobody knows I’m bald”? More importantly, does the guy think this hairstyle’s going to help him get laid!? The sad part of this story is that he’s not an old guy. Only about 35ish and, from the forehead down, a pretty good looking guy. I can’t understand why he thinks this looks good. He told me he’d tried everything. Pills, creams, shampoos, herbal remedies, voodoo…. but nothing worked. I know one thing he hasn’t - won’t - try… a good haircut. Take a look at Bruce Willis, Jason Stratham, Patrick Stewart, Sean Connery. All bald. And all men that most women would hop in the sack with in a moment’s notice. Guys if you’re losing it, do the world a favor and just own up to it. Please, for the love of God, please save us from having to try to carry on a conversation with you without making a concentrated effort to look you in the eye instead of staring at those few remaining hold-outs plastered to the top of your head! Run to your nearest barber now and cut it off!
Tags: Baldness, Hair Loss, Headshaving, Shaving
We’re pleased to announce after enough research to give us all a drinking problem, our new product line is finally off the ground.
The new line consists of Pre Shave Oil, Ultimate Shaving Cream, and Post Shave Repair and combines the best in all natural ingredients with modern science to create products which are highly effective and suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin. Unlike most shaving products, the Metro Men’s Grooming® line is made in the Unitied States. That’s right, no imports from India or Canada - our stuff’s made right here in metro Atlanta.
We also offer a quality line of shaving brushes, stands and razors which are custom made in England. In 2008, we plan to launch a complete haircare line which will make you look so good, you’re sure to get laid.*
Metro Men’s Grooming® was created by Greg Martin, Scott Brown, and Dave Alexander, owner’s of the successful American Haircuts barbershop concept and the world’s largest men’s grooming website, http://haircutsformen.org. The product line will be sold in American Haircuts branded shops, via the company’s website at http://mmgrooming.com, and through partnering salons and barbershops.
If you would like more information about the Metro Men’s Grooming® product line, or to schedule an interview with a company representative, please contact Greg Martin at 404-625-7200 or e-mail Greg at pr@mmgrooming.com
* Actually, we really can’t make that guarantee. Getting laid largely depends on how effective your mojo is and how drunk you can get her first. Of course, a well groomed head of hair and a close shave will help.
Tags: Aftershave Balm, Metro Men's Grooming, Pre-Shave Oil, Shaving Cream
