4 Annoying Summer Grooming Problems

By Sam Stilson
[Grooming]
What are the enemies of proper grooming in the summer?  Sam Stilson checks out the worst of summer grooming problems.
Everybody loves the summer.  The weather is fantastic, everyone is in a good mood and there is almost always something fun to do.  But as blissful as the days of summer can be, when it comes to keeping yourself well groomed, June to August can certainly be the dog days of the year.

There are many factors that make the summer a man’s grooming hell:  increased activity, prolonged exposure to the outdoors, a general footlooseness and fancy-free-ism.  What it all amounts to is a greater effort towards keeping fresh, clean and put together on your part.  It sure can be tough though; just ask anyone who ever had to walk 2 kilometres to a job interview in a suit...in August.  Or who’s had to wear a tuxedo at a wedding...in an old church...without A/C...in July.  Less-than-perfect hair, a red face and sweat accumulation in every crease of your body are just a handful of the annoying summer grooming problems men have to deal with.

Farmer’s Tan

We’ve all experienced the awkward tan.  You fall asleep in the sun in a t-shirt, you dangled your arm out of a car window for an entire road trip or maybe you just worked all day in the sun.  A comical uneven, checkerboard, patchwork tan is one of those should-have-known-better mishaps that make you feel like a dork early in the summer.  Perhaps you didn’t think it was warm enough yet to get a sunburn or you just didn’t think you’d be outside that long.  A farmer’s tan isn’t the end of the world, but you’ll be sure to get a few snickers and guffaws from your friends, girlfriend and family when you take off your shirt to swim if you look like you’ve been cleaning a fish tank filled with strawberry jam.  To avoid looking like Hank Hill this summer, tan gradually.  Stagger your time outdoors in the early days of the summer, so you can work up a good base tan and avoid getting a sunburn.  As well, if you know you’re going to be outside all day, dress appropriately.  Slather on some sunblock and ditch the shirt, or wear a long sleeved shirt.  All it takes is a little forethought.

Helmet Hair

With the absence of biting cold wind and any rain, sleet or snow on the ground, many men get around on their bikes during the summer.  While this is great for your fitness, it’s not so great for your grooming.  One common complaint that comes from perpetually biking is helmet hair.  Once that helmet comes off that morning’s once perfectly preened pompadour is now a semi-flattened cowlick held together with a nice helping of sweat.  It’s a hell of a look if you’re only biking over to a D & D party, but if you plan on seeing members of the opposite sex, you may want to reconsider.  Simple solutions to avoid helmet hair are to either leave the bike at home if you’re out to impress, bring a comb and B-line to the restroom for a touch up or hit up your barber for a shorter haircut.  What you shouldn’t do is ditch your helmet.  It’s better to look like Alfalfa than Headwound Harry.
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