You see it everywhere these days: Men taking their appearances very seriously. They're into skin care, hair care, nail care, and plucking their eyebrows…. Now, maybe you come from the old school of thought, where real men leave the primping for the ladies. They're the ones who need to look good.

Of course that's just not true, and you know it. Everyone likes to look his best, if for no other reason than looking good makes you feel good about yourself. Sure, there are the rare individuals out there who eschew appearances — for themselves and for others — but everyone else is living in our appearance-driven society, for better or for worse.

This section will cover some of the larger areas of concern in male grooming. Promise yourself to read through the next few pages with an open mind. No one ever improved himself by being cynical, you know.

Your Hands

While it's true that women are expected to have pretty, feminine hands, and men are more likely to have hands that show how hard they work, everyone benefits from the wonders of hand lotion. Your wife will suddenly want to hold your hand, and you'll remember what it's like to have skin instead of sandpaper covering your digits. And really, moisturized hands are the least conspicuous as well as the easiest improvement one can make.

Your nails are another story. What kind of shape are they in? Are they cracked or yellow? Might there be a fungus among us?

If your nails are discolored or peeling, see your doctor. If they're just badly misshapen, get yourself a manicure. Sure, you'll feel funny at first if you've never had your nails pampered, but you might just love it once it's done. Your hands will look as though you've never put in a hard day's work, and you won't believe the difference this one little improvement will make to your state of mind.

Hair Raising Issues

“Not the hair!” you're thinking. You can't understand why your wife and daughter have so many issues with your locks, because, after all, they belong to you. Maybe you love your hair the way it is; maybe you just aren't looking for a change. Whatever the case, if the women in your life have been after you to do something with your head, ask yourself why they're so adamant about it.

• Is your haircut dated? (Are you sporting long, feathered hair?)

• Does it reflect a totally different time in your life? (Are you still wearing a flattop because you got used to it in the Army…and you've been out for almost twenty years?)

• Does it need a little snip here and there? (Is it long enough to braid?)

Now, according to the story of Samson, a man's strength is all bound up in his hair. According to scientists, however, that's just not true, and cutting your hair will not drain the energy from your body. Considering that most men wear their hair short, a haircut is a fairly low-risk venture — it does grow back, and fairly quickly. Besides, you'll probably be surprised at how quickly you get used to a slightly new look.

One word of warning: Try out a new look well in advance of the date of the wedding. For many men, there's a delay of at least a week or two between the time they have their locks shorn and the time it starts looking and feeling just right. In the case of a really drastic change, you may need to allow more time for this transition (if for no other reason than you'll need the time to get used to your new look).

What About Those Eyebrows?

And speaking of hair issues…it's time to address your eyebrows. A decent barber will trim those caterpillars for you, but he probably won't shave what is known in certain circles as a unibrow (or in others as a monobrow). If you have one line of wool starting at one temple and continuing across your eyes and the bridge of your nose right on over to the other temple, you should really give some thought to weeding out some of that hair. This one little adjustment will make a world of difference to your appearance. People will know something about you has changed, but they won't quite know what.

Some men will need an eyebrow waxing to accomplish this, and unless you know anything about waxing body hair, leave it to a professional. In fact, if you've never touched your eyebrows before, don't even try to take the tweezers to them yourself, as you could end up really regretting it in the end. Let a professional shape them for you the first time; you can handle the maintenance after that. You'll find these eyebrow magicians in many unisex hair salons and day spas.

Shaving Like a Pro

Yes, you've been shaving for years. You're good at it, and no one needs to tell you how to do it. Case closed.

Well, just for kicks, why not read through this section and see if anything jumps out at you? You know, when you do the same thing every single day for years and years (and years), it tends to become a robotic, thought-free process. When was the last time you really gave any thought at all to your shaving routine? If you could improve on it and have your skin come out looking and feeling smoother, wouldn't you? Or, perhaps you've been sporting a beard for…well, forever, and you've decided to revert back to clean-shaven skin. Treat your skin right, and you'll look like a million bucks.

For starters, electric razors are not the best choice. They can be very unkind to your skin, as they are apt to pull the hair out of your beard rather than shave it, which can lead to all sorts of irritation. If you're traveling and you need a quick shave on the road, an electric razor can be a godsend. If you're in the comfort of your own bathroom, a wet shave is the better choice.

Now, men are often reluctant to break out a new razor. (After all, you might argue, the one you've been using for the past three months is still working just fine.) Ideally, you should be using a razor with a very sharp edge. Shave the hair in the direction it's growing to eliminate the possibility of ingrown hairs. Take your time, especially when you're shaving your neck. Men tend to want to get this mundane task over and done with, and some of them spend the day with little pieces of toilet paper stuck to their various nicks, or razor burn lighting up their cheeks. Slow down. Take sixty extra seconds to do it right, and you won't have to suffer.

When you're done, rinse the remaining cream or oil off of your sleek, baby-smooth face with cool water and use an aftershave balm to cool irritated skin. Then take a gander in the mirror and ooh and ahh over yourself. See? Doing things a little differently isn't so bad after all.