The concept of “glow up” has become such a buzzword that it’s hard to pinpoint where to start.
Having the right mindset is obviously the number one. But what would be the other things?
Take help from these tips for a step-by-step guide on glowing up as a man.
Glow Up With a Proper Skincare Routine
To start your glow-up journey, I recommend “putting your money where your mouth is.”
In this case, it’s getting a proper skincare routine.
However, don’t fall into the trap of fancy marketing and trying dozens of skincare products.
A face wash, moisturizer, and sunscreen will be your essentials.
You can start using a face wash or cleanser twice daily. Moisturize every morning and at night, and apply sunscreen when you go outside.
For a skincare upgrade, experts recommend using retinol serum every other day and an exfoliating scrub twice weekly.
Get a Nice Haircut
Getting a quality haircut is the most instant way to get a glow-up. But it comes with a catch: “You have to do it right.”
A failsafe way is to understand your face shape and get a haircut accordingly.
It’s important to stay clear of completely mimicking celebrity hairstyles.
These can work as inspiration but can’t give you a signature post-glow-up look.
So, the best approach is to allow your hair to grow a little. Then, experiment with different hairstyles before you develop your signature cut.
When the haircut gets sorted, use high-quality clay or pomade to style your hair.
Tweaked Facial Hair & Eyebrows
Grooming your eyebrows and facial hair is a part of getting good facial aesthetics.
However, you don’t have to go overboard here.
For the eyebrows, only tweeze the excess hair in the area. Don’t trim from the top or do threading.
Next, you have to decide between growing a beard or going clean-shaven. Either of these is fine.
Just make sure you take proper care of it. For example, when growing a beard, keep it fresh and trim it regularly.
The same goes for the shave. Shave daily and use a clipper instead of a razor.
If you prefer a classic shave with the safety razor, do it after the shower.
Brush and Flush Your Teeth
The toothbrushing technique most gentlemen learn under the disguise of childhood bribery is often wrong.
It’s also an easy setup for getting yellow teeth and bad breath.
To get a glow up, you need to fix these things. Your teeth need to shine.
Start by learning the proper technique to brush your teeth. Do it twice a day, along with flossing your teeth.
If you are worried about bad breath, mouth freshers can help.
Sometimes, you don’t get that perfect white teeth just by brushing.
In such cases, add teeth whitening strips to your grooming routine.
Clean the Dirt of Your Tongue
The oral hygiene isn’t restricted to your teeth. The tongue plays its part.
Actually, the small dirt particles can sometimes gather around the tongue.
This can create problems, bad breath being one of them.
Cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper will keep you free from all such problems.
But don’t become overly aggressive. Using a tongue scraper once daily after brushing your teeth is more than enough.
Freshening Your Lips
Shakira was wrong. It’s actually the lips that don’t lie.
Also, chapped and dry lips are a giveaway for bad grooming and can affect your appearance, especially in winter.
To freshen your lips, exfoliate them regularly with a mixture of sugar and honey. This will remove any discoloration and the dead skin cells.
Also, use a balm to prevent your lips from going dry. Make sure the lip balm doesn’t have products like camphor and methanol.
Adequate water intake is also essential to make your lips look fresh.
Shower Regularly
It doesn’t take much to figure out how a regular shower can lead to a glow-up.
Primarily, you enjoy good hygiene, and that boosts your mood and overall confidence.
To get a glow up, it doesn’t matter if you shower in the morning or at night. Or if you take a hot or cold shower.
These things are a personal preference and more related to lifestyle.
What matters is that you shower properly. This includes using a non-drying soap and an exfoliant.
Moisturize after the shower and apply deodorant.
Don’t get carried on. The ideal shower time is between five and ten minutes.
Workout Regularly
If there is one thing essential to get a glow up, it would be pumping iron.
Also, the benefits of regular exercise go beyond the physical appearance.
You get a confidence boost, your mental health improves, and the grooming products start looking magical.
So, leave everything else for a moment and start going to the gym.
Hire a fitness trainer, or learn the proper form from any online resources.
Start by working out three times a week and then move to five.
Understand your body, and you’ll gradually start seeing a glow up.
Eat Healthier Food
You are what you eat. A proper diet is therefore essential.
Also, if you consume junk food with a lot of unhealthy oils, your body and face will never glow up.
Instead, develop a habit of eating healthy foods.
This includes eating lean meat, complex carbs, vegetables, and fruits.
It’s also essential that you follow the right eating habits.
Examples are eating slowly, drinking water before meals, and taking small meals instead of binge eating.
Finally, tailor your diet and calories to your physical activity and lifestyle.
Drink Plenty of Water
Water doesn’t just quench thirst; it also gives a glow up.
Like with adequate hydration, the skin cleanses out harmful toxins and feels fresh.
Similarly, adequate water intake keeps your gut health and cravings in check. The result is good nutrient absorption after you eat.
Plus, your muscles get a much better pump when you’re hydrated.
My advice? Drink 1 Gallon (3.7 Liter water) to everybody until it becomes your second nature.
Fix Your Sleeping Schedule
It can make a world of difference if you have your sleep schedule sorted.
You may not notice it instantly, but once the habit develops, quality sleep has immense physical and cognitive benefits.
The first step is to focus on getting seven to eight hours of continuous sleep.
Consistent sleep instead of distorted naps has scientifically proven benefits to boost your skin and overall health.
Other steps to optimize your sleep include sleeping in a dark room, not using the phone before bed, and avoiding too much caffeine.
Sleeping at the same time every night also helps with circadian rhythm and gets you a better night’s sleep.
Improve Your Posture
Nobody will say this, but to glow up without improving your posture is practically impossible.
However, having a good posture is easier said than done. Most guys simply don’t know where to start.
I suggest taking the three-step approach: alignment, exercise, and practice.
Alignment includes understanding the correct posture and being mindful to align it right.
Next is to strengthen the relative muscle group. Stretching also has benefits to improve posture.
Finally, it’s important to understand that improving the posture can take time. So, practice before you achieve the perfect posture.
Good Mental Health
I may be a fashion aficionado, but I’ve always advocated for good mental health.
Also, it goes without saying that without a positive mindset, you can’t expect to look physically attractive.
You can set up the right mindset for an extraordinary glow up.
Meditation helps many people cultivate this attitude.
Anywhere between five to forty-five minutes of meditation daily helps reduce stress and improve thought clarity.
The same is true for gratitude exercises.
Reading books also develops a self-assurance mentality, one of the essentials for getting a glow-up.
Use a Nice Cologne or Perfume
Everyone experiences scent differently. Yet, there are universal interpretations of certain types of aromas.
In other words, we all agree when someone smells good.
Use this for your benefit if you want to look more appealing.
I suggest wearing a cologne that matches your personality. Also, choose your scent according to the season.
If you want to experiment, you can wear two fragrances at once.
Many gentlemen confuse smelling good with smelling strong.
Remember that your perfume should be discovered, not announced. Trust me, being the loudest person in the room is never good.
Upgrade Your Wardrobe Style
First impressions matter, and the way you dress says a lot about you.
So, it’s time to upgrade your wardrobe from being a boy to a gentleman.
The first step is to find your style. Although overwhelming, you need to figure out what style makes you feel like your best self.
It would be hard to decide unless you learn about different aesthetics and styles out there.
Defining your colors is also a part of building your wardrobe. For example, some guys would always wear navy instead of grey and feel confident about it.
You need to figure out what colors will work best for you.
Once you sort this out, it’s time to build your wardrobe essentials. Always remember quality always outperforms quantity.
Improve Your Social Skills
It’s an old-school glow up just to work on your physical appearance. New-school gentlemen work on their social skills, too.
You can start by learning about body language.
Greeting everyone with a smile and maintaining eye contact are the two easiest things for confident body language.
Also, educate yourself about initiating small talk, taking compliments, and giving a public talk.
Good table manners are a part of social skills. And so does the social etiquette.
However, all these skills will take time and practice to master.
Work on Your Professional Skills
Do you know why people love characters like James Bond, Don Draper, and John Wick?
It’s actually not their style but the ability to do their task with perfection.
That’s what you should be aiming for in your glow up journey.
Always be ready to put in the necessary hard work.
And whatever you do, either do it with perfection or don’t do it at all.
