Archive for March 4th, 2009

posted by Neckties on Mar 4

Mens shaving has a long history that dates back all the way to 18,000 BC. It is believed that the first men to shave used clam shells and rocks as a way to make what we know as a razor today.

Alexander the Great, renowned as one of the best generals of all time, ordered his men to shave their beards so that they could not be grabbed by their beards in the midst of battle. This proved to be a successful endeavor and the battle was won. In hand to hand combat, it was necessary for troops not to have anything that the enemy could use to his advantage. The beards were the first to go.

Shaving became a western habit as time progressed, with most men preferring to shave their beards. While moustaches and beards have, at one time or another, been popular with the public, it is preferred that they look neat and groomed. Interestingly, throughout history there have been taxes and even jail sentences for men who did not shave or for those who wore beards too long. Russia went a step further and to encourage men to shave off their beards, there was actually a tax imposed depending on the length of a mans beard.

Straight Razors
Before the concept of safety razors was introduced to the public in the early part of the 20th century, shaving was done with straight razors. Men opened up their pores with the use of hot water, used a cream or foam to make the razor glide across the skin evenly and then used a straight razor to remove their beards. This often caused cuts as the instrument was difficult to handle. It was repeatedly sharpened on a razor strap.

Many men went to a barber for the luxury of a shave, which usually cost about 25 cents. The straight razor shave from the barber was considered to be the most effective way to remove the hair, gave a smooth shave, and lasted longer than a home shave.

Safety Razors
Safety razors were made by putting a blade in a razor holder and were considered to be safer than the straight razors. The blade did not have to be handled directly and there was less cutting. The safety razor was invented in the 1920s and was given to soldiers during WWII to avoid them wounding themselves while shaving. The first Schick safety razor was invented in 1921, although the company came out with a razor that was safe enough for dry shaving in 1927.

Electric Razors
Electric razors were introduced to the public as early as the 1920s and are still in use today. Many men like the convenience of the electric razors as they can be used anywhere and do not require hot water, lather or closing the pores. However, men report that they do not get as good a shave from an electric razor as they do from a regular razor.

Multiple Blades and Other Shaving Innovations
Since 1971, it has been fashionable to use multiple blade razors that have two or more parallel blades working together. In the 1970s, disposable razors were also introduced to the public and are still widely used today. The latest innovation in mens shaving is the four blade mens shaving razor by Schick.

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posted by rfencher on Mar 4

For years, we have made jokes about the existence of male menopause. Believe it or not, it really exists. It is more correctly known as andropause, but it all amounts to the same thing. Basically, women are not the only ones who go through a huge change when they are years. This problem has notoriously been blamed on a mid life crisis when it comes to men. That is hardly correct, however. It is much more involved in that.

Just like women, men go through a hormonal change when they hit middle age. For some it might come before, for others it might come after, but the point is that it exists. It must be said that andropause is not as severe as menopause, nor does it come on quite as quickly. For that matter, not every single man will go through it. All the same, a fair number of them do.

For years, men would not admit that they were going through a menopause of their own. That is somewhat understandable. After all, menopause is a woman’s domain, at least in some opinions. That might not be a very popular opinion, but it is true all the same. Besides, it is not correct to say that men go through menopausal, which is directly related to menstruation. Men definitely do not menstruate. Instead, doctors have adopted the more correct term “andropause.” It refers to the hormone androgen.

Andropause is most notably defined by the huge drop in the amount of testosterone a man’s body produces. As mentioned, this does not happen in all men; some only go through a small decline. In some men, it might be so gradual that it does not even produce symptoms. However, for some men, the drop is very steep and the effects can be devastating. Men become anxious and nervous, and they cannot concentrate as well. Their metabolic rate slows down and even their libido can be negatively affected. They begin to go through mood swings as well, and they frequently begin to put on weight. All of this can be highly depressing.

Quite often, as mentioned, andropause is incorrectly blamed on a mid life crisis. This takes away from the importance and severity of male menopause. Because of that misconception, until very recently, there was really no way to help a man going through andropause. With recent advances in the science of human growth hormone, however, there are some definite changes taking place.

For example, there are now products like Provacyl available on the market. This is an herbal supplement which contains small amounts of human growth hormone. HGH has long been proven to help people lose weight, build muscle mass, increase their libido, and improve their immune systems, among many other things. It also helps the male body to produce more testosterone, which reverses the effects caused by the decrease of this essential hormone. This product is also made of ginko biloba and ginseng. Both of these ingredients are well known to improve one’s mental awareness, to induce calm, and to soothe away anxieties.

Adopting a healthy and well balanced diet and being sure to regularly exercise can also help men deal with andropause. Sometimes therapy is recommended as well. Of all the natural remedies available, Provacyl has had a number of good reviews from previous users. By all published accounts, it has helped a great many men to overcome this difficult time.

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