Words: Josh Lee
When it comes to the topic of grooming routines, many of us would likely lean towards a traditional wet shave, a trim at the barbers, or a deep-tissue massage. And though we’ve long preached the virtues of these time-honoured rituals, we thought we’d open up your mind and help broaden your well-pampered perspective by bringing to attention some of the world’s most unorthodox – and sometimes deadly sounding – methods for polishing complexions, shaving beards and unknotting tension.
So, if you feel like smoothing out any rough edges with something a little offbeat this season, here are some innovative methods for you to consider…
Clean up your act, with this 2000-year-old knife massage
Often, when you’re face down on a massage table, your well-muscled masseuse will be rhythmically working your shoulders into a wobbly form and chopping their limbs over your tender back – however, when it comes to dao liao, ‘knife therapy’, the chopping comes courtesy of actual (blunted) blades. This tradition, said to have started with monks in China roughly two millennia ago, has recently found new life in Taiwan as people seek this remedy in order to better their sleep and relieve physical pains – the steel touch hits pressure points and allegedly soaks up bad energy and replenishes the receiver with a positive one.
Go all fine-dining, with a caviar facial
Though a fixture in high-temples of gastronomy, beads of caviar also happen to appear on spa menus, too. They’re now famously used as part of several treatments at La Prairie Spa, at The Ritz-Carlton, New York, Central Park, and are meant to target age spots and hyperpigmentation, purifying complexions and brightening skin, the idea being that caviar’s body of minerals and vitamins (like that of seaweed and sea salt) will help you glow the same way in which a quick swim in a sun-kissed ocean would.
Contour your complexion, with an everyday gemstone
Perhaps one of the easier routines to absorb into your daily life, the gua sha’s popularity has boomed in the women’s beauty industry during the past few years, but hasn’t made as big waves in men’s grooming. An ancient Chinese medicine, this practice of scraping the skin was traditionally meant to address two issues – preventing colds and treating a collapsed body following heatstroke – and could be done with household items, such as a spoon or coin. But, as has been the case with things such as turmeric, this treatment has been pivoted into something to improve appearance, especially in the US – the abrasive movement, now often used with a jade tool, is meant to break down muscular tension and helps lymphatic drainage when used on the face, making way for a sculpted, toned look.
Have a close shave, with a lumberjack-worthy axe
What was once a technique used by axe salesmen to showcase the quality of their tools eventually became a fad adopted by flannel-wearers, who would be fuelled by the bicep-flexing, muscled-lunacy of this shaving method. The trend has largely died out now, and we wouldn’t really suggest this approach at all, but at least it gives us another chance to state yet again that you should probably drop the wood chopper in favour of a timeless straight razor.
Polish up and test your patience, with ten vigorous steps
Not so much ‘absurd’ for the method of applications used, but more so for the time-consuming, rigorous stages incorporated, the ten-step skincare routine, popular in Korea, a country globally famed for its comprehensive approach to skincare, features perhaps six or seven more measures than what the everyday man uses. It usually starts with an oil-based cleanser and finishes with a thick SPF cream (but it can vary from person to person). It’s an extensive drill, and is quite taxing in terms of time, especially with the morning rush and late-night commitments of the modern day, but we appreciate the dedicated ethos of taking care of yourself and your appearance (with this in mind, here are some items you can introduce to your own ten-step formula.)
After a more conventional spa treatment? Here are the best to check out in London…
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