How To Remove & Prevent Ingrown Hairs Fast – 10 Amazing Tips

Whether you’re a man or a woman, you may suffer from ingrown hairs at some point in your life. Ingrown hairs are little hairs that don’t properly grow out of the hair follicle. They are curlier and grow back on themselves.

They can look like small bumps on the skin, and if you have lots of them they can ruin the smooth look you’re going for. They can also be really annoying! You can get ingrown hairs anywhere on the body, from your legs to your face. This guide will help you to prevent any problems like that in the future, with 10 amazing tips to prevent ingrown hairs and some pointers on ingrown hair removal.

1. Use a Pair of Tweezers

If you’ve spotted a pesky ingrown hair growing under the skin, then there aren’t many things you can do. If you want it to go away as quickly as possible, you could potentially use a pair of tweezers to pull the hair out of the skin. The hair will then be ready to be removed in the same way you remove the rest of the hair. The reason the hair is stuck in the skin in the first place is because it has grown curly and back on itself. This may even be down to hair removal techniques that you’ve used in the past, so using these techniques again may not help the situation. However, if you regularly suffer from these you can buy special skincare tools that help you get the hair out. You can buy extra sharp tweezers specially designed for ingrown hairs. You can even get other tools with different shaped/sized heads for the job.

2. Try a Sterilised Needle

If the ingrown hair can only be noticed as you have a bump, you may want to try getting rid of it with a sterilised needle. This will allow you to get a little further into the follicle than a pair of tweezers to get the hair out. It shouldn’t hurt, providing you use a small needle and you’re very careful. In fact, in some cases, you may just need to pop the bump the hair has grown in. Just make sure that whatever you do, the needle is sterilised as you could end up giving yourself an infection if you’re not careful. Then you’ll need a whole different blog post to sort you out!

3. Soak Skin for a Short While Before Removal

Before removing your hair, it could be a good idea to soak your skin for a while. This is an especially useful tip before you go about shaving. Soaking your skin in warm water will help to open up the follicles and soften the hairs, priming them for a better removal. You should even find that you get a closer shave. You don’t want the follicles to be too open or the hair too soft though, so don’t want until the end of your bath to do it. Wait about 5 or 10 minutes before shaving to see if this helps you keep those ingrown hairs at bay and get a closer shave. You don’t need to immerse yourself in the water for this to work; you could simply have a hot shower first and let the steam do it’s thing. Whether you’re shaving or waxing, this is a tip that anybody can use.

4. Exfoliate Regularly

You can’t exfoliate once in a blue moon and expect ingrown hairs to be a thing of the past for you. You must exfoliate regularly if you’re going to get rid of those ingrown hairs once and for all. You should exfoliate up to twice a week with a good grainy exfoliator in order to get rid of any dead skin cells and keep skin smooth. Many people find that they get a closer shave by doing this too. You could also use an exfoliating body brush or a pair of gloves, whatever method of exfoliating you tend to prefer. As a bonus, your body will be nice and smooth and you might even help reduce cellulite and things like that. If you have sensitive skin, then you will want to avoid exfoliators that are too rough. You might be helping your ingrown hairs but you might also be rubbing your skin red raw! You can purchase exfoliating products that contain less grain and more exfoliating beads, that are gentler on the skin if you prefer. Some people like to use products like that each day. If you are planning on hair removal that day, then you will moisturise after you’ve gotten rid of the hairs. If you’re simply keeping your skin soft and prepped in between hair removal, make sure you moisturise after patting your skin dry. It’ll stop your skin from cracking, drying out, and making your life difficult in general.

5. Use a Sharp Razor or Better yet an Electric Razor

When shaving, don’t use the same old razor you’ve had in the corner of the bathroom for weeks. Instead, make sure you’re using a sharp razor. You should be mindful of how long you’re keeping your razors for, as they will go blunt pretty fast. If you’re using a blunt razor, you won’t get a very close shave and you will likely experience a few ingrown hairs to top it off. You don’t need to use the most expensive razor that money can buy, but you should make sure you’re changing it regularly. If you do use a cheap razor, then shave slowly to make sure you’re not cutting yourself as you go. Rushing with a cheap, sharp razor can be a recipe for disaster. You might be avoiding ingrown hairs but you don’t want to end up with shaving nicks and cuts.

You could also consider switching from a manual razor to an electric shaver?

For men you can read more in Tips To Choose Shavers for Ingrown Hairs.

For women you can read about the Top 5 Best Bikini Razors and Trimmers.

6. Shave With the Grain

Many people shave against the grain, as they believe it helps them to get a closer shave. However, if you speak to a hair removal professional, they’ll tell you that the best thing to do is shave with the grain. Shaving in the direction of hair growth might not give you as close a shave, but it will be far more comfortable. You’ll not only avoid ingrown hairs, you’ll also eliminate the risk of any shaving rash. This is a good tip for men who are shaving their faces. However, both men and women can use this technique. Just be mindful that it won’t get quite as close as shaving against the grain.

7. Invest in a Good Shave Gel

So, you have a good razor, you’re going to shave with the grain, you’ve softened your hair – what else can you do? Invest in a good shave gel to get an even better result. Some people just lather up soap or a shower gel. While that may work fine for them, soap is for getting rid of germs. Although it can create a good lather for shaving, that’s not what it was specifically designed for. By investing in a product that was designed for shaving, you’ll get a better result and minimize your risk of ingrown hairs. The product should lubricate the razor nicely, helping you to smooth easily with a great finish. A good shave gel doesn’t cost too much these days, so it shouldn’t cost you too much to keep one stockpiled in your bathroom cabinet. The great thing about it is that a small can lasts for ages, as the product expands once you’ve squirted it in your hand. Then all you need to do is make sure you lather it up properly to make as much product as you can.

8. Apply Lotion Afterwards

When you’ve finished removing your hair, the fun shouldn’t stop there! After patting yourself dry, apply a good lotion. They do great lotions for both men and women that allow them to soothe the area of hair removal and keep ingrown hairs at bay. Ingredients such as cucumber are used to create a soothing effect on the area. You might not want to apply your regular moisturiser, depending on the kind you use. Your regular moisturiser might actually irritate the open hair follicles. This is why special shave lotions were invented in the first place. If you have particularly sensitive skin, then investing in a sensitive shaving lotion is a good idea for you.

9. Try Hair Removal Cream or Another Removal Method

Instead of shaving, which can be the worst method for ingrown hairs, try another method. You might also want to avoid waxing, plucking and epilating at home – especially if you’re looking at methods that specifically stop ingrown hairs. Those methods have been found to produce more ingrown hairs than any other hair removal technique. Hair removal cream is a really good, cheap way of removing hairs while avoiding ingrown hairs. All you do is make sure you follow the packet instructions, as they will vary depending on the brand. You usually apply the cream, leave it for the recommended time on the packet, and then use an included plastic tool to scrape the hair away. If you have the right hair type for a product like this, you should be able to get rid of your hair with minimal fuss and enjoy a smooth result. The results will only last as long as shaving, but you can get a much smoother finish. Just make sure you only ever use hair removal cream if the packet says that it is suitable for you. If you have particularly coarse hair or your skin is quite sensitive, it could be a good idea to stay away from it altogether. If you don’t, ingrown hairs will be the last thing on your mind. You could end up with really sore, irritated patches of skin.

9 a. Investigate Laser Hair Removal

Another option for hair removal without risk of ingrown hairs is laser hair removal or professional epilation. Laser hair removal devices are now more affordable than ever so you can invest in one and treat yourself at home.  Alternatively you can visit a professional. One of the upsides of laser treatment is that you can get a more permanent result if you keep up with your treatments. The amount of treatments you have will completely depend on your skin and hair type, but once the hair stops growing back you can say goodbye to it for good! It takes commitment and costs money, but it can definitely be worth it in the long run.

The option you go for will depend on your budget, skin type and hair type. If you think this is something you’d like to do, start researching clinics in your area to find one with a great reputation.  Then you can go in and discuss your needs with a professional. They can tell you the best treatments for you, what to expect, what can’t be achieved, and they’ll fill you in on any risks. Most consultations are free, so it’s always worth going along to see what can be done for you.  Or if you are considering trying it at home you can read Groom+Style’s detailed review and how to guide for the Tria Hair Removal Laser.

9 b. Try a Home Electrolysis Machine

Although it is not for everyone, buying a home electrolysis machine has worked very well for some people.  It requires some skill and patience (and in some cases a big budget) but the hair removal results are permanent.

10. See a Dermatologist

If you regularly suffer from ingrown hairs and you’ve tried everything in this guide, the only other thing you can do is see a dermatologist. They should be able to work out what the problem is. The dermatologist can take a look at your ingrown hairs to determine the main cause of them. Maybe give you some more professional advice on how to prevent them and maybe some other ideas on ingrown hair removal. In some cases, they might give you something to specifically treat the hairs. You can buy roll on products and even creams that you dab on, designed to treat ingrown hairs.

Suffering from ingrown hairs is no fun. If you find these regularly on the areas you remove hair from, it could be a good idea to try the 10 tips in this guide to see which ones work best for you. If you try everything, from changing your method to exfoliating more regularly, you should reduce the amount of ingrown hairs. If nothing seems to work, then it’s definitely worth going to see a professional to find what they recommend.

If you want the outside of your home to draw eyes and become the envy of the neighborhood, then landscaping is the way to go. 

It increases your curb appeal, therefore going a long way toward increasing your home’s value. It can also enhance your yard’s appearance while helping you deal with problems like a lack of privacy or areas with bad drainage.

Landscaping refers to alterations to the physical appearance and infrastructure of outdoor spaces. This might mean making your gardening hobby easier by installing solutions for problems such as water control, irrigation, flower beds, and containers. Alternatively, you might prioritize turning your yard into a place where you want to spend your time.

Additionally, landscaping is an amazing investment for those thinking of selling their home in the future. Beautiful landscaping is estimated to speed a home’s sale by about six weeks. Investing 5 percent of your home’s overall value into landscaping can offer a return on investment of up to 150 percent. That’s more than almost any indoor remodel! Even a single tree over 25 feet tall can shade your lawn while helping to cut down on your heating and cooling costs by up to 10 percent.

What is Landscaping and How to Get Started

Ponds, sculptures, and flower beds tend to come to mind first when we think of landscaping.

Nonetheless, landscaping encompasses hardscapes such as patios, retainer walls, boundary fences, and pathways. Landscaping can also incorporate larger plants, including trees, lawns, and shrubbery.

Like interior design, landscaping seeks to create a coherent feel or theme for your outdoor space, so landscaping professionals will often take into account the look of your furniture and outdoor living decorations.

Landscaping is most often done by professionals, but a homeowner or hobbyist can also handle a few minor landscaping projects.

Landscaping Versus Gardening

Landscaping and gardening both focus on cultivating and maintaining enjoyable and functional outdoor spaces.

Whether it’s to enhance natural beauty, to grow food, or to add curb appeal while making the outdoors functional and enjoyable, landscaping and gardening often go hand in hand.

Landscaping sets itself apart from gardening, because it focuses on design and working with all aspects of the outdoor space. It can be easy to think of landscaping as the framework and architectural aspects of the outdoor parts of your property, and gardening as the act of growing and caring for the individual plants that might be part of this larger plan.

If you’re hoping to exercise your green thumb and grow a gorgeous garden, then your landscaping plan can help you create the perfect spaces for your garden, such as raised beds and systems for rainwater collection.

To Get Started, Know Why You Are Landscaping

There are many reasons to landscape, including safety concerns, functionality, making play spaces for children, and integrating your property with the theme and feel of your home. These reasons dictate your priorities and what you’re willing to pay for.

Make a List of Needs and Wants

Begin with making a list of the things that your landscaping project needs.

Do you need a space for an outdoor grill? Is there a sink-hole in the ground that needs to be filled and covered? Do you need a space for the kids to play outside? Are you needing to build flower beds for gardening? Needs can even go as far as wanting to introduce shade and privacy to your property when your lawn is too sunny or open.

Additionally, you should consider the practical side of landscaping. This might include:

• Considerations for future development, such as plans for after the kids grow out of play structures.
• An estimate of how many people you generally entertain in your outdoor space at a time.
• Thoughts about what the space will look like and offer in the different seasons.
• Research on zoning and homeowners association rules and regulations.

Next, brainstorm ideas for what you want your outdoor space to look and feel like. Knowing the theme, look, feel, and purpose of your intended space will help you communicate well with your landscaper. It can be helpful to come to the table with possible sketches, plant varieties that you love, and lawn decorations and fixtures that you really enjoy.

Your landscape designer may not be able to accommodate all of your requests due to restrictions on space, zoning, climate, budget, or other considerations. However, your wish list will give them an idea of what you’re looking for so that they can design something that fits you and your home.

Perform a Site Analysis

A site analysis discusses the realistic features and factors of a landscaping project. This often includes:

• Looking at the property footprint.
• Making a list of features, such as plants, hardscapes, infrastructure, utility lines, and fences.
• Considering the topography, soil type, hydrozones, and drainage.
• Taking stock of the site lines and views.
• Noting hazards or safety concerns.
• Evaluating the property for areas of sun and shade, wind, and planting zones.

Develop a Landscaping Plan

Having a plan for your landscaping can help you make tough decisions that have to do with altering your property and spending money. Landscaping is a financial investment in your home as well as a lifestyle investment to better your living space. It’s best to think everything through and do it right the first time.

Consider Your Timing

Landscape professionals recommend getting your professional evaluations done in the fall, working through the design process in the winter, and beginning to work on the landscaping projects in the spring. This schedule gives you time to think everything over.

Timelines may differ depending on where you live and what climate and scheduling considerations you are dealing with. For example, you may have to take into account a delayed landscaping phase if you live in an area with late frosts.

Your timeline may also incorporate the duration until your plant structures and other features mature. Planted trees may not offer you the shade that you desire for a few years, and a privacy fence will give you much quicker results when it comes to blocking off your yard from view then planting small shrubbery that will need to grow in for another year.

Basic Landscaping Terms and Common Rules of Green Thumb

• Building Limitations: These are the codes and regulations for developing your property. Sometimes there are limitations on sheds and greenhouses or water-use restrictions. On other occasions, a homeowners’ association will outlaw the use of certain materials.
• Drainage: Drainage refers to where your water runoff goes, and whether rain pools in particular parts of your yard. Bad drainage could cause problems with the soil, with your home’s foundation, and with insects and pests in your yard.
• Footprint: Your property’s footprint is a visual representation of the dimensions and shape of your property.
• Hardscapes: Hardscapes refer to manmade solid surfaces and structures on your property.

Do Your Hardscaping First

It’s best to design and take care of any hardscaping you’re going to do, such as building paths and sidewalks, redoing the driveway, or putting together a patio, before starting your planting. Hardscaping often requires construction, which may compact the soil or damage new turf and plants. Once the hardscaping is done, you can begin fixing your soil and planting.

Cultivate Healthy Soil

Adding organic matter to your soil will make it fertile so that it encourages new growth in your plants and begins a healthy lifecycle in your yard. Good soil additions include shredded pine bark, mushroom compost, and leaf mold, among others.

Don’t Forget the Side Yard

While side-yards are small and often overlooked, they can easily be dressed up to improve the appearance of your home. Many people keep garbage bins and other utilities in the side yard. These areas can become more attractive and look more intentional if you pave the area under the garbage cans. For example, you can install a pathway that leads to a backyard living space through the side yard or create a gardening nook with tools (chainsaws, leaf blowers, weed eaters etc) and necessities for quick yard maintenance.

Pick Your Plants Intentionally

Pick Plants That Will Enjoy Your Yard

It’s important to know about the breed of trees that you’re putting into the ground and how much they will grow when they mature. It’s also important to think about what plants will work well in your property’s environment. This includes soil type, the weather patterns and amount of sun you get at your home, and whether you can supply enough water for the pants to keep them happy.

Healthy-looking and well-maintained plants are going to make a better impression than sickly plants that don’t look at home in the environment created for them. Keep in might what kind of plants thrive where you live and aim to please those.

When to Choose Annuals or Perennials

Another consideration for when you’re picking plants has to do with whether or not the plants you want are annuals or perennials. Using too many annuals is considered somewhat wasteful, as these are plants that are alive for only one season and do not return year after year. This also makes them more high-maintenance, since you will need to continue planting them or another variety each year.

Your landscaping will be more low-maintenance if you opt for perennials throughout your permanent flowerbeds. You can then use annuals in less permanent spaces such as planters, window boxes, hanging baskets on the patio, and other places where it is less necessary to dig them up and replace them every year.

Let Your Plants and Flowers Follow Your Theme

The last major consideration for picking plants has to do with whether or not the plants can help your landscape design develop a theme that is pleasing to the eye.

Too many different kinds of plants, distributed without a clear pattern, can be disorienting and confusing. Instead, repetition is very useful when picking and placing plants. While everything doesn’t have to be symmetrical by any means, using the same variety of plants or a thematic array of complementary colors and shapes can help lend coherence and an overall compositional beauty to your landscape.

Tips for Greening Your Landscape

Environmental responsibility can start with the framework of your landscaping by using sustainably-sourced plants and materials, and eco-friendly gardening options. Planning eco-measures right into your landscape will make it much easier to continue implementing these sustainability procedures in the long run.

• Find and plant trees, flowers, and shrubs native to your region, as opposed to foreign grasses and plants that are difficult to maintain, or plants that may be an invasive species in your yard.
• If you’re willing to have a few small animals in your yard, use plants such as barrier hedges to create habitats for creatures.
• The use of hardscapes as opposed to turf for outdoor gathering spaces can greatly reduce water usage across your yard.
• Use environmentally friendly materials such as permeable pavers for your landscapes.
• Recycle biodegradable materials such as newspapers and paper bags into layers of garden mulch.
• Reduce or avoid chemicals altogether. According to the EPA, water runoff from our yards is the cause of 70 percent of America’s water pollution.
• Use a reel mower or leave your clippings on the ground for your grass to break down when mowing the lawn.

Maintenance Concerns

If you’re thinking about resale value, it’s a good idea to keep your outdoor materials as low-maintenance as you can. According a recent survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), 92 percent of Americans want a yard that is low maintenance.

If you’re looking to lower the maintenance of your landscape decisions from the get-go, you’ll want to pay attention to the plants that you put in your beds. Make sure you know how big your trees should be when they mature. Are they going to drop too many leaves or demand a lot more water than your climate has to offer? Will your shrubbery need to be pruned every season or just once a year?

You can also invest in lower-maintenance hardscape materials, such as brick, stone, and composite, which don’t require painting or sealing, as opposed to wood or other materials that will need resealing and will break down more quickly.

It’s important to be honest with yourself and your landscape designer about how much time you think you’ll be willing and able to put into maintaining your landscape. Honesty will help you make the right decisions for your landscaping renovations.

When to Do It Yourself and When to Hire an Expert

Hiring a landscape professional can save you time and money. Landscape professionals know what to look and plan for when surveying your property. This means that they can save you from making expensive and unnecessary mistakes. They may also be able to propose solutions that you wouldn’t even think of.

Landscaping is a big project that takes time and a strong back. If you aren’t able to allocate the time for it, a single small landscape project could take you all summer to complete. Hiring professionals gives you more time to enjoy your landscaped yard during nice weather.

Every DIY project will have hidden costs when it comes down to the scope of the overall project. It will certainly cost you time and effort. It is also likely be your own vehicle that will incur wear and tear from lugging heavy materials from the supplier, and chances are you won’t be getting the same deals and options regarding supplies that an industry professional would.

It’s also a good rule to hire landscapers when you can’t afford to make a mistake. Professionals will be able to advise you and expertly install all aspects of your landscaping plan so that it’s done right the first time. Mistakes can set you back even more than you would have saved by doing it yourself. Make sure you have a flexible budget if you plan to do it yourself.

Consulting with a landscape professional may cost you money, but it can save you in the long-run from making massive budgeting mistakes. Landscapers can help you stay on budget by being honest with you about the real cost of some of your construction plans and guiding you away from expensive projects.

Professional landscapers are particularly important when:

• You are unfamiliar with gardening and picking plants.
• You are uncomfortable planning or designing your outdoor space.
• Your landscaping requires major hardscape construction, such as decks, patios, and porches.
• You need advice on permits and regulations.
• Your landscaping includes lighting, electrical work, and wiring.
• You’re adding in a water feature, pool, or spa.
• You’re installing an in-ground, automatic sprinkler system.

Landscape professionals can be called landscape architects, designers, or contractors. These different groups perform different jobs using different sets of skills, though you will often find that they have overlapping tasks and services.

• Landscape Architects: These professionals have a degree in landscape architecture and have passed a national examination to obtain their license.
• Landscape Designers: Landscape designers may not have a formal education, but they will often make sure that their work is accredited by professional associations. Designers most often work on small-scale and residential projects.
• Landscape Contractors: Contractors bring to life the plans and vision of the design, putting together both the hardscape and botanical elements of the landscaping project. Landscape contractors may also be willing to do routine maintenance on landscape features, depending on their business scope.

Safety Considerations

If your landscaping plans include building hardscapes and structures, you will probably be dealing with heavy materials like paving stones, flagstones, and concrete. You might also need to handle a few power tools and heavy duty equipment.

When you are doing a project like this by yourself, you are the one who will have to dig the holes, carry the stones, and place them. For many people, this is a physical difficulty, especially for those who are trying to fit these DIY projects in between already exhausting jobs.

If you’re doing a lot of manual labor by yourself, be careful and know your limits. Take generous breaks when you need them and drink plenty of water.

What Costs Can You Expect?

When collecting data from homeowners across America, HomeAdvisor found that the average cost of a landscaping installation was around $3,300.

Landscape design services tend to be on the lower side of this figure at around $50 to $150 per hour, while landscape architecture services are on the higher range at around $70 to $150 per hour. Some features and services can add additional costs, such as hydro-seeding a lawn and inground features.

Landscaping Ideas for Your Home

Front Yard Ideas

Front Planters Make for a Grand Entrance

Pick out different kinds of plants to surround your foundation and hide the blockiness of your home. Think about the plants in terms of texture and shape so that you have a harmonious variation that is beautiful and intriguing to look at. For instance, you can plant upright plants such as taller grasses in a bed next to shorter, rounder, or low-growing plants.

Driveway Entrances

Driveway stonework and lamps can make a polished first impression for those that have long driveways or a lot of property surrounding their homes. While the idea of a gate may sound uninviting, a driveway gate can often feel more welcoming to visitors turning off the main road than a naked or unmarked drive.

If you’re not interested in the gated look, you can make a welcoming impression with driveway plantings and ground lighting.

Walkways

Use walkways to lead your guests through the pathways you would prefer them to take. If your main door is on the side and not the front door, then make the path to the side your most prominent pathway.

You can also use walkways to lead guests through your landscaping and points of interest around your property. This doesn’t just mean large properties either. Smaller yards can also benefit from a walkway that leads guests to a shaded bench or a play area for the kids.

Backyard Ideas

Outdoor Entertaining Spaces

For those who entertain frequently, it can make a lot of sense to create your backyard into a comfortable outdoor room. This often requires building well-planned hardscapes that match the architecture of the rest of the house.

Terraces and decks take your outdoor game up a notch, and they can be further augmented for entertaining with built-ins such as seat walls and outdoor sinks.

Fire Pits and Outdoor Fireplaces

Fire pits allow you to enjoy your outdoor space even when it’s cooler out than would normally be comfortable. Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces tend to be a hit when you’re entertaining, as you’ll find your guests will want to sit around a fire when it’s cool outside.

Water Features

The most common water features are ornamental ponds and splash pools. However, spas and swimming pools are also desirable for those who like to play outside. Landscaping additions such as swimming pools should be done to satisfy your own lifestyle and outdoor goals, however, because pools on average incur a loss on investment.

An Outdoor Shelter

Garden arbors, pergolas, and gazebos all provide outdoor shelter that allows for some type of roof and seating.

Arbors are simply frameworks, sometimes wooden and sometimes made of metal, that act as trellises to support vines that would eventually cover the framework and provide shelter.

Pergolas and gazebos are decorative outdoor settings with man-made roofs. Pergolas often have column supports and a roof, while gazebos are frequently geometrically shaped with a pinnacle roof and bench seating.

Play Structures

Play structures include swing sets, jungle gyms, and treehouses to keep small children entertained and give them an outdoor space to use their energy and stay creatively engaged.

Where you put the play structure is an important concern during the landscaping process. Parents will most often want the play structure to be in easy view from the house so that they are able to look out of accessible windows to keep an eye on the children.

It’s also important for the play structure to be placed in the shade in very sunny climates or in an area with soft ground in the case of mishaps.

Dressed-Up Garden Shed

Garden sheds offer important storage for all the tools, pot and planters, and devices that keep your landscape looking beautiful. A drab garden shed, however, can dull down a beautiful landscape and be an eyesore on your property.

Maintenance to the garden shed is often overlooked since homeowners aren’t living inside of it and they’re not constantly concerned with it being comfortable and safe. However, a good garden shed can integrate beautifully with the surrounding landscape, as well as the home’s architecture, to create a polished effect that tells your guests how much you love your garden and everything that goes into it.

Putting a little thought into planting around the garden shed, giving it a path so that it is welcome in the landscape, and decorating it with window shutters, complementary colors, and wind chimes will allow this storage unit to occupy a place of pride in your landscape.

Add an Island

We often think of putting plants at the borders of our property and along the perimeters. But plants don’t just have to outline the yard, they can create a great effect by occupying a full space within the yard as well.

Garden islands redirect the flow of traffic around your yard and can give even the squarest yards a rounder and more natural appearance. You can use your island to plant taller grasses or shrubbery, and even a fewer smaller trees to give your landscaping a little height. Garden islands are also a way to break up your lawn or cut down on some of your water-guzzling grasses.

Install Multi-Use Posts

Most of the time, we think of growing our plants from the ground up, so it can be a constant struggle in our landscaping plans to add height and vertical points of interest. This is where installing posts around your yard can help. Posts have many uses to brighten the landscape and add an extra dimension.

Hanging or positioning planters on posts is a great way to keep your yard from looking too bottom-heavy. If you tend to have very moist soil, planters are a great opportunity for you to experiment with the kind of plants that need a drier soil or more drainage. Suspended planters allow you to have more control over the amount of water in the soil, making this an opportunity to diversify your garden.

Posts are also great supports for lanterns to keep your outdoor spaces lit. Furthermore, marvelous effects can be achieved by hanging overhead string lights from tall posts to give your yard a fantastic glow.

DIY landscaping ideas

DIY Greenhouse

Greenhouses allow you to nurture plants at a different humidity, light, and heat level from your normal outside environment. These are great for growing tropical plants, citrus fruits, orchids, and other plants that may not normally grow well in your area.

Greenhouses can be made in all shapes and sizes, and are a fairly straightforward project for someone handy with a few power tools.

DIY Garden Arbor

Garden arbors can add height to your landscape as well as a difference in shape that can look natural and integrated with surrounding plants. This is because once an arbor is installed, vine-like plants are generally trained to grow around it. These can be anything from grapevines to flowers like wisteria and clematis, or succulents like the string of pearls.

The only problem is in most cases garden arbors can be very expensive to purchase whole. However, if you have some handy know-how and are comfortable with a drill and saw, the garden arbor can make for a very successful DIY project to enhance the natural beauty of your landscape.

Repurposing Older Objects

A can of monochrome spray paint can hide all kinds of sins when it comes to our old and beloved objects. Your yard is another part of your home, making it a place that a spruced-up sentimental object might be welcome.

Beautiful lawn ornaments have been made with old bicycles that are spray painted over and rigged to carry flowers in a front basket holder. And while even modern bikes can lend themselves to this rustic vintage effect, other objects can fit the bill as well, such as repurposed birdhouses, old wagons from childhood, and even repainted old gardening equipment.

Sometimes a beautifully landscaped yard may feel overly manicured and less inviting to sit in and enjoy. Repurposed objects, dressed up with paint and flowers with apt positioning, can add a rustic lived-in dimension to a yard that might have otherwise felt stiflingly perfect.

Just be careful not to use this technique too much. It’s easy for a yard to start to feel cluttered when too many old objects are around.

Small Yard Landscaping

While landscaping might feel limited in small yards, there are many gardening options that can open a space up and make the yard perfect for relaxing.

Layered container gardens can minimize the space taken up by vegetable gardens, and trellises can add dimension to the landscape in small spaces. For those craving a water feature, small patio fountains can fit the bill, adding in the sound of trickling water.

If you have a small backyard space, you can combine relaxation spaces with planting spaces, either by using hardscapes with container planters or by forming parts of the lawn and garden into relaxation spaces.

Urban Landscaping Ideas

Urban landscaping revolves around adding touches of green to a primarily hardscaped environment. Many urban settings, such as townhomes, condominiums, apartments, and lofts, have access to outdoor spaces like decks, patios, or balconies.

Container gardens and potted plants can help to add nature to these spaces as well as make them functional for herb and vegetable gardens. Just remember, when it comes to urban landscaping, anything with drainage can hold plant life.

Outdoor string lights can also help to make urban spaces feel welcome for gatherings while bonsai trees can add points of interest and fascinating shapes to your space.

Eco-Friendly Landscaping Ideas

In 2011, the ASLA reported that “When it comes to the landscape elements, efficiency and sustainability reign supreme.” The same is even truer today. Efficiency and sustainability measures keep your yard low maintenance by conserving natural resources and using environmentally friendly materials and measures.

Eco-landscaping measures save you money on irrigation in the long-run with rain-water collection and a willingness to leave behind the traditional high-maintenance lawn for grasses more natural to each home’s local settings.

Eco-friendly measures don’t only help the environment, they also help to save you money on utility costs, including water and energy. Eco-friendly measures are also necessary in some cities and counties which have strict water usage policies and other forms of planting restrictions.

Recently, new innovations have come out to help reduce a home’s carbon and water footprint without requiring a lot of sacrifices when it comes to the relaxation space.

Installing Automatic Irrigation Systems

Automatic irrigation systems that run on a timer and are installed in the yard are more efficient when it comes to delivering water than using a hose or manual sprinkler. When properly set up, these irrigation systems can significantly reduce water usage while encouraging your plants to develop deeper and stronger root systems.

The timer option makes these watering systems a good choice for people who don’t have a lot of time to spend maintaining their yards or who can only water their lawns on specific days due to water restrictions.

Synthetic Turf or Artificial Grass

While the idea of synthetic turf may seem alien, it is actually a growing trend, particularly in Southern California, where frequent droughts force residents to lower their water footprint.

Synthetic turf does not require watering but still offers a lawn-like feel that will cushion a child’s fall and make a nice space to relax. It is also less prone to pet destruction from running and other pet behaviors.

Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping refers to landscaping in order to reduce water use. It is often used in dry climates where city water restrictions might prohibit the use of traditional turfs and lawn grasses. However, the utility of xeriscaping can be expanded to all climates.

One of the main ideas behind xeriscaping is the use of native and local plant breeds which require little or no extra irrigation to thrive. Traditional xeriscaping, as it is practiced in the dry climate of Colorado, uses succulents, ornamental grasses that don’t require much water, and rock gardens in addition to other native plants.

This doesn’t mean that you need to forego flowers altogether when xeriscaping. Instead, take inspiration from the wildflowers that grow in the open spaces near where you live. For instance, flowers like poppies don’t mind rocky gardens, dry or well-drained soil, and cool air, making them more appropriate for an alpine setting than daffodils, which require a lot of water.

Xeriscaping gets rid of monocultures like turf grass and encourages biodiversity by welcoming in more interesting local varieties of grasses.

Make a Rain Garden

Rain gardens, also known as downspout gardens, are irrigated by collected rainfall. These are often landscaped into a shallow depression where your home’s water runoff can collect and irrigate any water-hungry plants that you have.

You can also make a system of rain barrels to collect rainfall which can be used to water and further irrigate plants.

Trapping water-runoff away from storm drains and reducing chemical use in the yard can help to stop the water pollution that comes from stormwater runoff at the source.

Conclusion

Your reason for wanting to landscape probably has a lot to do with your personal relationship with your outdoor property. You might want to correct some safety issues, learn how to garden, or make it a nicer place to spend your time and have people over.

Landscaping renovations can be easy if you have a plan, ask a professional, and opt for low-maintenance features. This is a fun time to allow your outdoor space reflect your sense of style and creativity. Take your time to do your research and explore your options so that you can create the landscape that’s most pleasing to you and fits your priorities.

Range hoods help you to ventilate and reduce cooking odors your kitchen workspace.

Ventilation is particularly important for homeowners with gas stoves since it helps to dissipate gases and smoke for the sake of safety, as well as grease and odors in the cooking area.

Many homeowners rely on their over the range microwaves to vent smoke and odors.

This is excellent for kitchen design that are low on space and need their appliances to do double duty.

However, a nice hood vent tends to rank high on many homeowners’ kitchen remodeling wish list.

Hood vents have a stylish appeal that can draw attention and make a statement in the kitchen space.

An angular steel model gives a kitchen a formal, contemporary feel when paired with granite countertops, while a hood vent with curved sides will give a nice, rustic appeal with wooden countertops.

Range Hood Venting Options

A range hood venting power is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The higher the CFM, the more air the unit can move, and the louder it will be during operation. Professionals recommend having a minimum of 40 CFM per foot of your range workspace.

Or, for gas cooktops, you should have 1 CFM for every 100 BTUs of power. Gas cooktops average at around 7,000 BTUs per burner, with high powered burners being around 14,000 BTUs.

Range Hood Ventilation Methods

1. Ducted or Vented Hoods

Ducted or Vented Hoods fully vent grease, smoke, and cooking space odors to the outside. This is the best ventilation system that you can invest in. It decreases how often you need to clean your kitchen surfaces and does not require frequent filter changes.

Ducted range installation requires an investment of about $500 to $1000 for the hood, labor, and professional ductwork.

2. Non-vented, Duct-free, or Recirculated Hoods

Non-vented or recirculating hoods draw odors from the kitchen workspaces and trap the grease and smoke up and away.

These filter the air before circulating it back into the home.

Duct-free models offer a less expensive installation process, since they don’t require ductwork.

However, duct-free units do require you to change their filter every three to six months, which adds on $15 to $30 two to four times a year.

3. Convertible Hoods

Convertible hoods can be installed either as ducted range or duct-free. Convertible hoods generally allow for both vertical and horizontal ventilation.

Fan Options

• Rotary fans have blades and tend to be less expensive.
• Centrifugal fans are shaped like a barrel or wheel. These are better suited for long ducts because they can offer more power.

Common Range Hood Models Include

1. Under-Cabinet Hoods

This is the most common type of range hood. These fit above a stove range, but below the cabinet range.

2. Wall-Mount Hoods

Like under-cabinet hoods, wall mount hoods usually fit over the cooktop. However, these models attach to the wall itself, rather than the underside of a cabinet range.

3. Downdraft and Island Hoods

These are hoods that are mounted through ductwork in the ceiling and do not require a wall to be suspended over a kitchen island cooktop.

Downdraft ventilation is most often used for kitchen islands so that a large hood doesn’t block a view or cut off an open floor space. These fit into the counter and cabinet next to a cooktop. The fumes are drawn downward, under the floor, and the out of the home. They are relatively inefficient when compared with a vent hood unit because they have to fight against the natural tendency for air to rise.

How to Vent a Range Hood

Your range hood should ventilate vertically, meaning through the ceiling and roof, or horizontally, meaning through a side wall. Vertical ventilation is the most effective, but it is not always possible.

It’s important when installing your own ducts to plan ahead and envision where you will run your ducts, whether it’s through the ceiling to your roof, straight through the wall on which the hood is mounted, or through the kitchen ceiling and then out through a side wall.

• Make sure that the air is vented outside, rather than into another enclosed space such as an attic.
• Only use galvanized steel or metal ducting. Do not use plastic venting or ducting.
• Use the ducting that’s the same size or even slightly larger than the vent opening. If you have a very powerful hood, you’ll need a larger duct systems. An average 400 CFM unit will need a six-inch duct, but a 1,200 CFM hood will require a 10 to 12-inch duct.
• You want the duct coming from the transition piece to be at least 18 inches long, before using an elbow in the duct.
• There should be at least 24 inches of straight vent hood between any two elbows.
• Use as few elbows in your ducting as possible so that you create a straight shot that will make you airflow better. Use no more the three 90 degree elbows.
• Do not use more than 40 feet of ductwork.
• Seal all joints with duct systems or HVAC tape.
• Insulate the duct to prevent condensation problems.

How to Run the Venting Ducts

1. The vent hood will have places available for either attic or wall exhaust. Cover the one that you will not be using.
2. Mark where you want to run your ducts.
3. Cut a hole into the wall or ceiling. Do this by using your drill to make guide holes, and then using your saw to complete the circle.
4. Make sure that the ducting protrudes a little from both the ceiling and the exit point.
5. Do this until you are ready to cut the hole that will lead your vent outside of the home.

How to Install a Range Hood Vent Through the Ceiling

Venting vertically through the roof is one of your best options when it comes to a fully venting range hood.

Materials Needed

• Caulk gun
• Drill
• Hammer
• Jigsaw
• Pry bar
• Flex duct with insulation
• Asphalt roof cement
• Roof-mounted exhaust vent
• Roofing nails

Process

1. Beginning in the attic, drill a hole through the roof where you want your vent to go. This should be between two rafters and at least three feet away from any other roof protrusion, such as skylights, chimneys, or bathroom vents. It’s also best to keep your kitchen vent five feet upward from the roof’s bottom edge, otherwise known as the eaves.
2. On the roof, use a jigsaw to cut a round hole.
3. Measure out a square that’s slightly larger than the vent hole and remove the shingles in this area with a hooked blade. Do this by gently prying up the shingles around the hole so that there’s room for the vent to slide under.
4. Apply asphalt roof cement to the bottom of the vent, and slide in the vent under the shingles. The should cover the top of the vent flange. The lower part of the vent flange, however, will sit on top of the shingles.
5. Use roofing nails to nail the lower half of the flange in place at the corners.
6. Conduct the duct to the roof vent.

How to Install a Range Hood Vent Through the Wall

For those who cannot vent through the roof, venting through a sidewall is the next best option.

This is called horizontal wall venting.

You can do this by installing an elbow out of the top of the back of the hood. To do this method, you need at least 18 inches of straight venting before installing the elbow.

Another option, necessary for mounting an island hood vent, is to run ducting through the kitchen ceiling from the hood top and then use an elbow to run it through a nearby exterior wall.

Materials Needed

• Accordion ductwork
• A vent and mounting box
• Long flat-head screws
• Clear roofing-grade exterior caulk

Process

1. Cut a round hole in the appropriate size for the ducting.
2. Attach the vent unit to the mounting box with using long flat-head screws around the edges two to three inches apart.
3. Apply clear, roofing-graded exterior caulk as a seal between the mounting box and the vent.
4. Trim the vent’s flange in order to fit the mounting box.
5. Attach the ducting through the hole.

How to Wire a Hard-Wired Range Hood into a Plug-In

Many range hood venting options only come with the option to hardwire them into your home electrical grid.

However, basic electrical wiring can turn the hardwiring into a plug.

While hard-wiring would be the ideal option, converting to a plug is a temporary fix for an impermanent installation.

This conversion is a more common choice for an unvented model.

1. Make sure that the outlet that you would be plugging the range hood into would be sufficient for the range hood’s power requirements.
2. Check your manufacturer manual and make certain that a fix of this kind isn’t against code or won’t void your manufacturer warranty.
3. Source a plug and cable that can carry sufficient power. These are often labeled as appliance cables.
4. Separate and strip the wires.
5. Use wire nuts the connect the wires from the appliance cord to the wired from the range hood.
   • The white wire is your neutral and needs to attach to the largest prong on the plug.
   • The black wire is your hot, it should wire into the slightly smaller prong.
   • The green wire is your ground and needs to connect to the lower middle outlet prong, the long thin one.
6. Carefully secure your wiring in place inside the range hood. Then make sure that your new chord has a way out of the range hood so that you can plug it into an outlet.

All kitchens should have some kind of ventilation. Just like many appliances, such as dishwashers and ranges, the range hood requires careful placement for it to be most functional. Kitchen vent hoods needs to be ideally placed to keep grease particles from gumming up your kitchen’s surfaces and to clear away the smoke (which will ensure your fire alarm is not triggered needlessly). Practical concerns aside, an attractive range hood can add a focal point that ties together your kitchen’s design.

Personal development is a lifelong learning process that prioritizes an individual’s ability to assess and improve their own skills to set and achieve long term goals. These goals can influence an individual’s career, finances, health, and personal ambitions.

According to Myrko Thum, personal development can be understood as “the conscious pursuit of personal growth by expanding self-awareness and knowledge and improving personal skills.” 

It’s also an acknowledgment that we don’t stop learning after we leave formal schooling. And even outside of formal education, we can still take control of our own skills and goals.

Whether your personal development goals are simple or complex, the process to reach them is a flexible effort, based on experience without truly right or wrong answers. Your pathway for personal development depends on your goals, how you envision yourself in the future, and your particular learning processes. In some ways, it can be understood simply as taking responsibility for what we know, understand, and are able to accomplish.

For many people, personal development feeds on personal ambition. Such a model centers personal development around growth and skill attainment to break down obstacles, think positively, and accomplish goals. However, this is not the only pathway for personal development. Others choose to develop skills in order to fill needs, such as physical strength and comfort, self-expression, social poise, and community development.

The Benefits of Personal Development

Personal cultivation is a constant throughout history. While it likely stems from psychological drives, such as the hierarchy of needs, individual cases have documented their development journey from ancient times to the present.

One of the main goals of this long-standing tradition of personal development is for individuals to have the inner resources needed to live their best lives.

While the various practices involved in this development process may target individual skills and parts of life, each is key to helping an individual bring about a fulfilling lifestyle in which they believe that what they do has purpose and matters.

There are many benefits to working on personal development, from building on your own talent and potential to realizing your dreams or building a future career:

• Personal development may be a part of psychological self-actualization, helping individuals fulfill their hierarchy of needs, particularly:
  • Self-worth
  • Self-esteem
  • Self-empowerment 
• You can live a happier, more spiritual, or more fulfilling life.
  • Learn to manage your time and energy in a way that allows you to focus more on loved ones.
  • Nurture social relationships and a sense of community and understanding with others. 
• You can live a healthier life by developing good habits and taking care of your body and mind.
  • Maintain daily habits of good food choices, adequate rest, and getting your body moving. 
  • Meditate, pray, or find other ways to find solace. 
• Self-reflection helps you to better understand yourself, your actions, your skills, and your personal relationships.
  • Gain self-awareness by assessing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you value and need to live your best life.
  • Explore and learn to tap into your personal motivation by understanding why you are self-developing and what you intend to achieve.
  • Achieve business and career-based goals through learning and productivity.

Spiritual Development

While much of personal development includes skills training, there is wide latitude for spiritual development. This includes the ability to improve self-awareness, introspection, and reflection while developing a stronger relationship with one’s personal and spiritual identity.

For many people, personal development begins right here with self-awareness. Spiritual development might also include finding a way to understand your personal values, beliefs, and the purpose to which you intend to dedicate a large part of your life.

Spiritual development has often taken the form of yoga, martial arts and self-discipline, philosophical study, meditation, spirituality, and even asceticism.

In many cases, spiritual development takes on an ethical and philosophical interest. As you come to understand yourself, you will also need to consider the laws with which you govern your actions, as well as whether they support the goals you set for your life.

We all act according to some ethical leaning. That doesn’t mean that we understand it, that we have examined it, or that it’s even consistent. Spiritual development often means examining these instincts, learnings, and assumptions that may seem like they come naturally.

The more we understand them, the more likely we are to make them more consistent with the type of person that we intend to be. These spiritual and ethical values are important for building a strong foundation for the more intellectual and physical sides of personal development.

Intellectual Development

Mental and intellectual development are two ways of improving your function in the world. Through mental development, you will likely have the training, discipline, and focus to better assess what is happening and how to solve your problems.

At the same time, intellectual development offers you an expansive and wide range of experiences, in addition to your own, to draw upon. This allows us to expand our minds and understandings far beyond what any one of us could know in a lifetime.

You’ve probably heard a lot about how the worlds’ most successful people set aside time to read every day, whether its history, self-help, personal development, or the psychological understanding found in fiction. When we read we are absorbing others’ experiences, and experience is one of the most important ways that we learn and grow.

Mental and intellectual development helps you to stretch the mind while understanding, reflecting, and building on your experiences in a way that allows you to see more of the world around you.

At the same time, this will make you more open to trying your hand at new subjects, undergoing different experiences and learning more as you go. When you keep yourself limited, it can be difficult to branch out. However, when you work to expand mentally and intellectually, it becomes easier to embrace new and different solutions.

Physical Development

Physical pursuits are among the most common forms of personal development for adults. They often take the form of physical fitness but can web into smaller specializations from there, such as yoga, martial arts, weight loss (whether it’s a diet like keto or a routine like intermittent fasting), muscle building, athletic training, and outdoor sports training.

Physical development is not only important for keeping the body fit and healthy, but it also impacts how others see us, our own sense of self-esteem, and it can be a positive emotional outlet for stress and frustration.

Regular exercise doesn’t just enhance our physical fitness, it also has enormous benefits for how your mind works. We can never truly separate the disciplines of the body and the mind. To begin with, the brain is part of the body, wired into the same system of nourishment, health, sleep and waking cycles, and all the other factors that make us tick.

Creative Development

Creative thinking is the root of problem-solving, flexibility, ideation, and mental agility. Creative thinkers always have a way of making what they want to happen and bringing about their visions.

Not only that, but creative skills are among the most desired or most missed out on skills for older adults. It’s a common sentiment for older individuals to feel that they have missed out on creative skills that are often seen as life-enriching, such as musical skills, drawing, visual arts, or writing skills. These creative skills become more important, as we accumulate more experiences throughout our lives and look for ways to express them.

Learning creative skills from the ground up can be difficult for adults, since it may take more effort to pick up a skill, unlearn bad habits, or find the time to practice. Nonetheless, creative skills have a powerful positive force on everyday life and career, offering psychological benefits, feelings of self-worth, avenues for making sense of one’s place in the world, a wider ability for self-reflection, and a sense of creative thinking that you can bring to the table every day.

Relationships and Social Development

Social skills are a key topic in the self-help and personal development discourse. These skills influence everything from one’s ability to gather allies to their causes, form meaningful relationships, participate in a community, interact professionally, and communicate on a wider scale. 

While it may seem that some people have innately stronger social skills than others, social skills are something that can be learned and practiced.

Meaningful social relationships are key to a healthy life for both those who may identify as introverted or antisocial and the social extroverts alike. What form that these meaningful relationships take and the ways in which they are expressed will differ drastically from person to person. Nonetheless, the ability to develop relationships is almost universally indispensable.

One of the biggest things that holds back an individual’s relationships and social development is fear. Fear of rejection and self-consciousness are rampant hindrances to positive social relationships. It can take a willingness to be vulnerable, as well as a self-confidence that comes from knowing one’s individual limitations, to embrace positive social situations and form meaningful relationships.

Where to Begin?

Taking those first steps to work on improving personal development can be overwhelming. Everyone will follow a different path through their development. The way that each individual will go about developing will also be highly subjective, requiring one to look at their own goals, plans, skills, and, in particular, priorities.

Certain industries offer gateways for different people, complementing different tastes and styles. Some people might begin straight away by taking classes and skills training, there’s also the option to hire a life coach, while others will listen to podcasts and read books to get started.

This is all dependent on how you learn and prefer to spend your time. Nonetheless, there are a few main paths to get started with personal development:

• Some people will begin with the more mental side of personal development, such as implementing positive thinking, developing personal organization, and creating routines. In many cases, this mental form of personal development opens many doors, allowing individuals to be more productive with their time, more optimistic about their approach, and more willing to begin new projects and take new opportunities.
• Others will approach personal development from a physical well-being approach, generally beginning with regulating their diet and exercise routines, before moving to other aspects and priorities. With the physical approach, it can be useful to start by working toward an initial goal, such as training for a target weight or to run in a particular race.
• Many will also begin with skills development, particularly as developing new skills may influence their career or passion. A skills development path is wide with all kinds of skills, from picking up a musical instrument, to learning to code, to learning about a new field, or learning a new language.

If you’re not sure where to begin, it can be helpful to have something that you want to achieve. Having a larger goal or project that you want to accomplish will give your personal development structure. This may include directing priorities, choosing which avenues to pursue first, and, in some cases, it can even direct you with a timeline.

Visualize

Personal development requires people to reflect on themselves and visualize where they want to be. This alone can be a difficult and ponderous exercise for many people. Nonetheless, it’s the best way to begin a journey of personal development, ensuring that you spend your time on becoming the kind of person you want to be.

Visualization can take many productive forms. Some people will know exactly what they want to learn or how they want to live. This might mean learning skills such as dressing well, learning to make friends and form communities, or learning a business skill.

Others, however, will need to reflect for some time on what it would look like to become the kind of person they would want to be. Only through this kind of reflection will they be able to set the kinds of goals and priorities that will allow them to enrich their life.

The visualization stage can ask a lot from you though, as you consider questions, such as your station in life, your domestic and career goals, and how your own personality works in the balance. In some ways, it’s similar to asking you what you want to see yourself in five years, what you want your skill sets to be, and even how you want to think.

This might be a lot of self-reflection of the kind that we don’t often delve into during our day-to-day lives. To aid your visualization, consider tools that will help you organize your thoughts. Common tools include pros-and-cons lists, mindmapping, journaling, and questionnaires.

Dissatisfaction and the Need for Change

In many cases, the desire for personal development is a need for change from the way that things currently are. You may find yourself dissatisfied with the way that your life is going, or have the feeling that you are living for someone else’s dreams as opposed to your own.

During times like these, it can be important to ask yourself:

• How it could be better and what would make it better?
• What would you rather be doing?
• If you had nothing barring your way, and all the resources you needed to accomplish your goals, what would your goals look like?

These questions might not be enough to satisfy your dissatisfaction or change your life. Nonetheless, they can help you understand the direction you need from your personal development to live a happier, more fulfilling life.

Consider What You Can Do to Reach the Person You Visualize

When you have a more clear picture of where your goals are heading, you can start asking yourself what you should do, learn, and practice to get there.

It can be helpful in this case to make a list of possibilities, that way you can organize them into solutions, goals, and even timelines. Begin by weighing your priorities. Consider what routines you will need to have, as well as what you will need to learn before you can begin focusing on your goals.

These questions will lead you to find the intermediate steps that lie between you and the person you visualize for yourself.

Look for Reading Material

Look for learning and reading material that will help you to understand the various parts of your goal. There are a number of self-help books geared toward general personal development, such as positive thinking, spiritual discovery, philosophical understanding, and strengthening social relationships.

Nonetheless, once you know what your goals are, you might be better suited by reading material more specific to your field. In most cases, each field or skill that you intend to learn will have it’s own canonical set of educational books. The more you can inform yourself on your chosen field, the easier time you will have working toward mastering skills within that field.

Look for Mentors

At times, it becomes important to consult someone who has gone through the kind of personal development that you intend for yourself. This person can be considered a mentor, and for many people they can offer the indispensable service of humanizing a process.

As much as we love reading to expand our minds, many skills and efficiencies are experiential and hands-on. This means that you really can’t learn everything from a book. Live events and podcasts offer us the semblance of a relationship with a mentor. However, for many people, this limited social interaction isn’t enough.

Finding mentors can help you learn how to solve some of the problems that you’ve been having trouble with. A mentor will help you learn how to think your way through these problems. Answers are temporary. However, the method of thinking that will help you to find answers and solve problems is an indispensable skill.

Set Goals

Goals are a way of structuring and organizing personal development, as opposed to adding something extra to your life. Goals give direction to what you do with your time.

One of the most common mistakes with personal development is using goals to try to make life seem bigger. Goals structure what’s necessary, so adding them in to inflate your daily life will likely just overload you. Instead, it’s important to allow the goals to offer you direction.

Part of goal-setting, therefore, is gaining clarity on what you need to be doing. Once you know your priorities, you can pare down your schedule and eliminate those things that you don’t need. Personal development doesn’t necessarily come from doing more all the time. It’s much more important to do just what you can handle while doing those few things better and better.

If you start small, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Big projects take a lot of drive and dedication, and they can certainly be done. Nonetheless, beginning with smaller projects can help you work your way up to these larger goals. However, going too big can cause burn out and or a sense of being overwhelmed by the scope of the project at hand.

Smaller projects build your capabilities by giving you a quicker sense of achievement and accomplishment, which will allow you the momentum to keep moving forward with your goals. To start small, you might invest half an hour each day to studying, meditating, practicing, exercising, or performing your goal.

Additionally, it’s important to consider that your larger goals are often made up of smaller goals. For example, if your larger goal is to gain a certain amount of muscle mass at the gym, your smaller goals might be individual workouts, setting up a sustainable workout routine, or mastering crucial forms of exercise.

Time Management

Time management takes on an important role in your personal development.

It’s easy to stall your success by using the excuse that you don’t have the time to learn something new. In some cases, you might be working at capacity and find this to be true. If you are working at capacity, adopting something new into our schedules would mean decreasing the quality with which we perform our other functions.

However, it’s also important to remember that time spent on self-development is not a waste. It’s time that you’re investing in yourself, which among the most important things that you can invest in. This time can help you to cultivate new skills, stronger social relationships, and long-term personal health.

Time management, particularly allocating the time to your goals, is one of the more difficult parts of personal development. Particularly when these personal goals may seem less mandatory than the other goals that may be foisted on you through your various responsibilities.

Moreover, development like this takes time, and there are few overnight indications of progress. It’s important to have patience with slow progress while also continuing to allocate time to it.

Learning to Self-Assess

When it comes to personal development, you will most often be your own primary judge of your improvement and performance. This can be a potential pitfall as well as a boon.

When we judge our own work, we may have the tendency to be overly harsh, seeing only the aspects where we need to improve. This perfectionistic trend can hinder and even stifle development.

There is another pitfall for the opposite temperament as well. Those who are too relaxed with their personal studies or who are not discerning enough will find it difficult to understand where they should improve.

Being able to critique your own work with the kind of compassion and clear sight that you might use on someone else’s work can take its own kind of practice and self-awareness.

This is why it’s very important to have a more structured way of measuring your progress and improvement, even when you are only truly measuring it against yourself. The most common structures by far include setting out goals and benchmarks, that you cross as you complete certain works.

It’s also helpful to have a clear measurement or assessment for progress to help make sure that you aren’t being too hard or easy on yourself. These measurements can take place at certain milestones that are part of your goals.

One way to improve the efficacy of your self-assessment is to build a community with others around some form of a mutually beneficial feedback system. This can help you get an outside perspective on your development. External critiques can be essential to understanding your own weak points, while they can also provide some much-needed affirmation for your struggles and progress.

Planning Personal Development

Some goals have a simple trajectory, that you can practice every day. Others, however, tend to require more complex skills. Planning is there to help you to target areas of development. This is also true the deeper you get into a goal, as you have the opportunity to specialize and personalize your skills and development.

Making a plan is not only important organizationally, but it also helps you build ideas and make your projects more coherent. This goes both ways, since, without plans, our ideas wouldn’t find a voice or means. Additionally, for those with busy schedules, planning can be a key part of seamlessly fitting personal goals into other responsibilities.

Remain Agile

Personal development often incorporates learning and skills development. This is a process that can have setbacks, personal hurdles, and any number of barriers to cross.

The path to development isn’t always clear. We don’t always know from the outset exactly what we want or how we will specialize. Over time, it’s common to alter what we want to learn from what we once thought we wanted.

This could mean switching from learning one coding language to another, switching from digital to analog photography, finding a favorite language to learn that you never expected for yourself, or going into a different style of art than you had previously studied.

The point is, we can only move forward by continuing to work and develop our skill sets. If we want our skill set to change direction, this isn’t a problem to fix. In most cases, it can be something useful and important to lean into. Remain agile when it comes to your goals, and allow yourself to cultivate and reshape them when they appear to be going in a direction that you don’t enjoy or want for yourself.

Remember that people change over the years and with our experiences. And this also means that our goals are likely to change and reflect these experiences as well. Sticking to a stale path that no longer reflects all that you have become may very well stifle the dreams you were trying to achieve in the first place. Be open to letting your goals grow and change with you. 

Find Your Community

A strong community can make up the difference between frustration with your goals and joyfully working through challenges. Speaking to others in your community will help you feel less isolated, as you tap into the experiences of others, and spend some time with others who might share your experiences.

For many people, initially finding your community is one of the largest challenges in personal development. This is why it can be helpful to attend conferences, spend some time at meetups, and not exclude yourself from groups.

At the same time, be aware of how your community is affecting you, your mental health, and your progress. We are often at our most vulnerable when we are developing, and this means that a toxic community can stymie our progress. Consider the impact of communities that don’t offer support or that cause you to feel too much negativity. It’s important to let yourself learn and develop without trying to force yourself into unhealthy social situations.

Form Habits

All good skills take time and practice to build, from language learning, coding, and developing social skills, to writing and comedy, or the visual arts. Even those with an inherent talent will find themselves falling short if they don’t nurture and spend time working on these skills. The best in every field are those with an array of experiences who have worked their way to that point.

Not only do you have to allow yourself to be a beginner when you start off those crucial habits, but it’s also a good idea to keep in mind the words of cartoonist Stephen McCranie, “The Master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” Forming habits is all about allowing yourself to fail often enough that you can begin to succeed. To accomplish goals, you need to work through being a beginner.

At the same time, habits can keep you stable throughout potentially turbulent phases of personal development. Some habits are merely auxiliary to your personal development, such as forming a morning routine or keeping a healthy circadian rhythm. Others require you to consistently practice your personal development, such as picking a time to practice or study every day, reading for thirty minutes a day, or sketching every day.

Keep a Record

Keeping a record of how your goals and habits are developing is a good way of tracking the changes to your lifestyle, as well as noting and targeting areas in your development where you’re finding some resistance.

For many, keeping records inspires reflection, which can allow you to view your progress for further motivation.

No matter how you use your journal or record, it can be a beneficial place for noting down ideas, progress, and quotations that inspire you. A journal can help keep yourself together, aid your introspection, and identify the ways that you’re growing now, as well as all the directions in which you’ve still yet to grow.

This journal or record could be a key to helping you organize your thoughts in a way that allows you to problem-solve your way to success. Putting your problems down on paper has a way of clarifying them, to help you become better able to understand the different sides and requirements of each problem.

Identifying and Altering Bad Habits and Fears

One large part of positive personal development is to identify your bad habits and begin the process of countering them with more positive habits.

We all have fears, and they are the number one thing that holds us back from accomplishing the more important goals in our lives. Put it this way: if it weren’t important to you, you wouldn’t be afraid of it. Some fears help you to perform and grow. Others, on the other hand, will hold you back every time. 

Additionally, your fears might be more common and relatable than you think. For example, one of the most common fears is public speaking and public disclosure, and it is eye-opening to consider that almost everyone has encountered some sort of public failure at one point in their life. Our first step is to identify that fear, realize that most of the population has experienced this problem, and then devise a plan to use that fear or failure as a learning tool to overcome it.

To begin this, it’s important to consider what your fears and negative habits are, and what drives you toward them. For example, many of the worst habits for personal development, such as procrastination, self-erasure, and other anxious habits, often spawn from a fear of failure. The fear of failure keeps many people from beginning. This blocks their full potential and keeps them from the powerful process of working toward a goal that would allow them to reap rewards.

On the other hand, there are some problems in our lives that give us more hidden benefits. We can’t get rid of all the bad. This means that there are sometimes some negative habits that we keep around to help us accomplish the bigger, harder things. It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to be positive and confident all the time. Ask yourself if you are deriving some kind of powerful motivation from this potentially negative habit.

Develop Resilience

Resilience is a psychological resource that offers us the ability to work through the tougher and more difficult times. While personal development isn’t magic and therefore can’t stop bad things from happening, the habits that you develop through it can help you to cope with these difficult times.

Nonetheless, these times shouldn’t stop you from working toward your personal development either. A bad spell shouldn’t be enough to stop you from working toward being the person that you want to be. For some of us and for some of our goals, it’s even more important to practice our spiritual, physical, intellectual, and creative development.

Essential Books to Read for Self-Improvement

Reading is one of the best ways to get yourself to start thinking about the bigger questions in your life, such as what you want, who you want to be, how you want to present yourself, what motivates you, and what it takes to get there.

Self-help books are particularly useful for offering food for thought, as well as tips and potential solutions to problems that you might face as you work toward your personal development goals.

1. Think and Grow Rich: The Original 1937 Edition by Napoleon Hill

“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”

Don’t let the title mislead you. This monument of self-help books is about more than material gain and financial riches. This has long been a large part of using positive thinking for planning, making decisions, solving problems, and more.

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

“But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.” 

The seven habits outlined in this book offer a baseline for each individual to adapt to becoming their most effective self. In some cases, these habits and changes are simple. However, many of them may be fundamental lifestyle changes to help improve quality of life.

3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

Another classic in the self-improvement field, this book helps you to fully understand some of the social aspects of business and life that you might already have an intuitive inkling about. The advice urges us to win influence by making the effort to be beneficial to others.

4. The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

“The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”

Even though many of us know how important our attitude can be to success, it can be difficult to alter our attitudes and embrace something like positive thinking on our own. This book illustrates the ways that positive thinking can put you in positions to make the most of successful turns in your life.

5. Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck? and Other Provocations by Seth Godin

“Step one is to give the problem a name. Done. Step two is for anyone who sees themselves in this mirror to realize that you can always stop. You can always claim the career you deserve merely by refusing to walk down the same path as everyone else just because everyone else is already doing it.”

This book asks you to dig deep and ask yourself difficult questions in order to derive a perspective that sees opportunities and possibilities. By reading this book, you’re already forcing yourself to do the thinking work that will help you to expand and reflect.

6. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

“Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you.”

Full of illustrative stories, this book can help to elucidate the invisible hierarchies that structure power relations throughout life. Having this understanding may not necessarily be a means of helping you to gain power, but it can help to protect you from pitfalls and abuses of power so that you recognize them when you see them.

7. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

“It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” 

This book focuses on mindfulness and its ability to inspire awareness, develop emotional intelligence, and embrace compassion for others. The ideal is to embrace the present moment in a way that allows individuals to detach from unhealthy thoughts and states of mind.

8. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” 

Daring Greatly asks readers to tap into a sense of vulnerability to embrace their self-worth. This allows individuals to develop relationships through genuine compassion. Having both compassion for others and for ourselves helps to keep us from closing down during the tougher times.

9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

“The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers — of persistence, concentration, and insight — to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems. make art, think deeply.” 

Quiet is a manifesto of the inner strength that individuals can develop on their own. It’s a powerful book for anyone who considers themselves to be an introvert with great advice for introverts and extroverts alike.

Essential Podcasts for Personal Development

• The Lavendaire Lifestyle – This podcast offers tips for personal development and creating the life that you want to live. Topics include lifestyle and relationship advice, life coaching, minimalism and tidying, and cultivating a strong personal relationship with yourself.
• The Terri Cole Show – The Terri Cole Show focuses on finding purpose in a busy life with a good dose of motivation and psychology. This podcast speaks to embracing the inevitably of imperfections and developing self-nurturing habits.
• The Life Coach School Podcast – This podcast is indispensable for covering all the aspects of personal development, motivation, personal psychology, financial, and career development. Through it, you can learn to set goals, stop procrastinating, find happiness, and make your life your own.
• The Brendon Show – This podcast brings positive, high-performance professionalism into your personal development and everyday life. This is a career and profession-driven podcast that offers a heavy dose of motivation and a call to action.
• 10% Happier – Ten Percent Happier is a podcast about meditation, mental and emotional development, and life in general. It covers how to have both ambition and enlightenment.

Conclusion

As much as personal development is an individual pursuit, there are many helpful resources to get you started in the right direction, spur on your motivation, organize your goals, form communities and meaningful relationships, and bring about the life that you envision for yourself.

How To Grow A Beard: Fuller, Faster & Thicker – 10 Amazing Tips

Just about every man you run into these days is trying to grow some sort of facial hair. Facial hair is the new fashion accessory. But it isn’t just a bit of stubble these guys are growing. Many are opting to sport full grown, thick beards.

This rugged look is becoming ever popular, and you can’t deny that the majority of ladies love this look! The only problem with growing a beard that most men experience, is time. It can take a long time to grow a half decent beard.

One that’s full, thick, and worth bragging about. However, it does depend in your hair type, colour, and a number of other factors. Regardless of your hair type, you usually need to put up with having some rubbish facial hair before the real thing starts to come in.

1. Start Taking Care of the Skin on Your Face

The better you take care of the skin on your face, the quicker and better you can expect your beard to grow through. You should make sure you’re keeping your face nice and clean, washing it with warm water every day. Most men don’t exfoliate, but this is a huge mistake if you’re trying to grow a beard. It’s an essential part of any skincare routine and will make a big difference to your beard.

You should exfoliate most days, as this will get rid of any dead skin cells and help the beard to come through at a faster rate. All you need to do is make sure you’re not rubbing your skin raw, as too much exfoliation can be bad for sensitive skin. Make sure you’re using an exfoliant that suits your skin type.

They say that using a moisturizer, after exfoliating, that contains eucalyptus will help too. Eucalyptus is supposed to be amazing for encouraging beard growth! Each day, you should at least cleanse, tone, and moisturise. Maybe exfoliate with a grainy product 3 times a week. If you use a wash with grains in it, then you can skip that step.

Apply a face mask once a week if you like, as this will encourage hair/skin condition. Make sure you get into a good routine and keep up your skincare to see the best results. Always use products that are suited to your skin type. If anything causes problems, then don’t continue use. If you don’t know your skin type, speak with a professional to advise you. Using the wrong products won’t help you at all.

Make sure you keep your new found skincare routine up even after your beard has come through. It’ll help to maintain the condition of your beard, as well as improve your skin condition. The ladies love a man who takes care of himself!

2. Learn How to Manage Your Stress

Stress is one of the main causes of hair loss. If you’re too stressed, you could be hindering your beard growth! Make sure that you’re managing your stress properly to encourage your beard to grow. You can do this in many different ways, depending on what works for you.

You might like reading, taking a hot bath, doing an exercise class, or simply doing some breathing exercises. Controlling your breathing, through a practice like yoga, for a little while could be enough to get rid of any stress that you might be feeling. Don’t do things like drink excess alcohol to de-stress, as this might adversely affect your beard growth.

Go about de-stressing the healthy way and your beard will grow through in the best way possible. It might take you a while to learn what works for you, but it’ll be worth it. You can’t control what happens to you externally, but you can control how you deal with it internally. Don’t let things bother you as much.

3. Take the Correct Supplements

There are supplements out there that can encourage your beard to grow. Now, don’t get us wrong. Supplements alone aren’t going to do the work for you. However, if you ensure you’re doing the rest of the work in this post, you should be able to tell the difference on your beard. Supplements can encourage your beard to grow faster.

A multivitamin may help your beard to grow quicker, so get into a good routine where taking your supplements is the norm for you. Make sure you’re buying supplements from a suitable retailer and you’re reading up on them first. Don’t go for any dangerous supplements or supplements that make ludicrous claims. Supplements always work best in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.

When you have a healthy lifestyle, supplements will enhance that. If you live an unhealthy life and expect supplements to do all the work for you, you’ll be disappointed.

4. Eat Lots of Protein and Get Other Nutrients

Something even more important than the supplements you take, is the foods you eat. You absolutely must be eating the right kind of food if you want your beard to grow ASAP. Protein is one of the most important macronutrients for encouraging beard growth. Make sure you’re getting plenty of your diet in the form of eggs, meat, nuts, and other high protein sources.

You might even like to take shakes and bars to up your protein intake, and monitor how much you’re getting with an app like MyFitnessPal. You don’t just need to make sure you’re getting plenty of protein though.

Make sure you’re also getting lots of vitamins, minerals and nutrients with your vegetable and fruit intake. The more natural foods you can fill your diet with, the better. You need to nourish your body, and your beard will grow as a result.

Eating great food like this also has the added benefit of keeping your weight at a healthy level, which is great for your testosterone levels. The amount of food you eat may depend on your health/fitness goals. It might benefit you to do some more research online or use a food calculator to ensure you’re not overeating or undereating. You should be eating enough to support your daily output. This is especially important if you’re exercising!

5. Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting plenty of rest is a must if you want your beard to come through quicker. Damaged cells are repaired while you sleep, which will encourage your beard to come through. Lots of rest will ensure your testosterone is at a good level, not to mention your well being! Not getting enough sleep can be a big factor when it comes to stress too, so by getting enough you also lower your stress levels.

You’ll automatically look better when you’re getting plenty of sleep too, beard or no beard. Make sure you’re getting 8 hours a night for the best results. The 8 hours you get should be quality, so make sure you’re not watching TV or doing anything that could be keeping you awake at night. If your sleep isn’t high quality, then it doesn’t matter how much you get.

Some people find that a white noise machine can enhance their sleep quality.

6. Avoid Grooming Your Beard Too Early

When your beard first starts coming through, it can be really tempting to groom it straight away. It might look all over the place, and a bit misshapen. But stop right there! Grooming your beard too early could make it patchy in places, and stop it from coming through as quickly. Don’t listen to the hype that says if you shave your beard it’ll come through faster. It’s false! You really need to persist.

It’ll take a good 4 weeks before you can really judge how your beard is coming through. Only when it’s at the level you want it to be should you try shaping and grooming it. You really don’t want to jeopardise it when it’s just coming through. Make sure you persevere no matter how many people comment on your beard. The time will be over before you know it, and your beard will be full and thick.

7. Get Some Exercise

You’re probably wondering how exercise can help your beard to come through faster and thicker. But hear us out! Exercise has many benefits, so you’ll do well to incorporate some into your daily routine. It’ll lower your stress levels and help you to get a better quality of sleep, so you’re already making sure your beard is coming through nicely!

Exercise can also help you to get rid of any excess weight, which is great for increasing the testosterone in your body. The more testosterone you have, the better the beard you’ll grow. Exercise will also increase your circulation, which is perfect for making your hair grow through better. Weight lifting is perfect, especially when you’re talking about upping your testosterone levels.

Exercise is something that will make you look better with or without a beard, so consider this an essential step. If you’re not currently in the habit of exercising, try getting in just 3 sessions a week. Add in more sessions as you feel ready. When you get into the habit of it, you’ll wonder how you ever went without it!

8. Apply Special Oil on Your Beard

There are a number of special oils you can apply to your face to encourage your beard to grow through faster and thicker (or so it says on the bottle at least!). Amla oil is one oil said to increase the hair growth on the face. However you can buy a number of beard oils that are said to do the same job. You could even try an oil such as coconut oil, which has a number of other benefits too. Whatever you feel most comfortable with! They’ll all add to your skincare routine and improve the condition of your facial hair.

Groom+Style has found the biggest advantage of beard oil is that it can help Stop The Itch. Itchiness is the most frequent reason given for abandoning the growth of a beard.  Make sure you use a high quality product like the one linked below.

9. Get a Facial

It might seem a little girly right now, but getting a facial could be the key to making sure your beard grows through as quickly as possible. Facials will improve the condition of your skin, as well as encourage the growth of your beard. The products used will be great for your skin and hair.

The massage movements will encourage circulation, which in turn encourages hair to grow faster. Not to mention how salon treatments like this can really relax you and help you to de-stress. Having a facial or two while you’re waiting for your beard to come through properly could really make a difference. They might even be able to give you some pro tips on skincare and beard care to help you in the future.

10. Power Through the Itchy Stage

Every man has to go through the itchy stage when growing his beard in. This is usually close to the start of the process. The hair starts coming through, feels itchy, and looks a little rubbish. It can be tempting to shave it all off at this point, but persevere! This stage will usually only last a week.  If the itch is quite bad you might find a product like the one linked below helpful.

If it’s really itchy, and as a last resort, you could even see the doctor and get something prescribed for the itchiness. You’ll be so glad that you powered through it once you see your beard coming through properly and the itchiness has disappeared. Everybody has to go through this stage, so stay strong.

Bonus Tip – Straight Beard Grows Faster

Straight (beard) hair grows faster than curly hair, so straighten that beard with a beard straightener to three times the speed of growth!

Conclusion

We think these 10 amazing tips should have you growing a beard to be proud of in no time at all. The time will pass and before you know it, you’ll have a thick, full beard. The more of these tips you use, the better your beard will look. The faster it’ll come through. You’ll even have better skin condition. You might even lose weight and build muscle thanks to the recommended exercise and diet! Don’t be surprised if you have women throwing themselves at you after this!

Of course once you have that beautiful beard you will need to worry about trimming it, so you had better be prepared by reading about the top 5 best beard trimmers.