Men’s hair has been through a lot already in the 21st century. Undercuts, the Hard Part, and Man Buns have all come and gone in just the last decade. We are getting more creative with our hair, this is a good thing – great even. But with interesting and longer styles comes maintenance. I still know plenty of men who wash their hair with the same bodywash they use on their arm pits. That’s not okay.

As a sex, we are also extremely active and tend to be more involved with extreme sports than our fairer counterparts. All that physical activity and stress, longer hair, and lack of maintenance does not go together well however.

Weak or thin hair is something that affects many men of all ages. For many, it can be soul-destroying.  And before you get to the point where you need a FUE hair transplant, you should look into your daily hair care routine.

This world doesn’t need any more weak or thin hair, so FactoryTwoFour has teamed up with Dove Men’s+Care and skateboarder/entrepreneur/author/YouTube star Andy Schrock to talk through why skateboarding is life, date night, and why proper haircare matters.

Andy, what makes you original?

What makes me original is that I do exactly what I want to do with my life. I have a lot of passions; skateboarding, making videos, writing, music… the list goes on. I used to think you had to pick one thing and make a career based on that, but eventually I threw that idea out the window and figured out a way to make a life for myself that I could incorporate all of my passions. I wake up every day and work hard everything I love in my life.

What are you excited about today?

Every day brings something new and I love that! Today I’m very excited to be planning my third company that is set to launch early next year. Also it’s date night! Which doesn’t happen enough, haha. I’m excited to go out to dinner with my wife!

What’s your next goal you are working toward?

I have quite a few goals I’m working toward right now. I’m writing a sequel book to the first book I published a few years back, I’m working on that new company I mentioned, but the biggest project on my plate right now is a full length DVD skate video for my first company ReVive Skateboards.

Why should I – or anyone – skateboard?

You should skate because skateboarding is fun! It can be whatever you want it to be. There are so many different ways you can skateboard; vert, street skating, freestyle, etc. Really whatever trick you can imagine, you can figure out a way to do it on your board.

It’s the ultimate therapeutic/creative outlet. There are no coaches or anyone trying to be the boss of you. It’s just you setting goals for yourself and is extremely fun and rewarding. It teaches you how to fail and how to get back up and try again.

I’ve never skateboarded. How do you recommend I – or anyone – start?

To start skateboarding is simple. Get a board, get on it, and try to have fun. There’s plenty of how to skateboarding videos on the internet to help with specific tricks, but really, there’s no wrong way to skateboard as long as you’re having fun.

Are you a shower once a day, or once a month kind of guy?

I am definitely a shower every day kind of guy. Showering and washing my hair every day is critical for having healthy hair and scalp. I spend a lot of time outside playing with my son, shooting videos or skating, and I don’t like to have the dirt or sweat sitting in my hair too long. Plus, Dove Men+Care’s extensive line of 2-in-1 daily shampoo and conditioners are specifically formulated to help make men’s hair stronger and more resilient – I’ve seen a difference since I first started using them.

How much more skating do you get in because you don’t have to separately shampoo and condition?

I spend a lot more time skating since I’ve been using Dove Men+Care’s 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner regularly. I have always been a fan of their products, but their 2-in-1’s cut down on the amount of time I spend washing my hair, which I can use to spend time with my wife and son, Ryden, edit videos or skate.

What have you learned from working with Dove Men+Care?

I learned quite a bit from working with Dove Men+Care, especially from their research study they conducted. In the study, 90% of the dermatologists agreed that men aren’t aware of how every day activities can contribute to hair fall and I was definitely one of those men. Nearly half of the dermatologists that participated in the study stated that UV rays and chlorine can contribute to hair fall. Knowing that beach days with my family, or even rubbing my hair too aggressively with a towel were causing damage to my hair was important to learn.

As I get older and balance more responsibilities, these are things I have to start caring about. The campaign definitely served as a reminder for that. Small adjustments like wearing a hat at the beach with your kids, or patting your hair dry with a towel are simple fixes that make huge a difference.

The post Andy Schrock Explains Why Your Hair is Sad appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Shampooing: I’m not going to beat around the bush—I rarely shampoo my hair. I’m a firm believer in the No-Poo lifestyle. Shampoo strips your  follicles of important oils and minerals thanks to the chemical sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These products are damaging to hair’s health, however most will just notice irritation of the skin and dryness of the applied areas. No-Poo allows sebum, the natural oils produced by skin to keep skin and hair healthy, to build up and fortify the follicles. Instead of using shampoo, I rinse under lukewarm water and massage my scalp with my fingertips. When I’ve massaged for around a minute or two, I take a comb and run it through my hair a few times. It’s that simple. Within a few weeks, you will notice your hair will be thicker and require less product to keep it in place. In the winter when my scalp is a little dry and dandruff is running rampant, I use my Head and Shoulders Anti-Dandruff shampoo just once every two weeks.

Styling: My product line of choice is American Crew. My routine is applying American Crew Forming Cream through my hair, which I just towel dry out of the shower, and letting the product dry. I proceed to use small amounts of the American Crew Pomade to give my hair shine until I’m content. For application, I take my pointer finger to get a dime-sized dollop. I take the little bit and move it on my other finger tips and run it back and forth through my hair. I do this for both the Forming Cream and Pomade. For shorter hair, American Crew Fiber has a nice high hold, opposed to the Pomade and Fiber with a medium hold. My recommendation is to find someone that has similar hair and ask them what product they use. Trust me, they will take it as a compliment, I know I do. If this approach doesn’t suit you, split a container of product with a friend and evaluate which one is better for each person. It took me around two years of experimenting to find the perfect combination that suits my hair, so give it time and experiment with different products; remember everyone’s hair is unique.

If you are worried about thinning hair and would like to regain your crowning glory and avoid going bald before you are ready. There are many opinions available for men when it comes to hair transplant surgery. Choosing this option to regain a full head of hair can help you to boost your confidence and continue experimenting with your style for many years to come.

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