Adam Brady from London Barbershop, Ruffians, and resident MH grooming guru reviews the latest mops to make their way out of this year’s LC:M. Not only that, but he also explains how to get the style you like the look of and whether your can pull it off.

Side Partings 

The side parting has always been a commercially viable option for men’s hair as it is easy enough to achieve with any hair type, product and face shape. However, usually it’s seen on men’s catwalks in tailoring looks, styled with a wet look pomade which keeps the finish sharp and austere. This season, however, we saw the side parting as a focal point for most looks, both casual and formal. It was seen either pushed forward over the face in a falling fringe, or swept back with a softer, more textured finish (unlike the sleek looks we’re used to).       

Commercial Interpretation: A fringe veering to the side, or a simple swept back side parting – but use your fingers rather than a comb for a more on-trend finish.

How to style: Find out where your natural side parting sits and separate the side section with a comb. For the fringe, apply a salt spray or paste to damp hair and blow-dry forward, using your fingers to shape the look and add texture. For a swept back look, apply a small amount of water-based pomade to damp hair, and comb back, diagonally, to achieve the shape you want. Run through your fingers for a more up to date, textured look.

Who it suits: Side-partings are really adaptable and can be used to emphasise good features or conceal worse ones. If you have temporal recession, the side fringe may help to conceal one side of the thinning spot – however, this may accentuate the other side’s recession so be aware of finding a good balance. A sweep back side parting, depending on its height, can help to square off your face and accentuate your bone structure. If you’ve got a long face, style your sweep back lower; if you’ve got a round face, make it higher – all this in order to make it better proportioned.

(Related: How to thicken your hair)

Fringes

Fringes have always been a popular look at LC:M and this season was no different. There were a couple of notable sorts of fringe – a choppy, wearable look, and a more designed style, which saw longer fringes cascading down the forehead, textured.

Commercial Interpretation: While we saw plenty of experimental, flowing, cascading fringes (Craig Green, Pringle) there were wearable options on the catwalks, seen in the Christopher Kane and E. Tautz walks, notably. These fringes were choppy, casual, and set on a simple short back and sides haircut. The cropped look takes into account the texture we are seeing elsewhere at LC:M.

How to style: Apply a clay to dry hair, and work in from the roots. Vigorously rub into the fringe and bring down over the forehead. If you’ve got longer hair, a paste will work better.

Who it suits: This sort of cropped fringe is good for those who have finer hair – the clay will coat the hair, giving it the appearance of more thickness. It’s good for those with a high forehead as bringing some hair down will shorten it and make the face look better proportioned.

(Related: How to get rid of nose hair)

The Natural Look

It still reigns this season. Most haircuts would have been scissor cut, with a complete departure from clipper work.

Commercial Interpretation: The easiest on this list that can be replicated in a barber shop or at home. The haircut is a simple short back and sides, with length and texture left on top. This should be fully scissored (so no clipper) work, and point cut with scissors on the top section (vertical cutting) to increase texture.

How to style: For a strong hold with glossy finish, apply a paste at the roots of dry hair, and use your fingers, sweeping back and upwards to create a tousled style. For a dry finish, sprinkle a texturizing dust into the roots of your hair and scrape through with your fingers. For increased texture, spray in a sea salt spray to damp hair and work through with your fingers.

Who it suits: The best thing about this cut is that it is simple and easy to style and maintain. It works best for those with a slight wave to their hair, and can be adapted to suit most face shapes.

Wet Look

A popular choice this season, and stylists are adding a bit more diversity to what has previously been slick back wet looks. Joseph and J.W. Andersen have created wearable wet-look styles, which don’t look sharp and austere.   

Commercial Interpretation: A casual, rather than formal, wet look. Swept back off the face and styled with hands, rather than a comb.

How to style: Apply a water-based pomade to wet hair and tousle in with fingers.

Who it suits: This is a finish rather than a cut, so it can work with anything as long as the cut is good! Just make sure you don’t have thinning hair, as this could make it particularly visible.

(Related: Which moustache style suit you)

Afro Hair 

Was embraced this season, with a more varied manipulation of afro styles than the usual buzzcut. High-tops were present, the square silhouettes evocative of 90s hip-hop culture, as well as more rounded 70s styles. 

Commercial Interpretation: a high top is a taller version than a flat top – so if you don’t want to go too extreme, then you could just ask for it to be a bit shorter.

How to style: wash your hair once a week, with Ruffians Anti-Dandruff Shampoo & Conditioner. This contains Manuka honey, which is really good for the scalp and tea tree extract which helps to cleanse and bite through grease. Towel dry the hair as much as possible, but not vigorously – be gentle, so as not to rip out/knot any hairs. Use a wide tooth afro comb and place back into the shape that the barber cut it. It may require snipping some stray hairs. Add some hairspray to keep set in place.

Who it suits: it’s an eccentric look, so if you have the confidence to pull it off, then go for it. This can work with a tight and a loose curl, but if you’ve got the latter, then make sure you add more spray.

1. Be prepared

Unless you’re using one of the new breed of wet and dry shavers – which can be used with or without water – you'll get much better results from an electric shaver if your stubble is bone dry and stiff. To make sure it’s free of dirt and sebum (the skin’s natural oil) use an alcohol-based pre-electric shave product. Most are formulated with ingredients like vitamin E, ensuring that your skin is protected and irritation is kept to a minimum.

2. Get the angle right

Hold the shaver at right angles to your face, and use your free hand to pull your skin taught as you shave so the hairs stand upright. This will ensure maximum contact with the skin, reduce shaving time and minimise snagging. Foil shavers work best using just back-and-forth strokes, while rotary shavers should also be used with circular motions.

(Related: How to shave off your beard)

3. Keep cool

Due to the fact that they’re motorised, most shavers generate a degree of operational heat – bad news for sensitive skin as it can cause irritation. Always tackle the sensitive areas like the neck first while the shaver is still cool. Press lightly and don’t go over the same spot repeatedly.

4. Give it some TLC

Shavers are like cars: they perform better if properly maintained and any worn out parts are replaced. Many now come with their own cleaning systems. If yours does, use it. Not only will it help to deliver a better shave, it will prolong the product life, too. Use the cleaning brush provided to remove any whisker dust from the cutters and foil after each shave but be gentle as these parts are delicate and easily damaged. Never tap the shaver on the edge of the sink to remove residues.

If you’re using a foil shaver, the foil will need replacing every 1–2 years, depending on the toughness of your stubble. Most men neglect to do this, and if you do you’ll end up pressing harder to get a decent shave and irritate the skin in the process. Details of replacement parts come with the manual so make sure you keep it safe.

(Related: 5 quick ways to improve your shave)

5. Stick with it

Patience is a virtue with any kind of shaving technique but it’s especially important if you’re a newbie to electric shaving. If you've been using a wet razor all your life and decide to go electric, your skin can take several weeks to adjust to the new shaving technique. Stick with it, even if you experience some mild irritation to begin with.

As if you’d need telling, DIY and your pearly whites don’t mix. However, home teeth-whitening kits containing dangerous levels of hydrogen peroxide are on the rise, according to the Local Government Association. But what’s the worse they can do? Cause mouth infections, blistering and burns to your gums. Basically, it’s like washing your mouth with bleach.

Fortunately, there's a way to a better smile without the equivalent of scrubbing your teeth with Cilit Bang. You just need to follow some basic tips, which have been provided by Dr Richard Marques of Wimpole Street Dental. 

Do double time

Brushing is still the simplest and best way to beat tooth decay and bad breath. Twice a day after food remains the gold standard but, if you’re using the wrong tools, not all cleans are created equal. “Using an electric toothbrush removes 80% more plaque than a manual,” explains Dr Marques. Splashing out on some high-end bristles could save you far more in dentist’s bills further down the line. Marques recommends the Philips Diamondclean (£98; johnlewis.com) but admits even a battery-powered manual is better than nothing.

Wash your mouth out

Used as a supplement to – not instead of – brushing, mouthwash is an effective way to further improve oral health. There are specialist options on sale to tackle particular problems; Corsodyl (£5; boots.com) – the one with nasty ‘blood when you brush’ adverts – is great for improving gum health, while Colgate FluoriGard (£4.50; boots.com) saves your teeth by preventing cavities. “For general use I recommend a non-alcohol mouthwash like Listerine Total-Zero, which freshens breath and prevents any gum problems or cavities,” says Marques. There’s also been research suggesting a link between alcohol in mouthwash and an increased risk of mouth cancer. Put down the bottle.

Mind the gaps

It’s the fiddly bit of dental hygiene and therefore the first part of your morning routine to be scrapped when you’re in a rush. But don’t; brushes don’t touch between the teeth and decay will start to fester, eventually developing in your gums and even resulting in teeth falling out. Choose standard floss over interdental brushes (you have more control) and draw the floss up and down over the triangle of gum between your teeth for the most effective technique. “There is also a new method of using an air-flosser (£60; johnlewis.com),” says Marques. “Which targets between teeth and can be filled with mouthwash for an anti-bacterial boost.” The future is here, use it.

Get the pro's in

If you’re guilty of letting things slip between your lips then book in a session with you hygienist. Spend 15mins in their care every six months and you’ll have a clean slate to work with. “A full clean with polish removes all stains and improves the colour of your teeth,” says Marques. Good news if you’re a slave to morning coffee, or enjoy a crafty fag with that glass of wine.

All white on the night

Don’t believe the adverts, whitening toothpaste alone isn’t enough to undo the damage completely. It’s packed with sodium bicarbonate and lifts lighter stains but won’t achieve the pearly whites you truly covet. Stay away from the off-the-shelf kits too, Ross Geller. Avoid comedy choppers with in-clinic laser whitening. “It involves the application of a hydrogen peroxide gel to your teeth, which is then activated by a laser to lift stains,” says Marques. “And because enamel is porous it can reach inside the teeth and clean all the way through.”

Brace yourself

Train tracks are fine when you’re a teenager; you’ve got acne and a cracking voice box to contend with, who cares about a bit of dental bling? But walking into a boardroom doing your best impression of a Bond villain is tough to pull off. Luckily for you, crooked teeth today can be sorted without you being railroaded. “There are two options,” says Marques. “Invisaline retainers (like a clear gumshield) or a new system called Incognita, which works like train tracks but are attached behind the teeth.” Your move, brace face.

What you scarf post-workout matters for building and repairing muscle. And while scientists have long known that protein should be a key component of whatever you consume to get the job done, two new studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveal one reason whywhey protein stands above all others: It’s the leucine.

“Whey is a high-quality milk protein that’s a rich source of the essential amino acid leucine,” says Stefan Pasiakos, Ph.D., a physiologist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. And consuming lots of leucine leads to greater muscle protein synthesis—the intricate process that helps promote the remodeling, repair, and muscle growth that occurs after exercise, the study explains.

More from MensHealth.com: The Truth About Protein

In Pasiakos’ study, military members rode stationary bikes for 60 minutes at a moderate intensity on two separate occasions. Both times they chugged a beverage with equal amounts of protein, but one drink contained 1.9 grams of leucine, while the other packed 3.5 grams. (For reference: 10 grams of regular whey protein contains about 1 gram of leucine.) Researchers found protein synthesis was 33 percent higher after the larger leucine dose. “Leucine can help trigger complex signaling networks within muscles that turn on muscle protein synthesis,” Pasiakos says.

Meanwhile, the second American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that consuming 25 grams of whey protein that contained 3.5 grams of leucine after a resistance training workout led to higher blood concentrations of amino acids, including leucine, than when participants downed smaller repeat doses of whey meant to mimic another type of protein called casein. The reason? Whey is digested quickly, and makes essential amino acids available sooner—leading to a greater muscle protein synthesis response, Pasiakos says.

I am 23. This month, my boyfriend of one year broke up with me. I was totally surprised, and am still devastated by it and in love with him. I have asked a few times about getting back together, but he is not interested. So I am trying to move on, which isn’t easy. It’s even harder when we both turn up at the same holiday parties. I’m scared (but also sort of hoping) that we will be at the same New Year’s Eve party. But I don’t want to stay home alone. Help!

Nina, Brooklyn

Welcome to the Heartbreak Hotel, Nina. It is my sad duty to report that most of us have checked in for a spell (or three), often feeling mowed down by a fleet of midsize trucks. But in time, those trucks will feel more like flammable hoverboards, and eventually, like tiny children stepping on your toes. It gets better. And exploring this bummer with friends or a therapist will give you more emotional depth and make you smarter about the next guy. (And there will be a next guy — really.)