Mom's Guide to Teenage Guys (Teaching Good Grooming to Your Son)

When it comes to grooming, teen boys have a hit or miss philosophy. They may spend an inordinate amount of time on their hair, only to walk out of the house without brushing their teeth.

Joyce Anthony, of Erie, Pa., says teaching her son about grooming wasn't easy. She finally resorted to good old-fashioned bribery. "I was having trouble getting my son to shower, wash his hair, etc.," she says. "I started out by telling him for each time he showered and washed his hair, we'd add a dime to a jar and he'd get the money at the end of each month. Eventually, he just decided he felt better when he got compliments from others on how nice he looked, so we decided the money wasn't needed."

The Mom Advantage

Consider the following data from the Harrison Group/VNU Teen Trend Report, conducted by the Harrison Group, a leading market-research firm located in Waterbury, Conn.:

• Forty-nine percent of teen boys are comfortable speaking to both their parents about hygiene.
• Sixteen percent of them are not comfortable speaking to either parent.
• The remaining group prefer speaking to their mother over their father.
• Twenty-four percent of teen boys are comfortable speaking only with their mother about hygiene.
• Eleven percent of teen boys are comfortable speaking only with their father.

Since many boys are more comfortable talking to their mothers about grooming, moms are in a great position to teach their sons good grooming habits. The question is how?

Shaving

According to Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Omaha, Neb., and the president and founder of Lovelyskin.com, a skincare and products Web site, the need for teen boys to start shaving can vary greatly, from 10 years old to late teens. The best time to start shaving is when fine hairs (known as "peach fuzz") are causing social embarrassment or create problems between Mom and Child. "There is no reason that once a child shaves, they have to shave every day from then on," Dr. Schlessinger says. "Initially, shaving may be once a week or less, depending on the growth pattern and personal preferences."