Women start getting beauty tips as soon as they can walk. They are given bows for their hair, frills for their dresses and fancy little shoes. Women grow up surrounded by an entire industry devoted to teaching them how to look their best. Men are not so lucky.

Men are left floundering in the dark, trying to figure out for themselves what is handsome and attractive and what is not.

While your job or your hobbies may require you to get down and dirty, it’s not that pleasant to look at. Squeaky clean is the way to go to look your best. Wash the sawdust from your hair and clean the grease out of you fingernails. It may not seem masculine, but keeping your nails neat and cut short is important, even if you’re going for the ruggedly handsome look.

Don’t let your hair grow wild. Keep it clean and trimmed to avoid split ends and frizziness. The same applies to facial hair and sideburns. Whether you let your hair stay long or short is up to you, just keep it under control.

Scent is one of the strongest senses we have. Use that to your advantage by choosing ruggedly musky or spicy scents for colognes. If you’re not a fan of colognes, try out a moderately scented body wash or body spray. The scent isn’t as strong, but it will linger enough to give a good impression.

What you wear also speaks volumes about you and can make or break how good you appear to others. It doesn’t mean you must spend a fortune on a designer wardrobe. However, you should put some effort into maintaining what you wear. Missing buttons are not attractive, nor are stains or dirt. Faded and worn out clothing should go to the recycle bin. A clean pair of blue jeans coupled with a good t-shirt can be just as dashing as a three piece suit, provided it’s clean and well kept.

Keeping yourself well exercised doesn’t mean you need to lift weights or create bulging muscles. It does mean you should eat well and maintain a trim figure by exercising on a regular basis to give yourself tone.

What truly makes a man look handsome is confidence. You can show this by taking pride in your appearance and putting your best self forward at all times.