There is hardly a point in dressing up for a business meeting if you haven't taken a shower or if your nails are dirty. You need to take a bath or a shower at least once every day and use a good deodorant or antiperspirant. Whether you are a man or a woman, you should follow some simple guidelines concerning taking care of your hands, hair, face, and the scents you use.
Your hands are like your business card. They often show what kind of a person you are. You need to keep your fingernails perfectly clean at all times and should take good care of them. Never bite your nails or cuticles - it takes them days or even weeks to get back to an acceptable shape. Every time you get out of the shower, use a special wooden stick to push back your cuticles while they are soft from the hot water. This will prevent the cuticles from growing all over the surface of your nails. It is a good idea to get a professional manicure once in a while, even if you are a man.
If you are a woman, remember this: clear nail polish is your best bet for business. It is easy to maintain and you don't get into the embarrassing trouble of damaging the polish right before a meeting with a key client. If you feel that you need a colored polish, stick to pink or red. In this case you should get a professional manicure at least weekly, otherwise your nails will not look good enough. I would also advise you to keep the bottle of your polish on you at all times, just in case of those occasional accidents which always happen when you need to look your best.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your nails should never be longer than half an inch beyond the end of your fingers. Do a quick test - your nails are way too long if you can't pick up a coin from the floor.
Your hair should be trimmed, combed, and always - always - clean. Unless you are a caveman. Then you don't need to care so much. But I am guessing you would not be reading this article if you were one. Any signs of dandruff must be eliminated. There is a huge selection of shampoos at your favorite store for helping you out effectively on this matter. Dandruff is not an option these days.
If you have long hair, for business situations you should keep it out of your eyes. You can be an emo rock star on the weekends. Consider pulling your hair back for work. Which does not mean that you should look like a schoolgirl. Anything you put in your hair needs to be as simple as possible. And only Paris Hilton wears a tiara these days.
In some companies men are allowed to have long hair, in some others it is frowned upon. You should observe or ask what the policy is. Avoid looking like Ashton Kutcher in Two And A Half Men - unless you are a surfing instructor. If you have any facial hair - keep it trimmed and clean - crumbs on you beard are just disgusting. So is hair sticking out of our nose and ears. If you consider yourself a grown man - do shave every day. A quick shave before an evening meeting is probably a good idea too.
As far as scents are concerned - any aftershave or perfume should be used very sparingly. It should nor precede you nor follow you. There is nothing less pleasant than sitting in a conference room with a cloud of your perfume, no matter how expensive it was.
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