The metrosexual may be on his way out, but there’s still something to be said for manscaping — the art of a man taking care of himself and taking pride in his appearance.

But for most college men, like sophomore pre-medicine and biology major Adam Piper, it’s just not a priority.

“I groom in like 10 seconds a day,” Piper said. “You just put your hand in your hair, swish it around a little, sometimes throw a little gel in, but that’s it.”

His girlfriend, sophomore marketing major Lyndsay Brown, admitted she’s picky. She said guys have to pay some attention to their appearance.

“You see two guys walking,” Brown said. “One is groomed, has nice eyebrows, a nice haircut, a really clean guy. The other is rough and looks like he just rolled out of bed. That can be hot, but I think a guy should take care of himself.”

Piper said he went tanning once because it was free, and that was enough.

“My ass never sweated so much,” Piper said. “I think it’s OK to an extent. Guys that are always on the beach are going to turn more heads than the pasty white dude, but I’d rather do the natural thing.

“I think it’s personally embarrassing to walk into a tanning salon,” he said. “That’s out of my comfort zone.”

Brown said there is, however, a limit that men should recognize, and that overdoing it can be as much of a turn off as not doing it at all.

“When they have their eyebrows too thin, when they have that fake bake, when they’re always looking in the mirror fixing their hair, or when they get to the point where they’re worse then some girls, that’s not attractive,” Brown said.

Piper said he’s not sure if he’d be up for getting a pedicure.

“I like getting my feet rubbed, but I don’t know if I’d pay someone to do it,” he said. “My feet are pretty

disgusting. I don’t know if I’d subject them to it.”

While feeling embarrassed may be one of the reasons guys aren’t filing into salons instead of sports bars, Brown said she thinks a lot of it has to do with the macho factor.

“They don’t want to go up to the other guys and be afraid of being criticized,” she said. “I know Adam pretends to be a lot tougher than he really is.”

Piper agreed with the first part, saying he’s “quite comfortable the way I am.”

“A lot of it’s just the fact that I’m a man,” he said. “Most guys stay in their comfort zone, and that’s watching football and drinking beer.”

But no matter how macho they think they are, Brown said she thinks they just couldn’t deal with the hassle of looking their best.

Seven Grooming Tips for Men

Neck stubble

Thick, prickly little hairs stick out over some men’s collars like porcupine quills. Swipe with your favorite razor every few days to keep your neck neat.

Mega-minty breath

Gargle 5 seconds before you show up, and we’ll worry you’re hiding halitosis. Schedule a mouthwash buffer of 20 minutes so the flavor wears off a bit.

Rough, red skin on hands and forearms

Farmers’ daughters might find the roughness a turn-on, but the rest of us prefer a smooth touch. Don’t forget to hit your knuckles.

Too-white teeth

If a man isn’t an actor, model, or game-show host, paper-white teeth make a girl suspect his authenticity, and we wonder what grimy aspect of his lifestyle he might be trying to overcompensate for.

Odious deodorant

A grown man shouldn’t smell like an infant or a spice rack. Opt for unscented deodorant that will let a hint of your cologne or, even better, the true eau de you come through.

“Bacne”

Everyone develops the odd zit here and there. But stroking a man’s back (or butt) shouldn’t be like reading Braille. Unclog those pores with an exfoliating scrub. In fact, don’t try to get her into bed until you do.

Shiny lips

It’s great that you’re nursing your windburned mouth back to health, but coating your kisser with five layers of petroleum is disgusting. A better strategy: Brush your lips with a soft, dry toothbrush to remove flaky skin, apply a thin coat of lip balm, then pat your lips with a tissue to make your mouth matte.

“Men are scared of pain,” Brown said. “They’re babies.”

Contact student life reporter Adam Griffiths at [email protected].