The upcoming political elections might not be the only reason men are tearing their hair out.

It seems like since the dawn of time, men have experienced a love-hate relationship with that crop of follicles sprouting from their scalps (and don't be fooled, ladies...we only make it LOOK like we could care less about it). Here's some interesting facts about men and their horrible, wonderful heads of hair throughout history:

• Ancient Romans often had a slave on staff to act as their personal hairdressers.
• Japanese samurai would cut hair their hair off as a sign of defeat. Even their wives would shave their heads and sometimes follow a spiritual life when they lost honor or a loved one.
• Many African tribes used grease, red dirt and sometimes animal feces to style their locks.
• Long hair and beards was usually the norm for men up until the early 20th century, when lice and flea infestations called for shorter haircuts.

When you're done perusing the trivia, check out our new article, Men's Hair Care, at MenScience and be thankful how far we've come!

Labels: balding, barbers, hair cuts, hair styles, hairstyles, men's hair, men's hair care, thinning hair

It looks like an urban legend might be true...sort of. Everyone's heard the one about how cell phones can give you cancer, but a new study reveals that cell phone usage might actually be affecting the way people sleep.

In a study conducted by Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University in Sweden and Wayne State University in Michigan, USA, scientists have found that participants exposed to the same level of radiation emitted by cell phones an hour before going to sleep caused many of them to take longer to reach a deeper level of sleep and spend less time there. This in turn lead to less satisfying, unhealthier sleep.

One scientist believes this inability to get to sleep faster is caused by radiation activating a part of the brain which causes people to become alert. By activating this area, it takes longer for men to relax and prep for sleep.

While studies are still being conducted on the effect of cell phones on men's health, there's no denying that irregular sleep can cause a multitude of health problems. For guidelines from MenScience on how to get a good night's sleep, read our article here.

And what's a good rule of thumb? Don't talk on your phone an hour before heading off to dreamland.

Labels: cell phones, lack of sleep, men's health, mens health, menscience, sleep, sleep apnea, sleep disorder

At MenScience, we're constantly reading up on new health topics and claims to get the most information on men's grooming, men's skincare and men's health. And the men's topic we come across again and again is obesity.

But whether you think it's a disease or a condition--one of the biggest health risks for men or completely blown out of proportion, there's a new voice in the obesity argument. A new book, The Fattening of America: How the Economy Makes us Fat, If It Matters, and What to Do About It, claims that more and more Americans are becoming obese as a lifestyle choice. Due to the dwindling emphasis on physical labor in our society, and better treatments and medications for obesity, the author Eric Finklestein makes the point that more and more Americans choose to live a lifestyle that promotes obesity.

This eyebrow-raising claim has been causing controversy among medical professionals and those who are obese alike, but as reported in an article at Yahoo News, "Finkelstein says he wrote "The Fattening of America" to "encourage discussion of what I understand is probably an uncomfortable position for a lot of people."

We're firm believers in the gospel of regular fitness, balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, but this leaves even us scratching our heads. Is obesity a disease? Or a conscious choice men make? What do you think?

Labels: balanced diet, diet, Fattening of America, fitness, healthy lifestyle, men's health, men's nutrition, obesity, overweight, weight gain

Lose a few pounds. Find a new job. Get promoted. Travel. Save more money. No matter what age you are, chances are that at some point you've made a New Year's resolution. Whether you kept it or not is a different story entirely. But new information from a study by psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire reveal that whether you actually stick to them may come down to your gender.

According to a story on Fox21 News about the study, men were more likely to keep resolutions if they were broken down into more manageable goals. For example, instead of "I want to win the Boston Marathon", men need more "I want to run for half an hour three times a week", at least at the start. With more realistic goals in place, the study admits, men are much more likely to meet their resolutions. And what about women? Apparently the way to a successful resolution is with a strong social support system.

So while men might still be taking the strong, silent approach to resolutions, they should probably conquer the Bunny Hill before the Black Diamond.

Labels: gender, get fit, get promoted, lose weight, make money, men's health, new year's resolutions, new years resolutions, travel, women