The sun is high in the sky and it’s the perfect time to hit the beach. For guys, however, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Many of us (especially the dads with a hundred other responsibilities to take our time) aren’t wholly confident about how we look at the beach. However, with a few tips and shortcuts below, hopefully, we’ll realize that we don’t have to be chiseled Adonis-like models to be able to relax.

Skip the grooming

Even if your wife loves it and your kids call you a big bear, it’s not unnatural to feel like you have a little too much body hair to really let loose at the beach. Where possible, it’s always recommended you simply let go of the nerves and be proud of your body the way it is. However, if it’s really that much of a hang-up, don’t give yourself the hassle of having to trim and groom it all yourself. A laser hair reduction can make a hairy back a thing of the past.

Don’t go red

We should take any possible opportunity to remind beach-going dads the importance of sunscreen. Even if you naturally tan quite well, the risks of leaving yourself so thoroughly exposed to the sun’s rays aren’t worth it. What’s more, finding the right sun cream for your skin type can help doubly ensure that you don’t end up sunburned. No-one wants to look like a lobster while they’re trying to relax by the sea.

Feel comfortable in your skin (and shorts)

Men may not have the huge range of swimwear that women have to concern themselves with, but we are still faced with options that can be a little unflattering or, in some cases, far too revealing when you hit the water. If you don’t want to become inadvertently appropriate, think about mens vintage swimwear that doesn’t hide you away, but doesn’t cling quite close enough to reveal everything. Of course, if you feel comfortable in a pair of speedos, then feel free. For the rest of us, we don’t want to show everyone on the beach absolutely everything.

Add a little sheen in advance

If you are looking to tan but you feel like you’re a little pallid or ghostly white, there’s nothing wrong with cheating just a little. Self-tanning guides can help even the most unversed of fathers give themselves something of a coppery tint in advance. It won’t stop you from developing a natural tan after and most tanning products are relatively easy to wash in case you don’t want to keep your color after you come home from the beach. All in all, there’s no need to feel self-conscious if you’re not the most sun-kissed individual. You can just fake it till you make it.

Feeling comfortable in your own skin is going to make the beach much more enjoyable and achievable than trying to get a beach body in a manner of weeks. The tips above are just to help you feel as confident and relaxed as you already should.