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| Don't forget the mascara, boys |
| July 11 2002 at 10:40AM |
Get IOL on your mobile at m.iol.co.za |
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By Karyn Maughan
"Now I think we are more conscious of making our male clients feel as comfortable as possible. The look we have created is meant to appeal to both sexes." Rightford said her male clients ranged from 20-year-olds wanting facials to a 93-year-old man who had his feet regularly pedicured. "We do a lot of waxing. A lot of cyclists, bodybuilders and swimmers have their legs waxed, and sometimes their backs. Facials and massages are also very popular. "Guys have changed their attitudes and I think that the market reflects that change. There are far more products available for men, and men have started to realise that if you look good, you feel good. The confidence that good grooming gives you is a real asset, no matter what field you work in."
Men will pay between R5 000 and R15 000 for eyelid surgery to lessen a tired look, liposuction to tighten flabby waists and broadening backsides and Botox injections to remove frown lines. Other popular male plastic surgery procedures include the forehead brow lift, facelift or necklift and the treatment of male breasts, nose and ear reshaping, pectoral and calf implants or penile lengthening. Cape Town plastic surgeon Dr Andre de Greef counts top rugby players among his male patients, who represent about 30 percent of his practice's client base. De Greef said the higher number of male clients was directly linked to an increasingly competitive working environment, adding that South African men were following an international trend which had made plastic surgery for males more acceptable. Male grooming may be a more common phenomenon, but the macho stigma attached to "beauty salon" activities is still a deterrent for many men. Buddy Abrahams, the account executive for Aramis, said several men who went for treatments at department stores had requested a private grooming area, where they could not be seen by female clients. South African men were also becoming less opposed to the idea of using discreet make-up and might use skin-tone bases to cover redness caused by shaving or pimple outbreaks, lipgloss to highlight their mouths, and mascara to darken their eyelashes and make-up to darken their eyebrows, he said. The UK FHM Grooming Survey 2002 found that 95 percent of the magazine's readers felt they increased their appeal to women when they paid attention to their grooming. The survey found that 87 percent of British men believed cosmetics made them more attractive to women than expensive cars did, with 82 percent regularly using anti-ageing moisturisers, 67 percent exfoliating their skins and 65 percent smoothing their hands with hand cream. It estimated that the average British man took 34 minutes to get ready for work and 55 minutes to prepare for social functions. According to David Davies, editor of the UK FHM: "Nowadays, if a man can't turn up to a meeting looking well-groomed, people tend to assume he can't do anything else either. "How can anyone take you seriously if you're incapable of shaving competently?" Nice for some men, perhaps When Arash Jahanian found out about the Cape Argus feature on male body image, he was eager to help. But when it was his own image that came into question, he wasn't so sure. Going to a place like the Image Institute was something I never would have dreamed of doing. This thought kept rolling through my head as I walked into the pretentious, flowery offices intended to create the best environment for primping and relaxation. Frankly, I just felt silly at a place subtitled "An Urban Oasis". But owner Alison Rightford assured me that men had changed their attitudes in light of a changing market. She worked hard, she said, to accommodate male customers, who made up 40 percent of her clientele. But I thought she was just a little too proud of the urinal in the men's bathroom. They had me booked for a body massage and facial, two apparently popular treatments for men of varying ages. Alison, and Heather, the girl who later gave me my facial, had a job on their hands appeasing the paranoia I felt about letting strange women go to work on my body. But first, I had to take care of a personal flaw that had concerned me for some time. A lot of men don't know what to do about hair in awkward places, but my now smooth back made the painful waxing well worthwhile. And Heather was impressed that I didn't scream. Next, for the full-body massage, I had to get out of my clothes. All my clothes. I had been looking forward to the treatment - all that attention from two women can't be bad. But I was a little disappointed. Perhaps having a photographer shooting pictures of my practically naked body wasn't exactly conducive to relaxation. Afterwards, Heather told me the two girls who gave me my massage were more shy than I. I couldn't understand it, as I was the one wearing nothing but a G-string. Next was the facial, which I couldn't possibly consider a normal treatment for a 21-year-old male. But I have to admit, that blue stuff all over my face at least felt like it made a difference. Letting the Image Institute challenge my masculinity didn't seem like such a bad idea. I don't know how much this "Urban Oasis" changed my looks, but I felt pretty good afterwards. Perhaps that's the most important factor, anyway.
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