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On this page, you will find latest news about the salon, reviews of
our therapies and details of new product ranges and treatments. |
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THE beauty therapist begins with a short blast of steam around the
chin, apparently to bring out impurities and soften the skin. She tells the
client off for using soap, which destroys the natural acid barrier on the face,
allowing bacteria to get in and spots to form.
She then begins a lecture
on shaving. Shaving? During a facial? Surely there must be some mistake. Nope.
You see, this is not your average, everyday facial. This is a manly facial for
manly men.
Joe Douglas, 21, is a first-timer at Karen Elizabeth's salon
in Easingwold, but he is one of a growing number of men trying out beauty
treatments and products. Attitudes have changed towards male grooming in the
past five years. Young men are now happy to buy an exfoliating cream (or a
'scrub' to give it its suitably macho new name), leading to a boom in the
market of seven to ten per cent a year.
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Beauty therapist Karen admits that she has altered her salon slightly
so men feel more comfortable. She has created a neutral environment of yellow
and cream and has re-named treatments, so a manicure is now a 'handcare
treatment', suggesting maintenance rather than beautification. She plans to
create a room just for men soon, decked out in chrome and silver, an ideal
place for a 'routine bloke'
"Men are now expected to look good, to
have nice hair, a great body, and so on, " she says. "European men have been
doing it for ages."
The change in attitude can partly be attributed
to well-maintained celebrities such as Brad Pitt and sports stars such as David
Beckham and Freddie Ljunberg gracing the covers of magazines and constantly
updating their image - This attitude has spawned a new word: metrosexual,
created to describe the 21st century male's take on life. He enjoys a
high-class urban existence (metro) and has taken on some of the traits
previously associated with a homosexual lifestyle (sexual). |
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Poshgeezer.com, a website that markets male grooming products,
encourages men not to get bogged down in terminology. It argues that looking
good is no longer a female preserve, and men should not feel ashamed about
tapping into the grooming concept.
Karen Elizabeth has been working with
male clients for many years, tinting eyebrows and moustaches in London before
heading north with her tweezers. She now offers a wider variety of treatments
for men, including the facial that Joe is now "enjoying".
Joe squirms a
little under the sheet, looking embarrassed as Karen applies a face mask to
cleanse and tone his skin. As she chats with ease about his usual routine
– soap and a shave – and gives advice about what to do instead, he
begins to look more comfortable. He even starts to look as if he's enjoying
himself. Joe visited Karen's salon of his own free will (sort of) but most men
are "encouraged" to get into grooming by their partner.
Last week Karen
had a female client who wanted her husband waxed for her 30th birthday - a
painful gift - and, days later, a rugby player was dragged into the salon by
his demanding wife. "Women are quite critical about men these days - they want
the right hair, the right clothes, the right everything," she says. "Often
couples come in for treatments together."
So, is Easingwold fast
becoming a male grooming paradise, a haven of handcare treatments and facials
in the heart of North Yorkshire? Not quite. Karen admits that many locals still
regard this sort of thing as effeminate. But dedicated groomers are willing to
travel. Male clients will travel miles to lessen the risk of bumping into their
beauty therapist on a night out with the lads. Karen treats men from York,
Leeds and has one client who travels in from north Wales.
However, while
local men may not be rushing to book a facial for themselves, they are not
averse to booking them for others. "I get men in wellies coming in to buy gift
vouchers for birthdays and mother's day, " says Karen. "At one time they
wouldn't have even thought about this type of thing." Many women now freely
admit that a manly man is not necessarily what they want. Hunter-gatherers are
all very well, but they are not great when it comes to a hug and a
chat. |
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But it is not all plain sailing for new men who want to treat
themselves to a beauty treatment. As Karen peels off the mask and begins to
massage Joe's face, she admits there can be problems, particularly as some
salons refuse to treat men at all. "Although many beauty magazines and salons
encourage men, there is still a core of people who believe there is something
wrong with offer-ing treatments to men, as if it is somehow dirty, " she
says.
Some salons even have panic buttons under the table in case
problems arise with male clients. This may seem extreme, but male grooming can
be trickier than traditional female beauty therapy. |
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"A newly-qualified 19 year old might find waxing a man's back quite
daunting, " Karen says bluntly. After the application of a light moisturiser,
Joe's treatment is over. "It feels like a new face!" he says with a grin. But
does he feel like a new man? He strokes his chin proudly but admits he's still
corralled by traditional attitudes. "Overall it's more acceptable to take care
of yourself, and to be more open, and sensitive, " he says. "But it's never
going to be totally accepted if we have to be categorised as either 'real men'
or 'metrosexuals'."
As if to show off his manly credentials, Joe
immediately suggests a pint down the pub. |
Article reproduced with kind permission from
The Yorkshire
Evening Press |
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