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Can a man handle a manicure? EMMA PATCHETT charts the rise and rise of male grooming

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.

 

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).

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.

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.

"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
Quantum for Men - Spring House, Spring Street, Easingwold, YO61 3BJ. Tel: 01347 822662. Fax: 01347 822662