The
Man in the Mirror
Male
grooming is nothing new. From massage at the roman baths to ‘pec’ implants the
male of the species has been keeping an eye on his looks.
Ever since poor Echo got thrown over by
Narcissus – because he was fatally in love with himself – we've known that men
can be just as self-absorbed as females are reputed to be.
 |
| The New Narcissus? |
Figures speak for themselves and a recent
survey from Salon Services suggests more than 21,000 salon jobs
could be created this year alone due to male
converts. One figure cited is £233 on fake tanning every 3.8 weeks. However, it’s not surprising to find the
majority of these particular converts are found in Wales and the North West of
England, where real sunshine is somewhat of a rarity. But almost a fifth
of salon customers now are men seeking a range of services – from manicures to
facials, according to data from more than 2,200 outlets.
If all that ‘salon’ stuff sounds a bit too fey for
your liking, and you want to look like a ‘man’s man’ you can buy products on-line
such as ‘Bulldog Natural Grooming’, ‘Mandom’ or Kiehl’s ‘Facial Fuel’. You’ll
have no idea what it does, but it sounds seriously Top Gear and full of
testosterone. For the retro-lovers, check out the three million sites that a
Google search throws up when you type in ‘waxed moustache’, humorously
described by The Handlebar Club of London as "a hirsute appendage of the
upper lip and with graspable extremities.” However, as moustaches and elegant
face-fuzz came back into fashion over 2013, its knock-on effect was a drop in
sales of razors and shaving products mirrored by an upward trajectory as more
men across Europe adopt a skincare routine.
According to the industry website
cosmeticsbusiness.com, the desire to look healthy and stylish in later life is
driving sales of post-shave cosmetics that offer SPF protection and
moisturising products. In Russia, this desire accounted for $211m sales last
year. Coincidentally there was also a rise in photos of middle-aged men posing
shirtless with guns.
But is this development of male
skincare a necessity or a fad driven by marketing gurus? The truth is men’s
skin really is different to women’s.
In short, there are four points of
difference. Men tend to get ingrown hairs; they have more active sebaceous
glands which are larger and more numerous; they can suffer from persistent
redness (erythrosis) because of the fragility of facial capillaries and a
higher concentration of these especially on the cheekbones, and they tend to
acquire dry skin because of the high astringency of alcohol-based products. And
it is thicker. That might cause a few
knowing looks in some households, but it is a fact and is due to male hormones
called androgens, such as testosterone. Male skin will thin with age, but has a
25% advantage over female skin. The density of the underlying support network
of collagen is closely related to the level of testosterone and it’s possibly
why women appear to age more quickly. However, all those androgens also account
for why men have longer lasting and more severe acne. Mother Nature has no
favourites.
Both sexes have resorted to quackery
for their beauty boost. In the days before benzyl peroxide, blemishes were
treated with applications of mercury (as was syphilis, spawning the charming
saying, “A night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury). It was easily absorbed
but had a variety of side effects including tremors, fatigue and death.
Lucky modern man has a range of safe products
and equipment to prolong their youthful looks; correcting and protecting the
skin. Discreet appointments with Botox and fillers aside, top of the league is
probably Microdermabrasion – the salon’s equivalent to sandblasting. Sterile
crystals are delivered at speed across the skin’s surface removing dead cells,
blackheads and debris in their path. Second must be peels; quick, effective and
reassuringly scientific, a peel can treat ageing, acne, scarring and a host of
other unwelcome indications. Both of the above can also be used to clear
blemishes on the back and chest. Finally, a little electrolysis can be a boon
too. It’s not only for the females who need a little ‘tidy’ but in the hands of
an advanced therapist, your skin tags, thread veins and sun spots can be decimated
in minutes. Not a candle or lavender pillow in sight.
Geraldine Walters
Btec HND/Cert Ed
