FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“METROSEXUAL” ENTERES THE MAINSTREAM
NEWMARKET, Ontario, 06/01/2012 -
YEARS
after the word “metrosexual” entered the mainstream, there’s
nothing eyebrow-raising about men
getting a manicure or a facial.
Lately though, guys’ grooming has
gone one step further, deep into
territory that was previously
reserved solely for women: bikini waxing.
The below-the-belt treatment —
which,
just like the women’s version,
removes
either some or all pubic hair —
is
becoming increasingly popular,
and
not just among competitive
swimmers, bikers
or underwear models. “What
we’re
finding is, it’s everybody,” said
Anne-Marie
Badour, the owner of Tru-Beauty Spa, which offers
a men’s
Brazilian called the Boyzillian for $70.
“It’s the gay community, it’sthe straight community, it’s very conservative guys, it’s very
liberal guys. All different age groups are coming in. It’s
much, much bigger than we ever thought.”
When I started, I was like, ‘Nobody’s going to come in and
get this done,’ and it’s just kept growing and growing,” Anne-Marie said.
Also on the menu is an array of male Facial treatments like the Y-Chromosome, and Boot Camp Facials
But as women well know, bikini waxes can hurt a lot
(though results last four to six weeks,
without the stubble that shaving leaves). To deal with
the pain, some men take an Advil
beforehand (aspirin is not advised because of its
blood-thinning properties) or have a glass
of wine to relax. At Tru-Beauty a stress ball
is left in the treatment room for
clients to squeeze as necessary.
As with women’s bikini waxing, aftercare is important,
since the risk of ingrown hairs,
which can get infected, is higher where the hair is
especially thick and curly. For the first
24 hours after defuzzing, most aestheticians advise
avoiding anything that will get the area
overheated, including steam rooms, workouts and (alas)
sex.
Keeping the area clean is also important. A unisex
calming product, like Malin and Goetz’s
A unisex calming product, like Malin and Goetz’s
newly-introduced ingrown hair cream ($34) and FixMySkin
healing body balm ($12),
which comes in a tube that looks like a child’s glue
stick, can help soothe any irritation or
redness.
Despite the hassles of maintenance, salon owners said,
men keep coming back. “Guys try it
and say, ‘It’s better than the mess I had down
there,’ ” said Anne-Marie of Tru-Beauty Spa.
“And it is. You feel more confident. It actually makes
you feel more masculine, instead of
less masculine, to get waxed. It sounds like an oxymoron,
but it’s not.” Be that as it may, Anne-Marie said that many of
her male clients are submitting to
pressure from their partners. “The vast majority say
they’re doing it because their wife or
their girlfriend told them to do it,” he said. “The wives
bring them,” saying “If I’m going to
do it, you better do it as well.
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