Men in the Spa: Yay or Nay?

Once a taboo and hardly spoken about topic, these days typing anything ‘male’ and ‘spa’ related into your search engine and you’ll be flooded with reports on how male grooming is on an upward trajectory. Articles point to men being more progressive about the way they look and how they groom. Terms like ‘man-scaping’, ‘man-kini’ and ‘Bro-tox’ now exist as an attempt to further entice men into an arena traditionally dominated by women. In fact, there are now men only spas with barbers, skin therapists and some even tattoo artists, all dedicated to looking after top to toe male grooming.

In South Africa, where men are sent solo up mountains to find their manhood, rated on their braai-ing prowess and judged on their knowledge of contact sport – is the idea of entering a spa acceptable?

Themba Ndlovu, Clere For Men brand manager says we still have a way to go in this country to convince men that spa-based grooming is an acceptable pastime. “South African men like to look, feel and smell good, but the idea of entering a spa, no matter how male focused it is, still doesn’t sit well with the average guy.”

Ndlovu looks at the latest in male spa-based grooming trends:

• Bro-tox: Women have been indulging in these injections for years – and men are catching on. Most focused-on areas include the furrow between the eyebrows and lines on the forehead.
• Man-scaping or waxing: Shoulders, back, brow and bikini – internationally they’re having it all taken off.
• Facials: Most spas now offer male specific facials to combat in-grown hairs and other ailments specific to men’s faces.
• MANis and Pedis: Men are no longer able to get away with ungroomed hands and feet – the days of crusty heels and dark stained nails are over.

“As a brand, we support the trend for South African men to take part in more intense grooming experiences – it’s an international movement, and one I’m sure we’ll see more uptake of locally. It’s not just a youthful pastime either – men in their fifties are just as keen to keep their appearance in tip-top shape as men in their twenties are,” says Ndlovu.