Pulling one’s hair out
BEAUTY SALON OWNER WAXES LYRICAL
GETTING a wax has been the norm since the early days of beauty pageants, primarily for the swimsuit competition. It is said that early Egypt culture recorded how women removed hair to enhance their beauty.
Although women waxing has rapidly gained momentum, what hasn’t really gained traction yet in South Africa is the concept of men waxing.
Yes, men also have hair, arguably more than women, so it would make perfect sense that they also frequent waxing salons. This, however, is not the case, as few men except die-hard metrosexuals and sportsmen admit to waxing. The general stereotype is that waxing is a woman thing, and they would lose their street cred if they told friends about having gone to get a wax in the afternoon over beers at the bar.
Some people are also of the opinion that men should be rugged, hairy, cavemen-like, as the symbol for being a hardcore alpha male, and that having smooth legs, arms and back would make you seem less of a real man.
Well, this is the exact stereotype that 27-year-old Nhlanhla Marquart -Labase, of Westcliff, Johannesburg, wanted to go against when he opened a salon that offers waxing services to men.
Divine Space Boutique Salon is located in Vosloorus on the East Rand. It is a luxurious spa-type salon that not only offers the regular services of manicures, pedicures and hair grooming to both men and women, but also waxing, which sees men frequenting it to get a clean hair sweep.
Apart from offering waxing services to clients, the owner of this establishment also admits to getting a wax regularly.
He says most men are afraid to get a wax for fear of being stereotyped.
“Most men do not want to wax because they are afraid to be classified. They do not want some label attached to them, or to be called metrosexual or even be confused of being gay, which is unfortunate because waxing has no bearing on being a ‘real ’man or not, but about taking care of yourself and pampering your body. ” Marquart-Labase has been waxing for years now, and says cleanliness was the main thing that attracted him to it. He waxes almost all the areas with hair on his body, including his nether regions. MarquartLabase says several body parts can be waxed. “Being the owner of a grooming salon, I know that men can wax their chest, armpits, and they can also shape their eyebrows and wax their chins as well. For those who are extremely hairy, they can also wax their back. For the brave ones, they can wax their privates too, which I also do.
“Waxing has a lot of benefits, including the fact that unlike regular shaving, the hair takes much longer to grow back, which saves time and money. Waxing is also beneficial when it comes to being hygienic, as hair can get in the way and trap sweat, resulting in unsavoury odours. So I would definitely say that the pros way outweigh the cons.”
Speaking of cons, waxing has notoriously been known to be a very painful procedure. What can be more excruciating than having hot gooey wax applied to one’s hair, having a sort of plaster applied on top, then violently ripped off?
Well, Marquart-Labase did little to put our minds at ease as he agrees that the waxing process is painful. “It’s definitely not for sissies. “Look, it is a bit painful, but I always say one should focus on the end goal, because the results are definitely worth the pain. It’s almost like getting a tattoo. Most people often begin by saying that tattoos are painful, yet when they get used to it, they keep going back for more. The pain really isn’t that bad once you get used to it.”
So how much would getting a wax set you back?
“Having your eyebrows waxed costs R90, while getting a back wax is R210. Waxing half a leg, which some people do, is R120, and getting the full leg waxed is R180.”
The nether regions, euphemised as “Brazilian” and ‘’Bikini’’, will cost you R420.
Waxing one’s bum is unusual, but he says it has a lot of benefits when being intimate with one’s partner.