Irish men a cut above for beard sculpting
THE trend of men trimming and shaping their beards doesn’t appear to be wearing thin – and especially not in Ireland.
New figures from consumer market research firm Euromonitor reveal that Irish men are among the top in the world when it comes to forking out on grooming products.
Sports stars such as Conor McGregor and Mayo GAA footballer Aidan O’Shea are believed to be big influencers in increasing demand for male grooming products, experts say.
The figures show Irish men are the sixth biggest spenders in the world per capita when it comes to splashing out on grooming products such as beard oil and hair gel – with German men in first place and the Swiss and British in second and third place respectively.
Euromonitor International’s senior beauty and fashion analyst Kseniia Galenytska said Irish sports stars have a big influence on the fashion for facial hair among young men in the country.
She said: ‘The trend has been strongly influenced by Irish sports stars – with GAA players such as Paul Galvin and Aidan O’Shea having a massive influence.
‘GAA is a significant part of Irish culture... it has a far-reaching influence,’ she said. ‘Soccer players would have also... UFC fighter Conor McGregor would be another one.’
She said internet and social media such as Instagram are also driving the 21st-century trend.
The hair-raising fashion has also migrated to Hollywood with Alister Colin Farrell trying out a full beard and a goatee while Fifty Shades star Jamie Dornan has also sported a bushy beard.
Ms Galenytska said: ‘Men have been increasingly adopting beard fashion and are looking for products to maintain the good looking and fashionable beard.
‘Men’s beard washes, oils, waxes, gels, combs and brushes has contributed to the haircare growth as a plethora of smaller brands have already sprung up to meet these needs.’
Irish men spent an average of €29.10 last year on grooming products, which is up from €27 in 2012.
Euromonitor’s report revealed that while there was a dip in demand for shaving products such as razors and blades, there was a rise in the sale of products such as beard oil and trimmers.