Manly talk of waxing and facials as the braai sizzles
MALE grooming is all the rage in South Africa. And if those in the beauty industry are to be believed, it is one of the main topics among men waiting for the wors to cook.
Gunther Dippenaar, a senior therapist and one of the owners of Sprout Medi Spa in Sandton, which specialises in male grooming, said when he started in the industry about 12 years ago, “you wouldn’t find guys standing around the braai discussing back waxing or facials”.
“In the past two or three years, male grooming has taken off in South Africa. It’s almost like a habit now. Guys want to take care of their skin and get rid of the back hair, even defy age to some extent,” he said.
He thinks gym culture in South Africa has influenced men to groom themselves.
He said his clients spent anything from R400 to R2 000 a month on treatments ranging from “manscaping”— the removal of body hair — to facials and teeth whitening.
“From a business perspective, men are great. Women let themselves go a little during winter, but guys don’t stop — they look after themselves throughout the year.
“Male waxing and male laser is massive. I think I’ve seen more crack than a drug dealer.”
Global market researcher Euromonitor International, in its 2012 report titled Male Grooming in South Africa, found that changing cultural attitudes made it socially acceptable for men to spend more time and money on personal grooming.
By endorsing skincare products, sporting heroes such as Springbok Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune have, to some extent, coaxed South African men into accepting the concept of preening.
Carol Boag, owner of Glasshouse men’s spa in Cape Town, has created a “masculine environment” in which her clients can relax with a beer or whisky while enjoying a pedicure.
She said image-conscious celebrities such as David Beckham had influenced the “new metrosexual male, who appreciates that personal grooming is an art of living”.
“Guys start off with massages, then graduate to facials. Skin peels and hair removal are also big and we do a lot of waxing. There’s also a demand for teeth whitening and Botox,” she said.
David Gillson, a celebrity stylist and partner at Carlton Hair in Hyde Park and Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, said the “biggest growth in the whole beauty industry is in the male market”.
“With social media, we are seeing more images of ourselves. Because our image is being promoted by ourselves and others so much, men are more conscious of the way they look.
“In my Hyde Park salon, we have a beauty area where we do waxing and threading. About 50% of the clients are men. You cannot believe the growth. It’s huge.”