If you think that only women are caring for and paying more attention to their bodies these days, you would be dead wrong. Some articles report that men are the fastest growing segment of the market when it comes to things like skin and hair conditioners and other body care items. Why this trend is happening isn’t really known but it is great to see men caring more about their looks and paying attention to what the ladies want.
Manscaping
The trend of manscaping really took off about ten years ago, more than likely due to the fact that most women are keeping themselves trimmed or hairless in their private areas. Men realized that they enjoyed this new look and finally decided it was time for them to lose a bit of the jungle as well. The stigma of men spending time grooming their pubic area has ended and they are finally free to keep things neat and clean.
A lot of men choose to trim their pubic hair short rather than going all out and shaving or waxing like most women do. Shaving or waxing the scrotum is more common as many women think it is much nicer, especially if the couple like to engage in oral sex.
Spas are reporting that more and more men are becoming customers, typically for waxing. Rather than just a light trim, some men are opting for the all over smoothness and having their chests and even legs waxed as well. Talk about a swimmers body!
Workouts
Noticed a lot of new gyms opening up in your area? You are not alone. Gym memberships are climbing by double digits every year lately and the trend shows no sign of letting up. Once a place where only bodybuilders dared to show their faces, these days gyms are mostly co-ed and filled with men and women of every age group and level of fitness.
The majority of women that go to the gym regularly focus primarily on cardio, choosing exercises like spinning over free weights. Men on the other hand are opting for a combination of both cardio and toning. Not necessarily body building, muscle toning workouts tend to be more gentle and focus on making the natural muscle more firm and natural looking. Weight loss, if required, is a normal part of a man’s workout routine as well. This is where a good cardio routine comes in to play, with spinning, jogging and treadmills being some of the best calorie burners around.
Keeping your body mass index (BMI) in check is another top reason for men working out. It is always best if starting at a new gym to take advantage of the trainers they have on staff to setup a workout routine that is best for you. Some factors a trainer will take into account are:
- Your goals (i.e. – weight loss, body toning, etc)
- Age
- Weight
- Fitness level
- Time you have to commit to training
Hair Care
Men are more aware of proper hair care now more than ever before. Go to any high end hair salon and what was filled with only women is now a multi gender experience.
Spending more time and money on hair styling is normal for men now but so is hair care products. Rather than a generic bottle of shampoo from the local drugstore, men’s showers are now filled with high end shampoos and hair conditioners. Gels, pomades and other hair treatments are all pretty typical for the modern man as well.
Men dying their hair isn’t completely unheard of anymore. While no where near as common as for women, more and more men are choosing to color their hair.
Another big trend in men’s hair care is having no hair. Notice how many younger men there are now with completely bald heads? Some men choose to shave their head to hide the fact that they are going bald or have a receding hair line. While others shave their heads simply for the look it provides. Everyone is different and some men can look very stylish with a bald head. And the nice part is they always have the choice to let it grow back later if the mood strikes them to change it up a bit.
Anal Bleaching
Woah! That came out of left field, I bet you are thinking! Yes, anal bleaching is kind of on the fringe of male grooming habits but studies show that it is a growing niche market. What once used to be only be done by porn stars, anal bleaching slowly turned towards normal, everyday women and now to men. Whether it is because of the more open acceptance of the LGBTQ community or not, studies have shown that up to 10% of men under 35 have either performed anal bleaching or have considered it.
If this is something that you have thought about or are planning to do, play it safe. Choose a well respected spa in your area or if you want to brighten that butthole on your own, make sure you read up on the subject. Check out this article on anal bleaching, it gives some good information and tips that could be important for you.
This is one of those topics that is bound to get a lot of laughs and eye rolls but in private, the reality is that a lot of people are doing it these days. It just hasn’t come out of the closet yet.
Manicure
I don’t know about your town, but in mine there is now a nail salon on every block it seems. Or maybe two. Either way, there are a lot of them now. More men than ever have realized how enjoyable and relaxing getting a good manicure and pedicure can be. Sure, there are and always will be far more women visiting nail salons since we are lucky enough to get to have our nails colored or gelled or even bedazzled.
It’s not likely anytime in the near future that men are going to go as far as women in that respect. But it is a normal sight now to see men accompanying their female companion to the nail salon for a simple and relaxing manicure.
White collar and blue collar alike, cleaning up fingernails and toenails is no longer just for women.
