SHABIHA NUR KHATOON, OP
Suddenly, every man wants to look fabulous, and the definition of beauty, as an essentially feminine craving and pursuit, is changing dramatically
A thing of beauty is a joy forever for everyone. Gone are the days when only women spent a lot of time in front of the mirror trying out all kinds of make-ups to look beautiful. Social perceptions are indeed changing. Today, men are equally conscious about their looks and attires and freely indulge in beauty treatments. Be it a look suited for the workplace, college or party, men are getting increasingly beauty conscious. The competition to look good and well-groomed is also quite intense.
In fact it would not be wrong to say that men are breaking stereotypes associated with beauty and skincare products. Sunday POST speaks to a few beauty experts on the manly urge to look super.
Hair expert Prince says that apart from shaving and shampoos there are many other services that men, mostly youths, prefer, for example manicure, pedicure, hair lighting, and straightening. “Parlours in the city offer a variety of products for hair care, skincare, beard care, fragrance, and accessories.”
“Hair colour and oil control products are popular among men and we also offer services such as hair spa, straightening, and hair highlighting. Colours that are currently in vogue are copper, violet and blue,” adds Prince.
“The ratio of male clients to females is surprising because it shows that many more men today want to be fashion forward. Skin texture, complexion and glow are not just matters of concern for girls; men too are concerned about a number of skin-related issues like scars, acne, blemishes and dead skin cells. So they look for facial treatments to get rid of skin problems,” says Chirosmita Bose, beauty expert at Promenad Salon in Bhubaneswar.
Bose says that men are no longer far behind women in style and fashion as they are trying out all possibilities to look good and young. “We also come across people who visit our salon to get rid of tanning woes,” Chirosmita quips.
Dr Satyabrata Tripathy, dermatologist at Apollo Hospitals says: “There is no denying the fact that day by day men are becoming more conscious of their looks and beauty. As a dermatologist and cosmetologist, I encounter mainly college students or young professionals working in the marketing and hospitality industry, or those who are about to get married, seeking consultation for improvement of their appearance. Most of them want a spot-free skin, free of blemishes or scars, and many come for hair-related problems.”
“There is nothing wrong in males seeking a spotless skin like females. Good look adds to confidence. Fortunately in the field of cosmetology, many exciting treatments are available. We can offer clients the treatments and technologies that help them maintain a youthful skin. Procedures like peels, fillers, botox, fractional laser resurfacing are technologies used for skin rejuvenation,” the dermatologist adds.
Tripathy says youths should not be obsessed with skin colour. “In the quest to achieve a fair skin youths tend to use many products available in the market that contain bleaching agents which may hamper the skin. Do not self-medicate. Contact a professional dermatologist and follow his advice to get the best out of the multitude of treatments available these days,” he says.
Dr Anil Ganjoo, dermatologist at Skin and Cosmetology Centre, New Delhi, says: “Mostly men in the age bracket of 28-34 years are concerned about their appearance. They want to look smart and attractive at the workplace and everywhere. The increasing number of men’s salons and branded outlets are hard to miss. With increasing stress and hypertension, more male patients pay us visits about problems related to their facial expression (drooping and tensed face), loss of hair, scars, and acne. Many have been prescribed creams and lotions for clearing dead skin, acne, and pimples. Improper eating habits are also responsible for changes in the facial skin and hair. So making dietary changes and timely consumption of nutrient-rich food is essential.”
Talking about the reasons he says, “The connection between social factors, cultural aspects and workplace competition has driven men to break the pigeonhole. Everyone wants to look good, stylish and catch up with the latest trends to maintain social status and floor clients and dealers. After all, looks do kill.
BLEACH BOY
There were not many examples of celebrities who have openly spoken about their bleaching habits. But Sammy Sosa was always upfront.
Sammy was a just a glowing brown-skinned boy when he first stepped on the baseball field as a new member of the Texas Rangers in 1989. The bright-eyed Dominican Republic native was barely 21 years old when he came to the United States as a baseball rookie and probably didn’t have a clue that his career would lead him to become one of the most prolific Major League Baseball players of all time.
Now, Sammy, who once donned a natural melanin-filled, sun-kissed, brown complexion, could be easily mistaken for a white man.
