Good grooming: What does it look like for the modern man?

There was once a time when the concept of male grooming involved not much other than shaving. Skincare? Pah! And as far as toiletries went, your options were pretty much ‘soap-on-a-rope’ or shower gel. Happily, times sure have changed. There are now lots of ways to polish up your image and maintain your good looks for longer. In fact, the men’s grooming market is one of the fastest-growing sectors in business.

According to Million Insights, a global market research database, the men’s grooming product market is set to hit 78,5 billion dollars by 2025. Much of this has to do with the fact that men have become more aware of good grooming. After all, studies show that if you’re well-groomed, you’re more likely to get the job, win more friends, or attract a partner. And even make more money. But you didn’t need a bunch of scientists to tell you that. Looking good really matters

Good grooming starts with It starts with skincare

Not too long ago, men would ask questions like “what’s a good skincare brand for men?”. Now, they’ve come to realise that both male and female skin ages in the same way. Sure, men’s skin is structurally thicker than that of a woman’s, so it might show the signs of ageing a little later. But it still needs the same type of care. Thus, instead of looking for a brand that specifically markets to males, men are shopping for the right ingredients. This ensures their skin doesn’t age prematurely.

As far as basic anti-ageing skincare goes, every skin type is going to need sunscreen. One of the most advanced is Lamelle Helase Photo-Repair Cream SPF 50. It protects your skin from the ageing effects of the sun, and repair s the damage UV rays do to your DNA! Next, any man looking to turn back time will want a product, be it a moisturiser or a serum, containing retinol. The gold standard in anti-ageing, retinol has the ability to encourage your skin to produce more collagen. The more collagen your skin has, the slower it will be to wrinkle. For this reason, there’s now a surge of demand for medical-grade retinol-containing products.

Wrinkles and grooming

Speaking of wrinkles, another great way to zap them is via botulinum toxin injections. They are also often referred to by the brand name, Botox. To date, women still dominate the Botox market, but the number of men embracing its benefits is growing rapidly. The most popular places men get Botox is around their eyes to soften crow’s feet and between their brows to target frown lines. It’s a quick solution to looking instantly refreshed and, in the case of frown lines, a lot more approachable. The latter is great if you’re wanting to get ahead in business or simply make yourself more attractive to a potential partner.

In-office options aplenty

Botox aside, this isn’t the only in-office option men have when it comes to modern grooming. Now, laser hair removal for men is booming more than ever. No longer do you have to tolerate or constantly wax or shave hair in unwanted places like the tops of your shoulders or back. With the flash of a laser, it can be gone. Better yet, thanks to innovations in the industry, you can now benefit from colour blind lasers that can target hair on every skin colour. (A few years ago, the hair removal lasers that existed were only effective on those with paler skin types.)

Men’s anti-ageing options

Another way in-salon male grooming has evolved? Men’s anti-ageing treatments aren’t limited to facials that merely involve the layering of several lotions and potions. Now, men can reap the collagen-stimulating benefits of radio-frequency skin tightening and advanced skin needling treatments such as a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) facial. Men can even straighten a crooked nose or fix an uneven bridge in their lunch break thanks to a non-surgical nose job using specialised threads and dermal filler.

The bottom line

In short, more and more men are fast realising the value of taking care of their appearance. They’re driving huge growth in the male grooming market and, as such, there are now lots of ways to maintain and enhance their appearance. The days of showering, shaving and then walking out the door with a splash of Brut are gone. Men are taking advantage of the latest innovations in skincare as well as in-office aesthetic procedures and the prognosis is, quite literally, looking good