Think spas are strictly reserved for women? Think again.
According to a recent article published by Mashable, the number of men who are undergoing spa treatments has greatly increased within the past few years. And a lot of that can be attributed to the male grooming boom.
From 2007 to 2012, beauty and skincare products geared towards men have increased about 70 percent. The spike is yet another indication of how men are becoming more concerned with their personal appearance, and they’re consequently adopting grooming habits that were once solely associated with women. This is also reflected in the recent menswear surge, which actually surpassed the growth of the women’s market in 2014.
“I think that guys are becoming a little more comfortable with taking care of themselves and realizing that beauty and taking care of things such as aging in the future isn’t such a feminine thing,” Jose Girona, manager of Living Fresh Spa in New York, told Mashable.
Spa owners across the country have taken note of this trend, and have begun to accommodate males with an assortment of treatments, like massages, hair removal, laser treatments for acne scars, and less extreme chemical peels. Some businesses have even revamped their interior to resemble a sleek man-cave, complete with low lighting, dark wooden accents, TVs that play sports games, and in-door plants in lieu of flowers.
According to the International Spa Association, the number of guys who have visited spas over the past few years has gone from 31 percent to 47 percent; for those of you who aren’t too good at math, that’s almost half of spa patrons.
“There’s something about being attended to,” Topper Schroeder, owner of Gendarme Fragrances and the Gendarmerie Spa in Los Angeles, told Mashable. “I think men’s spas relate more to their mental health.”
So guys, next time you need to get away from the stress or feel the need to clean up a bit, don’t be afraid to hit up your local spa. As so many guys have proven before, there’s definitely no shame in taking care of yourself.
