Men's Grooming is Booming by Daniel Hughes

Merseyside men lining up for a spot of
‘Beckham' style treatment at top city salon!

Not so long ago, even the most fashion conscious of men would go no further than a spot of aftershave balm or moisturiser, but anything more was for women. Times, it seems have changed as beauty for blokes becomes big business.

Across Merseyside more and more salons and spas are catering to the male crowd. Not least at Men U, a man only grooming centre in the plush South Liverpool suburb of Woolton.  

Soon to be celebrating it' first birthday, Men U has firmly established itself as a haven for the well groomed man-about-town, with treatments from hairstyling to facials, massage, waxing and even botox all on offer! Certainly not your typical barber shop, the idea to open Liverpool's very own grooming centre for men came after former accountant, Peter Shaw, spotted a gap in the market for such a high-end, male only salon in the city.

"I saw the men's grooming market starting to progress, so wanted to open a salon where men felt comfortable getting the sort of treatments usually associated with women," says Peter, "and we've had a hugely successful twelve months."

Indeed the services available at Men U are in demand as waiting lists for some of the more popular treatments are up to two weeks long.

But what has contributed to the boom in grooming and why are men today more self-aware than they were a decade ago?

"The answer is simple," explains Peter, "celebrities have made it more acceptable for guys to get into grooming. Men today are simply following the lead of icons such as David Beckham and Jonny Wilkinson who pay attention to personal grooming and body image."

Asked about Men U's celebrity clients (and there are a few) Peter remains tight lipped. "Let's just say it's not unusual for men from all walks of life to prepare for a night out with having their hair styled and a facial."

The Beckham effect is clearly having an impact but Peter also believes that TV programmes such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy are reinforcing the message that men can make an effort with their appearance without compromising their sexuality. And while few young men are likely to follow Beckham in sporting a sarong, the signal that he and other high-profile celebrities send out about grooming could be having a more subtle impact.

And it's not just in salons like Men U who are benefiting from the growth in the grooming industry. Cosmetics giants such as L'Oreal and Nivea have been rushing to stock the shelves of Boots with male hair and face products with statistics by research company Datamonitor recently finding that British men now spend £1.3billion a year on grooming products.

Of course manicure and pedicures are not for all men but its now big business. And it seems Merseyside men are readily indulging in more than a spot of pampering!