Cosmetology has never been an exclusively female subject of interest, but there has been some gender bias. In recent years, the situation has changed markedly – among the clients of cosmetologists, representatives of the opposite sex have increased. But are there any fundamental differences in which procedures men and women prefer?
From the point of view of physiology, male skin does not differ from female skin, but, of course, there are some nuances.
Firstly, facial hair – women do not have to shave or take care of their beards, which means that they do not experience problems associated with these manipulations. Irritations, itching, peeling, possible inflammation from regular contact with a razor remain a male prerogative, as well as requests to a beautician to help get rid of them.
Secondly, for a number of reasons, including hormonal ones, men’s skin tends to be denser. On the one hand, it is less fragile and tolerates aggressive procedures more easily, on the other hand, manipulations such as comedone extraction – a variant of facial cleansing – can be more difficult.
In general, both men and women come with similar requests: everyone wants to look fresh and young, get rid of the second chin, tighten the oval of the face, forget what inflammation or excessive skin sensitivity is. But the main difference lies in the lengths to which both are willing to go for it.
Fast and efficient
“One of the differences is the desire to get a noticeable result as soon as possible, preferably here and now,” says Galina Novikova, dermatologist and cosmetologist. – Men are much more willing to agree to those procedures, the effect of which occurs, if not immediately, then at least after 2-3 visits.
It is much more difficult to persuade a male client to work with skin that needs it for a long time than a woman. Men also approach the issue more specifically – it is very rare to hear from them a vague “I just need to freshen up my face”, instead they often set clear goals.”
To clean up your face after a stormy party, get rid of signs of fatigue after a long flight, remove irritation from shaving, cure acne – the male part of visitors comes with such requests. But just run into the salon, cheer yourself up and make “some kind of mask” – more on the part of female visitors.
One of the most popular procedures for men is PQ Age Evolution, an atraumatic chemical peeling with trichloroacetic, kojic and mandelic acids, which, thanks to the hexapeptide in its composition, also has a botulinum-like effect.
In human terms, it does everything at once – smoothes, tightens, refreshes the skin, returns a decent complexion and, to some extent, acts like Botox. Of course, not as intense as injections, but enough to make you look noticeably better than before the procedure.
According to cosmetologists, this peeling is as popular among men as among women – they often run into the procedure before going to important negotiations.
The main thing is that without pain
Another factor also plays a role – after such a peeling, a rehabilitation period is not needed.
“For men, atraumaticity is also often important,” adds Galina. – For example, new generation lasers that allow you to achieve a noticeable effect without “side effects” and a long recovery – such as Clear Lift – are also very popular. A painless and non-damaging procedure that will erase the signs of age and the consequences of bad habits from the face, this is a frequent choice of male clients.
But for more serious procedures like a fractional laser, they are solved much less often. In my experience, the fair sex is also ready to endure pain for the sake of beauty. Remember how Verochka in “Office Romance” says: “Well, you’re a woman, be patient”? In fact, this is approximately the way it is, men agree to endure far from so willingly.
Although in fairness it must be said that it is not necessary to persuade them to any kind of injections – men come to plasma therapy, mesotherapy, botulinum toxin injections and so on more and more often.
Some masculinization is also observed in the field of hand care, the playful phrase “Girls, sign up for nails” will soon lose its relevance – men prefer to get manicures from a professional master more and more often.
Even entire salons are opened specifically for men, where procedures are done using male cosmetics, and women are not allowed to go there.
“Men among our clients have long been a rarity,” says Alina Smirnova, manicurist. “Some even do color coating. Well, these are, of course, more creative people, and business people come for a basic manicure so that their hands are always in order.
It’s funny that at first many are embarrassed, afraid that they will think about them somehow “wrong”, they say, this is not courageous. But it passes quickly. Firstly, it is pleasant for everyone to have well-groomed hands, and secondly, I notice that our female clients look at men who care about their appearance with undisguised approval. I think they notice it too and relax. And that’s fine, down with stupid stereotypes.