A Man for All Seasons
Editor's Note
By Darren Buford
Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, August/September 2004.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
There is a tendency today to celebrate the male client as the "next big thing" in the bodywork and beauty industries. From magazine covers to reality television, men appear to be finding their metrosexual instincts.1
The truth is that man's interest in his appearance and well-being isn't an overnight media creation, but rather the culmination of centuries of self-care.
Esthetician and author Pierce Mattie writes in Groomed for Success that as early as 4000 B.C.E. ancient Egyptian men used copper razors to shave their faces, essential oils to prevent aging, and ox blood to dye graying hair.2 And massage practitioner and author Robert Noah Calvert writes in The History of Massage that men in both ancient Greek and Roman societies frequently sought out the healing power of touch within the confines of baths and gymnasiums.3
So what happened between then and now? Why do women so thoroughly dominate the appointment books of massage therapists and estheticians, while men see the services they provide as objects of ridicule or even fear?
Mattie suggests that while men "are just as concerned about their blemishes and thin hair as their female counterparts," they have become intimidated by the industry's images of pink packaging and floral scents.4 Howard Murad, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at University of California at Los Angeles, writes, "Men look at the spa as a women's place or a place of 'beauty.' Men are not interested in beauty treatments."5
This less-than-macho stigma has been difficult for men to overcome. Only with the recent media attention green lighting this behavior do some men feel comfortable partaking in the bodywork services women readily accept. The industry has also learned to better market itself to men. We're beginning to see the inception of spa packages for men, spas f.l.a.m. (for ladies and men), and men-only spas.
As a result, years of predictions by industry insiders on the male demographic are finally coming to fruition. The International Spa Association reports 29 percent of all spa-goers today are men.6 And Skin Inc. magazine states men spend nearly $14 billion on personal care and cosmetic products each year, and there is an estimated growth of 14 percent.7
But how much do we really know about our male clientele? Men and women have different needs and expectations, and certain facets of how we attract, cater to, and keep them as clientele must be addressed to be successful gaining this piece of the market. In this issue of Massage & Bodywork, we speak to these issues through a variety of articles that reveal men's intimate thoughts on how they like to be treated in spa and bodywork environments, what modalities convey their needs, and why froufrou services don't entice them to spend their hard-earned dollars.
In a candid article, massage therapist and author Thomas Claire tackles the delicate subject of the male practitioner -- an anomaly in our female-dominated profession. Health writer Diane Marty cues us to redefining the well-groomed man with an appropriate skin care regimen. Business consultant Daryl Kulak looks at problem-oriented marketing to men and why it works. And spa writer Iris Brooks presents several men's interpretations of spas from around the world.
I received my first massage in 1995. Like many men, I was terrified. I was alternately frightened of both male (What, another guy touching me?) and female (What if I become excited?) practitioners. But like every other male who has stepped through a bodyworker's welcoming doors, I soon left my anxiety on the floor with a collection of bodywork stereotypes.
Today, with my ever-increasing knowledge about proper skin care and the benefits of massage and bodywork, I proudly call myself a metrosexual-in-the-works.
Darren Buford is managing editor of Massage & Bodywork magazine.
References
1 The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term "metrosexual" as "a heterosexual male who devotes time and attention to fashion, grooming, etc." The metrosexual has most recently gained popularity through the Bravo TV series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
2 Mattie, P. Groomed for Success: The professional guide to grooming the male client. Carol Stream, IL: Allured Published Corporation, 2002:10.
3 Calvert, R. The History of Massage: An illustrated survey from around the world. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2002:48.
4 Mattie, 9.
5 Ibid., xviii.
6 International Spa Association. Available at: www.experienceispa.com/media/fathersday_040104.html. Accessed June 14, 2004.
7 Allured, Nancy. Today's Trends, Tomorrow's Targets. Skin Inc. 2004 March:38.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
There is a tendency today to celebrate the male client as the "next big thing" in the bodywork and beauty industries. From magazine covers to reality television, men appear to be finding their metrosexual instincts.1
The truth is that man's interest in his appearance and well-being isn't an overnight media creation, but rather the culmination of centuries of self-care.
Esthetician and author Pierce Mattie writes in Groomed for Success that as early as 4000 B.C.E. ancient Egyptian men used copper razors to shave their faces, essential oils to prevent aging, and ox blood to dye graying hair.2 And massage practitioner and author Robert Noah Calvert writes in The History of Massage that men in both ancient Greek and Roman societies frequently sought out the healing power of touch within the confines of baths and gymnasiums.3
So what happened between then and now? Why do women so thoroughly dominate the appointment books of massage therapists and estheticians, while men see the services they provide as objects of ridicule or even fear?
Mattie suggests that while men "are just as concerned about their blemishes and thin hair as their female counterparts," they have become intimidated by the industry's images of pink packaging and floral scents.4 Howard Murad, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at University of California at Los Angeles, writes, "Men look at the spa as a women's place or a place of 'beauty.' Men are not interested in beauty treatments."5
This less-than-macho stigma has been difficult for men to overcome. Only with the recent media attention green lighting this behavior do some men feel comfortable partaking in the bodywork services women readily accept. The industry has also learned to better market itself to men. We're beginning to see the inception of spa packages for men, spas f.l.a.m. (for ladies and men), and men-only spas.
As a result, years of predictions by industry insiders on the male demographic are finally coming to fruition. The International Spa Association reports 29 percent of all spa-goers today are men.6 And Skin Inc. magazine states men spend nearly $14 billion on personal care and cosmetic products each year, and there is an estimated growth of 14 percent.7
But how much do we really know about our male clientele? Men and women have different needs and expectations, and certain facets of how we attract, cater to, and keep them as clientele must be addressed to be successful gaining this piece of the market. In this issue of Massage & Bodywork, we speak to these issues through a variety of articles that reveal men's intimate thoughts on how they like to be treated in spa and bodywork environments, what modalities convey their needs, and why froufrou services don't entice them to spend their hard-earned dollars.
In a candid article, massage therapist and author Thomas Claire tackles the delicate subject of the male practitioner -- an anomaly in our female-dominated profession. Health writer Diane Marty cues us to redefining the well-groomed man with an appropriate skin care regimen. Business consultant Daryl Kulak looks at problem-oriented marketing to men and why it works. And spa writer Iris Brooks presents several men's interpretations of spas from around the world.
I received my first massage in 1995. Like many men, I was terrified. I was alternately frightened of both male (What, another guy touching me?) and female (What if I become excited?) practitioners. But like every other male who has stepped through a bodyworker's welcoming doors, I soon left my anxiety on the floor with a collection of bodywork stereotypes.
Today, with my ever-increasing knowledge about proper skin care and the benefits of massage and bodywork, I proudly call myself a metrosexual-in-the-works.
Darren Buford is managing editor of Massage & Bodywork magazine.
References
1 The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term "metrosexual" as "a heterosexual male who devotes time and attention to fashion, grooming, etc." The metrosexual has most recently gained popularity through the Bravo TV series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
2 Mattie, P. Groomed for Success: The professional guide to grooming the male client. Carol Stream, IL: Allured Published Corporation, 2002:10.
3 Calvert, R. The History of Massage: An illustrated survey from around the world. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2002:48.
4 Mattie, 9.
5 Ibid., xviii.
6 International Spa Association. Available at: www.experienceispa.com/media/fathersday_040104.html. Accessed June 14, 2004.
7 Allured, Nancy. Today's Trends, Tomorrow's Targets. Skin Inc. 2004 March:38.
