CosBeauty Magazine #75

The Man Cave
but not as you know it
it’s incredible
how many men
approach me
with questions
about grooming,
skin treatments
or surgery
tend to be secretive about having a
hair transplant, younger men are more likely
to share their experience with friends
and family.
“These days if something is bothering a
man about his appearance, he is more likely to
do something about it and talk about it with
people close to him,” she says. “There’s no
stereotype. I see professionals, senior executives
and tradesmen, many of whom learnt about my
work through a conversation with another guy
at the mine or building site.”
As is evident in the burgeoning industry
geared to men’s grooming, younger men accept
and expect to invest in their appearance. This
attitudinal shift is underpinning the way the
once female-centric aesthetic industry captures
the male dollar. Many female hair salons offer
designated areas for treating men and a lot of
spas and cosmetic clinics offer separate male
treatment menus.
There’s also a resurgence of old-fashioned
style barber shops offering grooming services, in
addition to hair cuts, such as cut-throat shaves
and skin cleansing.
In late 2014, a first for Australia was realised with the opening of
Man Cave Sydney – a unique male-focused aesthetic clinic.
Described by one writer as an inner city ‘dark charcoal
haven’, this male-focused aesthetic practice resembles more of
a gentlemen’s club in appearance than the traditional feminised
beauty spa.
Professionals are trained in providing treatments for men’s
physiology and skin, provide anti-wrinkle treatments, sweat
reduction, laser hair reduction, fat reduction, facials and surgical
hair restoration.
This successful and innovative provision of aesthetic services
for men saw Man Cave Sydney winning the MyFace MyBody
Awards for Best Male Medi Spa Australasia in 2016.
Founder Dr Sara Kotai says men over 30 are also interested
in ‘prevention’ and will look at an extension of ‘grooming and
maintenance’ to get rid of that ‘angry wrinkle’, remove that
stubborn bulge or permanently restore their hair.
“It’s an enormous privilege to have men confide in us about
the sorts of things they wish to change,” she says. “Whether it’s a
desire to have more hair, clear skin, or reduce flab, it’s rewarding
to see the change in men when they feel better.”
Dr Kotai’s convictions about the need for a male focused clinic,
are supported by studies showing the number of men undergoing
cosmetic treatment increases by 10 percent each year.
An Aesthetic Surgery Journal study shows men aged between
30 and 40 are becoming greater consumers of injectables, fillers,
facials and non-surgical fat reduction. And figures from the
International Master Course on Ageing Skin (IMCAS) show
Europe’s cosmetic market is growing at a rate of 6 percent a year,
the United States 7 percent annually, Latin America almost 9
percent and the Asia-Pacific region more than 13 percent.
Hair restoration surgery remains the most popular cosmetic
procedure for men, with International Society of Hair
Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) figures showing the global
market for permanent hair replacement has grown 28 percent
since 2012.
Brown, who had a hair transplant at Man Cave Sydney in early
2015, says hair loss can be ageing and extremely confronting.
“Having hair again in my former balding spot as well as a
more youthful hairline has had a greater positive impact than
I expected,” he says. “It’s so nice to go swimming without the
secret fear of showing my scalp when my hair gets wet. I’m the
most comfortable about my looks that I’ve felt in years.
“I was very open about having a hair transplant and I was
surprised at just how many men wanted to talk to me about it.
“There’s no better way to get an accurate picture of
something than talking to someone and seeing the results for
yourself. It’s good that men are talking about these things,”
Brown concludes. CBM
www.cosbeauty.com.au 99