Male grooming isn’t the unspoken, underhand industry it once was. Recent years have seen advancements in razors and leaps in lasers bring ‘manscaping’, male moisturising and a whole host of other masculine treatments into the mainstream.
But, with so many different hair removal methods now on the market, why do some men still opt in for presumably the most painful of all – waxing? Less permanent than lasers and more sore than shaving, is waxing really worth it? A valid question – and one that weighs heavy on my mind as yet another strip of hair is ripped from my back.
Face-down at Notting Hill’s ‘Strip’ salon – the favoured boutique of Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller – I was pleasantly surprised to find that waxing packs more of a pinch than a punch. Whilst obviously not pain-free, the treatment definitely doesn’t leave you as tender as countless comedy films and general opinion would have you believe. So, next time you reach for your razor, why not consider a waxy alternative – and get those hairs removed right.
“We’ve seen a massive increase in men coming in over the past ten years,” says Emily Hempenstall, a waxer of 16 years – as she daubs yet more chocolate-scented strip wax across my shoulders.
“It’s probably about 20 per cent men now, and you wouldn’t believe how many uncertain men become repeat customers” she continues, brandishing a freshly-ripped strip to make her point. “Although many of the men we see have initially been coerced in by wives and girlfriends…”
Male waxing is indeed becoming more and more mainstream with every strip. Hempenstall says that only one of her customers – to her knowledge – is gay, and that any taboo that was once attached to the treatment has disappeared.
But why is waxing more effective than simple shaving?
“Over time,” Hempenstall explains, stirring the heated pot of wax “your hair will become finer. Unlike shaving, where you do nothing to the follicle and just cut the hair off at the base, waxing pulls it out properly. We usually recommend a period of around six weeks between waxings, depending on the customer’s hair type – and that way you will notice the hair grows back thinner than before.
“There’s a smaller chance of ingrown hairs, too” Hempenstall adds as she tears a tuft of hair from my lower back. It seems that I had underestimated how difficult it would be to conduct an interview whilst being waxed – but I continue nonetheless. How different are men to wax than women?
“Men tend to be braver – they don’t like to show they’re scared,” reveals the waxer. “And we have to use a lot of talcum powder on men, because men really sweat – and, if you apply the wax straight onto sweaty hair, it won’t stick.
“Other than that, it’s all quite similar. Women have been getting intimate waxing for a long time, but men are now quite commonly asking for that too. The wax we use on intimate regions is different, however. We apply it and then peel it off afterwards – so it doesn’t pull on the delicate skin.
“Men come in wanting Brazilians and Hollywoods – all sorts. And sometimes they need to take a breather before continuing, but I’ve never had a walk out.
“Waxing really is worth it,” Hempenstall reasons, applying the last – and most intimate – strip, “and more and more men are wising up to it.” Rrrip!
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