Aesthetics Professional

Men are showing up at spas in far greater numbers than they used to. The International Spa Association in Lexington, Ky., states that 29 percent of spa goers are now men. Though the association did not start compiling the data until 2004, industry experts believe the number was probably in the range of 8 percent to 10 percent a decade ago. There has also been a steady erosion of men's resistance to what they once viewed as female territory, the spa.

This article will explore some basic, fundamental approaches to ensure that your spa is inviting and non-threatening from the male perspective to ensure that your establishment is capturing this expanding demographic.

Most men are reasonably logical, simple, and benefit driven. Therefore, in a skin care product, they look for something with ease of use that feels good and produces results (benefits). Let me give you an example of an ideal product and description: category - after shave conditioner (not spoken of as moisturizer, by the way) - one that leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth, has a soothing, outdoorsy feel and smell, and protects the abused, freshly shaven skin from environmental trauma and sun damage (SPF 15).

If you don't already cater your services to the men in your vicinity, or if you limit your services to haircuts, you are selling yourself short. That is to say, you are selling your business short on its potential profitability.

Haven't you noticed "for men only – hair care & more" places popping up all over North America? And, it's fast becoming a hot commodity! So don't wait until one pops open in your neighborhood before you realize that all those guys could be your customers!

We’ve all heard it before: “Men – You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.” In the spa industry, however, building a male clientele is a smart move that will lead to an increase in clients, services, and sales of retail products. The average national growth for spas offering men’s services is between 25 and 30 percent. Men are looking for better ways to relax and are becoming more open to exploring new personal services. With this growing trend, is your spa prepared to accommodate male guests?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), men in America live nearly six years less than women. Three times more men than women under the age of 65 die from heart attacks. Many men eat poorly, don’t get enough exercise, and, to top it off, are under an enormous amount of stress that they don’t know how to deal with. If you look carefully at this information, you’ll see how you can position your spa as a wonderful stress relief resource for men. There’s no doubt that regular spa treatments can result in increased relaxation and better health for men.

All men are created equal. While this may ring true in the political realm of society, it is far from true when it comes to the physiology and care of men’s skin. Men, just like women, deal with issues like aging, pigmentation, sensitivity, and acne. However, just as there are keen differences between the skin conditions of men and women, every man’s skin is as unique as his fingerprint. His skin health is shaped not only by his genes, but also by his lifestyle choices. A 20-year-old surfer’s skin is different than a 50-year-old businessman’s skin- and will require different targeted products. Treating a man’s skin effectively begins with an understanding of physiology, but, like all professional skin care, depends ultimately upon listening to the client’s needs in a very specific and personal way.

The biggest difference between male and female skin is due to the male sex hormones known collectively as androgens. The chief sex hormone of this group is testosterone, which is primarily secreted by the testes and ovaries (yes, women produce it, too!).

It is no secret in the wellness community that there has been an explosion in the number of men who are seeking out and engaging in spa and wellness experiences. Men have long been active and visible participants in the external expression (whether financial or temporal) of health related engagements. Such external engagements have historically been physical exercise, body awareness, and nutrition. What is different about the latest trend in male health consumerism is the “internal” experience of wellness men are seeking such as: relaxation for daily stress; internal representation of the sense of self; and the reduction of stereotypic reactions of what was once considered a feminine industry, the spa.

This article will focus on the different generations of male consumers and the specific “worldview” they embrace as a potential buyer of your product which could be a person, a place, an experience, or all of the above. Also explored will be the importance as a provider of service to understand the needs of men approaching your business and within that grouping, how the needs of each generation may vary.