It’s been a quiet revolution but make no mistake about it—male grooming and body makeovers have exploded: from the barber shop to Botox, body sculpting to surgery, and mani-pedis to waxing. But are some men going too far?
Multi Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams says he keeps his youthful looks by “Exfoliating like a madman.” That’s a facial treatment that requires more than the hot towel you get at the local barber shop.
For a growing number of stars and regular guys of diverse ethnic, racial and generational groups, spa visits are key.
Sean Steele, the manager of the luxurious Living Fresh Men’s Spa, says they do massage, manicure, pedicure, facials, hair removal, and even laser procedures.
Some stars like Ryan Seacrest are capitalizing on the trend. He has his own men’s skincare line called Polish.
Cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery are on the rise for men, too—up 80 percent over the last 10 years, according to Dr. David Shafer, a plastic surgeon.
“Some men might come in because they want liposuction for their belly, they might want liposuction for their chest, a little liposuction under their chin,” Dr. Shafer says. “And while they’re here they say, ‘Do you do that Botox?'”
In October, the FDA approved the use of Botox for forehead lines. That opened the door for a celebrity pitch to a new group of potential users. Deion Sanders, the NFL hall of famer, does commercials for Botox.
We took our camera into men’s night at Dr. Shafer’s office. M.J., a business executive, allowed us to show you his treatment of a filler called Vollure and Botox.
Some men do take body makeovers to the extreme, like the man known as the Human Ken Doll. But in hip hop, super-buff super stars like 50 Cent and LL Cool J do it the old-fashioned way—by working out.
If you do choose treatments or surgery, Dr. Shafer says safety is key.
“Do your research. You want to make sure you’re going to a board-certified plastic surgeon, and you want it to be from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,” Dr. Shafer says. “You don’t want to have somebody who’s calling themselves a ‘cosmetic specialist’ or ‘aesthetic specialist.'”
Now men are finding out what women have known for a long time: that all that maintenance comes at a price. Spa mani-pedis can go for $100 or more and Botox and fillers can run from the hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Do you think men are going too far? If so, are we creating the new double standard? Hear what our panel has to say on the topic. –
-LISA EVERS
FEATURED CAST:
LISA EVERS, Host and Executive Producer, Street Soldiers https://twitter.com/lisaevers http://www.hot97.com/lisaevers
ROLLING STONE P, Hip Hop Artist https://www.instagram.com/rollingstonep/
JENBKLYN LE, HOT 97 Host and CEO of Next Jeneration https://www.instagram.com/jenfrombk/ http://www.hot97.com/blogs/air/jenbklyn
PLEM LAWSON, Fitness Coach and Adjunct Professor https://www.instagram.com/brolicplem/
GREG DAVIS JR., a.k.a. KLARITY, Actor, Comedian and Social Media Influencer https://www.instagram.com/klarity/
DAVID SHAFER, MD, FACS, Plastic Surgeon http://www.shaferplasticsurgery.com
SEAN STEELE, Manager, Living Fresh Men’s Spa http://www.lfmensspa.com