Why should girls have all the fun?

They do their nails, have facials and spend hours on hair treatments. Vaibhav Shastry finds out that guys want to be pampered too

A hair tattoo being done at Page 3, luxury salon and makeover studio. Photo: K. Ananthan

Hair tattoos

Flags, symbols of super heroes, football teams, spider webs and animals all find a place on the scalp. Hair tattooing is the big thing this year in men’s fashion, says Shan, franchisee partner, Page 3 luxury salon and spa. Tribal designs are the other favourite. All it requires is a deft pair of hands and a hair clipper to create these designs. “The width of the face, density of hair and its length are important factors when it comes to hair tattoos. We make an analysis and suggest to the client what design will work best based on these factors,” explains N. Sadasivam, hair tattoo artist.

A simple hair tattoo can take 30 minutes while more intricate designs take over two hours. So, if you’re looking for a trendy new hair design for Christmas and the New Year, try a hair tattoo. And, if you are worried about job interviews, the design lasts only till your hair growth. Prices range from Rs. 700 to Rs. 4,000.

Hair colours/ streaks

Party animals and football fans go for streaks of gold, blue and even blonde on their hair. Young professionals, especially in their 20s and 30s, want to break away from the staid old style and get a sleek new look with global colours. Brown and light red are the more popular colours. Prices for streaks range from Rs. 1,250 to Rs. 3,600. Global colouring ranges between Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000.

Facials: “There has been a 100 per cent increase in men coming in for facials, as they want to look well groomed at any function or social gathering,” declares Shan. Just like the women, men come in for facials before a party/wedding where they want to look good. Skin colour and wrinkles are the usual preoccupations. There are four different procedures for different skin types, and they range in price from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 4,000.

Manicure/pedicure: They do their nails too. Manicures and pedicures figure high in their list of priorities. “With the recent IT boom and focus on neatness, men want to be well groomed. It is not just their hair, but even their nails and feet that they want to keep clean and fresh. We get 60 male customers each month coming in for manicures and pedicures, and the number is only increasing,” says Shan. A simple manicure costs Rs. 600 while a spa pedicure costs Rs. 800.