With the advent of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and the trend toward “metrosexuality,” I’ve noticed that more and more guys are getting interested in improving their personal grooming. Many of them have asked me where to get grooming services. I have no idea–I get my hair cut at Supercuts. So I thought I’d see if anyone has any advice on how to find a good salon for men.
Some of the services that they are interested in are:
–Better haircuts and hair styling instruction
–Facial hair grooming and style advice
–Eyebrow grooming
–Body hair waxing or grooming
–Manicures and pedicures
–Instruction on other grooming techniques, like shaving
–General advice on what products to use
–Guidance on other grooming options–in other words, a lot of guys don’t realize that they even have a problem area that could be fixed, like a unibrow. They want someone to tell them these things.
Basically, they want a full-service salon/spa and their very own Kyan.
They generally have a few concerns:
–They are afraid they’d feel uncomfortable in a salon.
–They are afraid that they will seem “stupid” because it would be all new to them.
–They are afraid that they will end up looking or smelling “girly.”
–They are afraid that the salon will try to convince them that they have to adopt very complicated grooming routines and/or sell them lots of expensive products.
–They are afraid that it will be very expensive.
–They are afraid that it will hurt.
I do tell them that salons are used to clueless men, and that they change the techniques that they use for things like eyebrow waxing to be suitable for men. But I really don’t know which salons are good with this stuff and which aren’t. I know that almost all of them will gladly take male customers, but I think they’d be more comfortable (and get better services) at salons with regular male clienteles.
So, how do you find a good salon for men?
(FWIW, the guys in question are in NJ and NYC area, so if you have specific recommendations in those areas, please share!)
