Beauty and the 'beast'

And for years the fair sex have been telling the guys that it's nothing to do with vanity and everything to do with the pressures of advertising and - more recently - the emergence of the supermodel.

In fact, nowadays it's so important to look good that men fully expect to wait for 30 minutes as their partner disappears into the pub loo with a sackful of beauty products. Why should they wait so long? Well, it's the showy, over-indulgent side of the female, isn't it?

Admittedly, there is probably no beauty treatment some women wouldn't try in order to look irresistible to the opposite sex. But some men are also surrendering to the beauty hype.

Suddenly, it's OK for men to visit beauty salons for a facial or a chest wax. Brylcreem is out. Conditioner, hairspray and sculpture gel are most definitely in. Of course, American males have been pampering themselves this way for years. Soon women will hear their guy coo: "Just nipping to the bathroom to powder my nose."

Apparently, bully and deceiver Robert Maxwell used a powder puff to stem his facial sweating during important meetings and in a recent episode of the TV series Home and Away, Travis was given a facial.

Joanna Towers, who owns The Beauty Salon, in Towers Court, Duckworth Street, Blackburn, said: "British men are catching up with the Europeans and Americans when it comes to looking after themselves. Ladies today expect more from their men in the grooming department.

"Images in the media encourage men to look the best they can. Male waxing is becoming increasingly popular. Men have also discovered that they like a bit of pampering and relaxation, just like the ladies."

So we tested this theory and found two game-for-a-chest-wax hairy males to part with their rugs in exchange for an afternoon of pampering afterwards at The Beauty Salon. Lancashire Evening Telegraph warehouse manager Kevin Morris and Reed Northern Distribution leaflet sales worker Brian Hardman were extremely apprehensive about the whole thing. But afterwards they said it wasn't too painful, despite the muffled screams, white knuckles and gritted teeth which seemed to suggest otherwise.

Father-of-two Kevin, 35, said: "I wasn't too keen. My wife Andrea likes hairy chests but I was curious to see what it was like. It did hurt a bit but not as much as I expected."

Brian, 33, who lives in Parkstone Close, Bury, with wife Sam, likened the waxing process to having a plaster ripped off and said: "The pain was over with in seconds. I did get a lot of stick from my mates but I've no problem with visiting a salon. I feel a bit bald now but I'll get used to it."

He added: "Bodybuilders and male models have their chests waxed. It's not a new thing. More and more men are visiting salons and using beauty products. Male beauty products are big business now." After the pain was over the lads enjoyed more relaxing treatments such as shoulder and foot massage and and a facial.

Kevin described his first foot massage as "heaven" and nearly fell asleep during the facial and shoulder massage.

"I'll have to get the wife to do this in the future," he said.

Brian felt so relaxed after his facial that he momentarily forgot where he was.

"I feel like I've had a deep sleep and my skin feels so refreshed. This is well worth the money."

Maher Taha, 26, who was born in Jerusalem, books in weekly for a facial, massage and eyebrow shaping.

He said: "I went at first for a massage to relieve aches and pains and thought 'Wow this is brilliant.' I realised what I had been missing. You do get hooked. Being pampered makes you feel great. Most of my friends visit the salon as well."

Joanna said: "Local men are really into beauty treatments. They don't see it as something to be ashamed of. Men have probably wanted to be pampered for years and been too scared to try it, feeling that it's unmanly. Everyone is doing it now, which is a great excuse for men to visit a salon."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.