Cashing in on the preening habit

The latest film and beauty magazines are kept lazily on the small designer table in the centre of the neatly arranged visitor’s room. Those who don’t like to read can instead watch entertainment and sports programme on the colour television fixed on the wall. There is impatience on each face as they wait in the queue for their turn.
The above scene is the retinue occurrences at male beauty parlours in the city. The concepts of exclusive beauty parlours for men are fast catching on in every corner of the city.
``Nowadays men are very conscious about their looks, especially about their hair and face,’’ says V.B.Jayakumar, owner of Balu’s Gents beauty parlour, who started a beauty parlour for men twenty years ago at YMCA cross road, `Today’s youth can not imagine being bald and they rady to spend any amount and time for it,’’ he added.
The male saloon cum beauty parlours run by the experienced and trained male beauticians offers the same beauty treatments available at the Women’s beauty parlours. The skin care treatments include herbal and golden facials, hair straightening, hair colouring, massage, henna, dandruff and pimple treatment, waxing, pedicure and manicure.
They male beauticians say their customers prefer privacy and calm and cool atmosphere. Most of them are having permanent customers who not bother about money much.
To cope with the changing trends, men are reviewing their looks constantly and going to beauty parlours besides visiting fitness or health clubs.
Men from all walks of life, be it from the middle class or the elite are flocking to the parlours. Majority of the regular customers are working class males including bank employees, businessmen and highly placed professionals, assert most of the owners. The customer also comes in after fixing an appointment. The owners claim that if customers are satisfied with the service, they tend to become regular visitors and also encourage their friends to visit the parlours where the charge usually range from Rs.200 to Rs.1,500.
``People who had come for a simple hair cut in the past have now started asking for a facial,’’ says beautician S.K.Prasannan. The customers range from the 14-year-old students to 45-year-old middle class men,’’ he said.
Besides, these parlours some of the posh hotels also have gents beauty parlours in their premises.