First, the hot fad for men began with the slick-back look sported by the Fonz. Then, the full-bodied hair worn in confidence by the news anchors gained popularity. Next, the term “metro-sexual” was coined allowing men to admit (at least most men) that they’re in tune with taking care of their appearance from their suits, shoes, nails (polished or buffed to shine) and facials…

facials???

Even though some men are into being pampered, they are still torn between being a “manly man” and having cucumbers over their eyes. So what’s the new rage? The wives and girlfriends of these men are now seeking out barber shops that offer those signature shaves… several hot towels, straight razor shaves, and finally a calming/skin toning mask followed by a cold towel! They want their men to experience this form of pampering because it relaxes their mood and the after effect gives their men radiance and confidence.

Now where did I learn this you may ask? I had been hearing about hot shaves for quite some time from friends and associates alike either when they went on vacation or visited an older barber that still had a steady hand who applied the mask with the Old Italian style like you would see on the movie “The Godfather” minus the “Sweeny Todd” ending of course.

I was lucky enough to have a barber who had just joined our team at CHUVA group give me a shave using hot towels and straight blades. He also provided education on my skin, explaining issues I had and why. It was phenomenal!

“So let me get this straight,” I asked the barber, “they won’t get a facial but they will go see a stranger with a blade that rivals any knife wielding infomercial?”

Smiling, he explained that most of his clients were from the immediate Buckhead area that would come in as a getaway from the office just to enjoy the down time.  They loved the facial massages, hot towels and essential oils. It’s their one hour massage therapy, better yet their facial as the re-hydrating mask and toner worked wonders for them. By no means, he warned, was this a substitute for a genuine facial as no extractions were done along with no analyzing of the t-zone etc.

They would come in and learn how to shave because they have just been shaving up down and in every direction to catch the ever elusive “baby’s bottom” feel and this has been the way of men for years. “You would be surprised of some of the things my clients explained to be the norm.” He said shaking his head. There’s a generation gap who were never taught how to shave… looking up at dad in admiration but by the time you get of age when your yellow fur falls out and those dark hairs under your chin starts to stick out, you’re out of the house going a thousand miles a minute. So to no surprise, 5 – 10 years later you’re at the light with an electric razor ripping your skin to shreds saying, “I hope there’s not a line at Starbucks because I need to be on time for my 9am.” The new facial for men???

So I learned the craft and perfected my technique enough to guarantee satisfaction. After the first or second visit men generally book a standing appointment. The wives or girlfriends will buy a series of appointments because they like how the man looks and feels. They typically stand as the sounding board for the men. Guys don’t go to the bar and say “run your fingers through my hair, feel the body, and feel the silkiness. No… but they’ll talk to their ladies and or their friends about the “shave experience” and that’s how the message gets out.