Male hair removal – guess how many men are doing it?

A new study from Mintel reveals that more and more of Britain’s men are embracing the trend for a smooth look on their bodies and facial areas such as their noses and eyebrows. But the 'man-scaping' market is split into two camps: “Whilst young men are leading the trend of body hair removal, older men are driving facial hair removal, highlighting that older men are also feeling the pressure to keep up with appearances," explains Roshida Khanom, associate director, beauty & personal care at Mintel.  Could this be a reason to revaluate the services you are offering in your barbershop or salon? Would more hair removal services be a canny money maker? Read on to find out more facts and figures from the report and decide for yourself. Millennials say: 'Body hair? We do care' Over the last two years, the popularity of body hair removal has risen among the nation’s men; in 2018, as many as 46% of all men removed hair from their bodies, up from just over a third (36%) in 2016. In fact, it seems that no place on young men's bodies is considered too private. Indeed, today, 57% of young males aged 16-24 say they have removed hair from their pubic region, compared to 40% in 2016. Meanwhile, 42% of males aged 16-24 remove hair from their underarms, up from 16% in 2016. Hair removal from the chest has risen from 15% in 2016, doubling to 30% in 2018; while hair removal from the back has increased from 10% in 2016 to 12% in 2018.57% of young men aged 16-24 remove hair from their pubic region. Over 65s say: 'Can you see my nostril hair?' It’s not just the body that is receiving the hair-free treatment, as facial hair removal among Brits has risen from 73% in 2016 to 80% in 2018. The number of Brits removing hair from their eyebrows has risen from 33% in 2016 to over four in ten (42%) in 2018. Meanwhile, the number of Brits removing hair from their nose has risen from 11% in 2016 to 20% in 2018. While older men have traditionally been less concerned with hair removal (just 12% of men aged over 65 removed hair from their nose in 2016), modern times have seen a shift. In 2018, 31% of men aged over 65 removed hair from their nose, with 32% removing hair from their eyebrows and 34% removing hair from their ears. But despite increased grooming around the face, the beloved beard trend shows no evidence of waning. 44% of men have some stubble, 20% a closely trimmed beard and 7% a thick/full beard. The majority (76%) of adults agree that beards should be well groomed. Research for Mintel's Shaving and Hair Removal UK 2018 Report was carried out among 2,000 internet users aged 16+ in June 2018.