This is how men feel about their body hair... another reason to add hair removal services to your salon?

A recent survey by research agency OnePoll revealed that 55% of American men felt ashamed of their body hair. The research showed that most men are hesitant about shaving any body part besides their face – 62% said they’ve never shaved their back and 53% said they’ve never shaved their legs. Researchers found that embarrassment over their body hair caused some men to avoid the gym, the swimming pool and even meant some men steered clear of romantic interactions. It seems that men are embarrassed about their body hair, but are unwilling or unsure how to remove the hair themselves. The survey, which questioned 2000 men and was commissioned by BakBlade, found that nearly half (43%) were not confident in their grooming abilities. This could be good news for men's salons that offer male hair removal services and a future business opportunity for those that don't.

The perceived social stigma of grooming

More than half of the men questioned admit that they feel that there is a negative societal stigma attached to caring about grooming habits and 44% consider good grooming habits an 'unmanly' practice. However, more men are now showing curiosity – 43% are secretly using their partner’s grooming products and 47% admitted that they are more inclined to buying grooming and haircare items than they were five years ago. The average man is now spending £35.11 on products per month.

How can barbershops and salons meet men's needs?

If you're thinking about adding hair removal services, it's a good idea to create private spaces for intimate hair removal procedures as it's something that can clearly causing embarrassment to some men. When it comes to marketing your services a subtle and non-confrontational method is recommended – an email newsletter or flyers in your salon could be a subtle way to let clients know about the services you offer. And of course social media is a way of getting the message out there, without embarrassing or confronting men about their hair removal habits. Gina Conway, of the eponymous salon, agrees: "Social media is very influential and males are choosing to wax their chest, back, legs and brows because they want to. Hair removal is no longer just associated with women, we also have all age ranges and genders visit the salon for hair removal."

Men were nervous about waxing at first, but when they saw other clients having the treatment they wanted to give it a go.

Or take inspiration from The Wild Hare in Tooting, who recently added nose waxing to its menu."Men were nervous about waxing at first, but when they saw other clients having the treatment they wanted to give it a go. Plus, they love seeing the wax stick with the hair that's removed stuck to it!" says Georgie Wynes-Devlin, co-owner of The Wild Hare. This visual element of hair removal is something that can't be ignored. Inspired by the popularity of hair removal, pimple popping and other varieties of 'gross' videos on YouTube, The Wild Hare now post waxing videos on their social media channels to help market their service. You could even do the same with chest and back waxes if you think it's something your audience would enjoy. As men are embarrassed by unwanted body hair but are unsure how to tackle it, your salon can play an important role in meeting their needs. By offering hair removal services, you could help clients feel more confident and create extra revenue.