Men's Grooming: All you need to know to be festival-ready
To find out the various grooming solutions men are opting for these days, The Business Standard talked with internationally renowned model Nibir Adnan Nahid and the Managing Director of Este Medical Bangladesh, Mohammed Faisal
Since the rise of metrosexuals in the 2000s, we've made significant progress in terms of men's grooming. Today, it involves everything from specific daily rituals to extreme steps to look younger, because of the advent of social media and the cultural tsunami that spread throughout the world as a result of the rise of the South Korean boy band BTS.
Many of you must be aware of Bryan Johnson, who spends $2 million a year to maintain an 18-year-old appearance in his forties. To some, this may sound incredulous, but the men's grooming market is nonetheless booming around the world, indicating that more and more men are ready to spend to look younger.
Did you know that the men's grooming products global market is projected to grow to around $82 billion by 2030 ?
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Moreover, men's grooming trends are also coming out of the typical heteronormative narrative and embracing more fluidity. Gone are the days when the men of Dhaka would simply go to a salon and spend Tk100 for haircuts and shaves, with complementary neck massages. The boom of the economy has seen a massive rise in service providers in this sector.
In vogue are the avant-garde salons with extraordinary services, as well as medical service providers who can ensure a complete makeover of a man willing to spend a hefty amount to change his body or face contour, get more chiselled jawlines, or win over his receding hairlines.
To find out the various grooming solutions men are opting for these days, The Business Standard talked with internationally renowned model Nibir Adnan Nahid and the Managing Director of Este Medical Bangladesh, Mohammed Faisal.
Looks matter
A good look doesn't mean having fair-toned skin. It means healthy skin, which should come from within. Men's skin is made to stand the wear and tear of time. But that doesn't mean you will not take any care of it.
"Simple rituals like washing your face every day will help. Any kind of mild to moderate face wash will do. If you use soaps, avoid the ones which have more alkaline content," suggests Nibir Adnan Nahid, who always opts for products from Body Shop. The prices are reasonable and can be found in their outlet in Jamuna Future Park.
There are other common facial cleansing products from Oxy, Garnier, Nivea, and Neutrogena. Usually, these products' price range is from Tk300-Tk1500, depending on the brands.
Those who want to have a special glow on special days like weddings or festivals, they can go for procedures like HydraFacial, which is very popular at the moment. Besides deep cleansing, this allows your skin to have hydration and exfoliation.
"Many of our male clients are opting for this for instantly glowing skin, to look selfie-ready on their special occasion," shares Mohammed Faisal, managing director of Este Medical Bangladesh Ltd.
"If you like to grow your beard, do remember that like hair, they need to be taken care of. Trim them as per your style and use beard oils, unless you want to flaunt your caveman vibe," suggests Nibir.
While some renowned beard oils are available now in Dhaka, he likes Bodyshop's cedar oil. Daraz Online, TheMallBD, ShopZ Online have 30-50ml of beard oils priced at Tk270-Tk500.
Hair affair
Hair is considered the most important part of a man's look. Due to testosterone, which causes hair follicles to break down to genetic alopecia, men are losing hair more than ever before, and balding is very prevalent among many young men. This is why taking good care of hair is imperative.
Mohammed Faisal from Este Medical Bangladesh Ltd suggests, "A huge number of male clients contact us for hair regrowth measures. Our expert doctors primarily check the condition of their hair and scalp, try to identify the cause and then suggest hair regrowth services using low-level laser therapy or minor surgical treatment. Procedure and the expenses associated with it vary from patient to patient."
Some of these procedures involve minor surgical implants, while others are done through low-level laser therapy.
Nibir also mentions various popular hair-cutting trends. The various types of buzz cuts are trending at this moment. The high buzz, hemp buzz, and military buzz are some of the options young people love to try out during summer. According to him, it's important to have a good rapport with your barber, because the haircut will directly affect your facial contour and hence, use a barber you trust with your look.
For hair treatment, there are plenty of salons available in Dhaka that can offer oil treatments to hair spas to keratin treatments. Truefitt & Hill, Mr Cutt, Razors & Scissors, Total Care, and Adonis Scissors Hands are popular names of salons around the city. Besides, all five-star hotels have dedicated barbers and massage shops that affluent clients visit every month.
For someone like Nibir who uses a lot of gel and mouse for shoots, using olive oils on hair after each shoot and shampooing, followed by using conditioner, helps keep the good growth of hair intact. Once in a while, he prefers to go to his favourite salon in one of the five-star hotels for a keratin treatment to ensure that the body of the hair doesn't get brittle.
Manscaping essentials
For those who want to trim their chest hairs, keep one thing in mind – exfoliate before you shave or use a trimmer.
"A lot of times many of us end up with razor burns or even ingrown hairs after we trim; this is because of the dead skins that cling to the pores and enhance the chances of razor burns," Nibir explains.
As a part of his modelling career, he has to regularly do this. Besides trimmers, there are razors and waxing agents that can be used. For a good trimmer, avoid random Chinese products which may cost very less.
A branded one from Philips or Samsung from Best Electronics or Shop Saver Bangladesh will guarantee better service with a warranty. The trimmers usually cost Tk2,899 to Tk5,500 depending on their functions.
Body shaping
According to Mohammed Faisal, because of a sedentary lifestyle, men are accumulating fat around their abs, and this poses not only health risks but also discomfort.
"This is why," Mohammed continues, "Many of our clients seek services that will enable them to get rid of the fats easily. Our non-surgical body shaping by cryo lipolysis is a famous method picked up by many customers."
Nibir Adnan, on the other hand, emphasises food habits. "Diet plays an important role in our lives. I cook my meals every day and try to eat lots of greens and fruits. Particularly during summer, keeping my skin hydrated is the main mantra to look fresh and to do so, I consume lots of watermelons, pineapples or sometimes simply cucumbers. Oats and yogurts are my go-to meals for keeping good gut health," Nibir shares his secret of feeling better.
For those who are really cautious about gaining weight, hitting gyms is an easy option or having a personal trainer is not going to cost a fortune.
"Even in gyms, you can have your own trainer, who will take care of your diet regime and make sure that you lose a certain amount of weight during a given period," Nibir adds.
Usually, these gyms offer a 2-3 month package for a desired weight loss.
