Spa New York info | Shop for Skin Care Products | Skin Care & Dermatology news | Dr Bradford Katchen | SkinCareLab in the Press
"The lures seem to be working: According to the International Spa Association, 31 percent of all spa-goers in the United States in 2005 were men, compared with 29 percent in 2003 when Americans made 136 million visits to spas, the last year for which the visit figures were available. Many of those visits are to the 12,100 spas in the United States that once catered primarily to women. But within the last year, four new spas that cater to men have opened in New York City alone, and many more around the country, offering services and atmosphere meant to appeal to men in their 20's to their 50's. [...]
Some salon owners have sought to make services more masculine by changing their names. SkinCareLab in SoHo offers services for men, who account for 40 percent of its clientele, that include a "men's cleanse" (a k a facial), a "sports pedicure," a facial for the back called the "back buff" and waxing services."
"The two-day beard is modern classic. Both virile and casual, it bespeaks a man who needn't bother to shave every day. And it's also a lot of work. The truth is, most men who sport sexy, two-day growths end up spending more, not less, time in front of the mirror. That's because facial hair has a way of meandering in unruly patches down the neck or up too high on the cheeks. Now, a technique called laser beard sculpturing has helped themdo away with unwanted areas of facial hair for good. Due in part to improved laser technologies and men's willingness to explore cosmetic fixes, lasers are increasingly being used to create neatly edged beard lines. [...]
Laser hair removal is most effective for men with light complexion and dark hair. Blonde hair is more dificult to zap away because there is less pigment to absorb the laser's energy. Improved lasers have made it easier to remove hair on dark-skinned men without causing uneven skin coloration. Each laser treatment, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, costs $150 to $350. To be effective, it must be repeated four to six times, spaced three to four weeks apart. "Hair normally cycles through periods of rest and growth, and the laser works only on hairs in the growth phase", Dr Katchen explained."