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Skin
Deep
Men — The Atypical Spa Client?
by Amy Bauer
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Our culture is one that focuses largely on aesthetics. Just look at our founding fathers and their then-popular powdered wigs and rouged cheeks. Today is much the same (minus the powder and rouge) — not only do women get facials and other pampering spa treatments, men, too, are paying special attention to skin and body maintenance. And while it may not have been likely to see Thomas Jefferson relaxing in a salon swivel chair with cucumbers on his eyes and perfectly manicured nails, today, more and more spa goers just so happen to be men.
Thirty-six-year-old Scott Speer recently visited Image Sculptors, an area medical spa, for its men’s spa package — a one-hour, deep-tissue massage combined with a sports facial. Image Sculptors specializes in skin and body care using medically based treatments. Founded by Jeremie Perry, M.D., and his wife, Laura Bennett, Image Sculptors is less like a doctor’s office and more like a rejuvenating day spa that specializes in anything from basic Swedish massage to TCA (trichloroacidic) peels, laser treatments and botox.
Speer’s one-hour facial was administered by esthetician Debbie Ross. It began with a basic cleansing, an enzyme exfoliation treatment with steam, extractions to unclog the pores and a treatment mask, all followed by a soothing, stimulating massage on the face, neck and shoulders.
“The main difference [between a man’s or woman’s skin] is that men have facial hair so you have to work at different angles,” says Ross. “Also, men usually don’t take care of their skin so you need to add moisture to fight hydration.”
Speer’s one-hour combination deep-tissue and Swedish massage was performed by massage therapist Jeannie Lansford. Speer is quick to say that he’s not a newcomer to massage therapy or professional facial care, for that matter.
“A couple of years ago I dated an esthetician and I was her guinea pig while she went to school for her certification,” Speer explains. “My face was definitely softer, smoother and very clean after this facial.”
Perry reports that 10 percent of his customers are men and that different steps are taken when conducting facials on men.
“First, men usually have different skin types from women, secondary to the different predominant hormones — testosterone versus progesterone and estrogen. Typically, male skin is more oily with larger pores than women. Second, men usually do not have a good history of using daily skin treatments — it’s often difficult to get men in the habit of using appropriate skin treatments on a daily basis.”
Speer, on the other hand, has come to realize, over the years, the importance of daily skin care, and takes steps to care for his skin even when out of the spa environment.
“Prior to a few years ago, I was probably washing my face with Dial or something comparable,” he says. “Since I began heeding my exgirlfriend’s advice, using the proper soap for my face and a daily moisturizer with SPF
30, I haven’t been sunburned once.”
“His skin looked good,” says Ross. “He’s definitely taking care of his skin more than most of our other male clients.”
Massage therapy seems to be a bit more common among men. Men may need more of an intense massage than does a woman, so they may want to opt for a deep-tissue massage.
“Typically, men have more muscle mass than women — this leads to deep knots which require more focused massage work with increased pressure, hence the frequent requests for deep-tissue massages by men,” says Perry. “That said, men also find the smoother strokes of Swedish massage as rejuvenating as most women do.”
Image Sculptors is located at 500 Canyon Ridge Dr., Ste. L 300, at Interstate Highway 35 and Parmer Lane. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, visit www.image-sculptors.com or call (512) 299-9988.
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