Facial, make-up, cosmetology, hair-care, parlour; when one hears these terms, their brain processes it only to display an image of a lady painting another lady’s nails, a woman straightening another woman’s hair, or a girl applying some pink dust on another girl’s face using a hairy stick. The world of beautification seems to be excluding an entire section of human beings – the men.
But not anymore. Recently, a gradual change in the behaviour of the male species in Dhaka has been observed – while they are still in touch with their natural habitat of regal machismo, they have been spotted in some men’s parlours and grooming lounges. Men have finally realised that the gymnasium isn’t the only place from where they come out feeling euphoric, sprightly and confident about their interior and exterior.
Boys nowadays just need a good enough excuse to run to a men’s parlour; Eid-Ul-Fitr is one of the many joyous occasions when the well-known men’s parlours are bustling with customers waiting to be attended to. And they have every right to pamper themselves. If girls can get mani-pedis, why can’t boys? If girls can get themselves a makeover and look like Aphrodites, why shouldn’t boys get one too and look like Apollos? If girls can use lipsticks, then.....okay, let’s just not go there.
But what has brought about this change, you ask? We go straight to some customers of Persona Adams to find out what they love most about the services. Zohir Sarkar said, “The idea of looking presentable, without eliminating the “macho” factor, is very appealing.” Another customer, Niloy Ahmed, says that the facials and body massages make him feel relaxed and fresh after long days at work.
Some men believe that in the competitive world out there, appearance and fitness is of utmost importance, as they speak a lot about their personalities. On a completely different note, some customers even admitted that they wanted to make their wives happy. Well boys, y’all better dress to impress for that special lady!
The major cause of this change of men’s mentality is the massive improvement in people’s access to information in Bangladesh. The internet is now our gateway to the rest of the world. So here’s what happens: boys watch movies and a whole lot of sports matches, become obsessed with some cool celebrities, movie stars and players, run to a men’s parlour, show a close-up of the star and the beautician starts working his magic.
A 10 year old boy at Persona Adams said, “I want to look like Harry Potter.” Well, they better not forget the lightning bolt on his forehead! A hairstylist there said that the most common request from his customers nowadays is the Cristiano Ronaldo haircut. Are men under the impression that having a Cristiano Ronaldo hairstyle is going to develop some football-superpower in them? That’s a whole different story.
Male beauticians and cosmetologists is a relatively new concept in our country. Previously, only women were believed to be able to run the beauty-business. But this stereotype regarding jobs for women only and men only is soon being demolished as more and more men’s parlour businesses are being established all over the country. Persona Adams’ beautician and hairstylist said, “I started practicing in my father’s salon in our village when I was a child.” He says this field had always fascinated him, which is why he came to the capital and took training courses. Previously, small salon shops all over the country only had a few services to offer; a haircut, shaves and shoulder massages. But modern times have made that list much longer. Now, almost every salon has men’s facials offer.
This Eid-Ul-Fitr, the renowned men’s parlours had special Eid Makeovers, facial packages, piercings, exciting hairstyles and many more. In our opinion, the best men’s parlours are Men’s Planet Salon, Razors N Scissors, Craze Gents Parlour, Hairobics Grooming Parlour and Persona Adams. Go to the nearest one and take your gang with you. Pair your new look with a fancy panjabi and a charming attitude. Remember, looking good on the outside is all about feeling good on the inside and vice versa.
