Apr 1, 2001 - 01:54 PM

Men Demand Pampering, and Plenty of It By Anne D'innocenzio The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP)- For executive Frederic Mayerson, being pampered is the only time he has to relax. "It's not about looking good. I look good whether I do this or not," said Mayerson, chairman of The Walnut Group, a venture capital firm with offices in Cincinnati and New York. "It's about feeling good. I work 14-hour days. In order to have a high-speed life, you have to have a bit of balance."

Mayerson was getting primped in a private room at the Avon Centre Salon and Spa at the swank Trump Plaza. While a manicurist was filing his nails, a hairstylist trimmed his gray locks.

Mayerson, who said he's in his early 50s, isn't alone. A growing number of men are turning to upscale salons and retailers' cosmetic counters for some heavy-duty indulgences.

That means not just slapping on moisturizers, but also getting their eyebrows tweezed and eyelashes tinted, faces exfoliated, and back hair waxed.

As for hairstyling, forget the basic buzz - many men now want theirs glossed or tinted. Hair extensions offered at places like Oscar Blandi Salon in New York are gaining in popularity.

Department stores nationwide, including Neiman Marcus, Macy's West, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's, are waking up to the new demands from their male customers by expanding their men's skincare offerings like facial creams that conceal wrinkles or reduce shine. And salons are designing packages for time-pressed men.

"Men are getting sensuous and self-indulgent for sure," said Camille Lavington, a New York-based executive image consultant. "And they are no longer embarrassed about it."

Margaret Kimura, a Los Angeles makeup consultant to such celebrities as Tom Hanks and Michael Jordan, sees the phenomenon gaining across all income levels.

"I am seeing firemen and plumbers all interested in skincare treatments," said Kimura.

A number of factors are fueling the male narcissistic trend, observers said. For one, the long stock market boom raised affluence and allowed executives to spend lavishly on themselves. Plus, an increasingly cutthroat business environment makes a polished image even more important.

"Appearance is very important for business. It shows you are paying attention to detail," Aaron Newman, 24, who heads Wax Technology, an Internet company in New York. He and a colleague spent a recent lunch break at a salon called La Boite A Coupe to get their hair styled and nails buffed.

"Men are waking up to such pampering. It's less of a stigma," he said. "Anyway, my girlfriend likes it."

But not all men want such touchy-feely treatments.

"I get an occasional massage, but I think the rest is kind of ridiculous," says Ken Barron, 34, who works in financial services. Barron had just gotten a haircut for $27, including a $5 tip, at a no-frills New York barber shop.

"I went for a really expensive hair cut once, where I was being rubbed and massaged," he said. "It was really kind of embarrassing."

AP-ES-04-01-01 1354EDT © Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

Answers

Are Depends made by Pampers? LOL

I prefer the old fashioned cloth type, myself.....

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

Winkie, cloth is ever so much more comfortable.

A few years ago, when I lived in Cali, I had commented on a gals short hair cut and ask where she had it done...are you ready for this?...she told me where and said it cost $50 just for the hair cut! No way Jose, will I pay that kind of money every 6 to 8 weeks.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001

Hillary's hairdresser charges $150 for a cut. I do my own, and you can tell. Do I care? Not really, I don't have to look at it, lol!

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001