Have you ever stopped to consider the effect that the media and advertising play on the male psyche? There are plenty of articles written and published about how badly women are influenced by the media, but not so many about how the media affects men’s attitudes to looks and self-esteem.
In recent years though, there has been a rise in the number of men who are interested in looks and health, and not from a narcissist point of view either. The very idea that your looks and your attitude to grooming make a big difference to your success has become almost ingrained into men, and it’s making a difference across the world.
Time To Care
As 2020 finally disappears, and we head fully into the new 20s as a decade, men are taking more of an opportunity to care about themselves.
Demand for traditional shaving products like cutthroat and safety razors has gone through the roof, as more people are interested in higher quality and male-specific products to take care of themselves.
The very terms self-care and self-love have always traditionally been attributed to women, but even ultra-masculine men are now realizing the benefits of taking time out of their day to concentrate on how they look as a means to care about their wellbeing and mental health.
In fact, the very topic of men’s mental health has finally become mainstream, and campaigns like International Men’s Day have seen speakers opening up about their struggles with mental health in the hope that it will inspire more men to be honest about how they are feeling without feeling emasculated.
It Goes Beyond Clothing
When most men consider their looks, they give a passing thought to clothing but not as much to skincare and hair care. Shaving every morning was once the norm, with many companies expecting men to have a clean-shaven face every day, but even that attitude has changed in recent years.
Now it is much more acceptable for a man to have a well-maintained beard, with celebrities like Jason Momoa (who also sports fantastic hair) and Idris Elba embracing the bearded look. Even George Clooney, a poster boy for the sharp suit and clean-shaven look, has been known to sport a rather dashing silver fox beard from time to time. Getting the perfect looking beard is much easier with brands like the London Grooming Company selling both high-quality skincare, haircare products, and beard essentials.
In Defense Of Masculinity
For many men, they have been brought up to believe that taking an interest in male grooming is somehow not very masculine, that the scruffy just-rolled-out-of-bed look is the one to go for if they want to be seen as “real men,” but in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
Men who take care of their appearance, who dress nicely, wear their hair nicely, and keep their facial hair looking neat, are have a much better air of masculinity than boys who don’t take any care of their appearance at all.
Thanks for reading and y’all stay dandy.
-Diego
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