Amp up the grooming game

According to global reports, the size of the men’s grooming market is estimated to reach US$ 29.14 billion by 2024. In India, we see men shedding their inhibitions about grooming and making it a priority. This has resulted in the opening up of newer business avenues for beauty professionals who are now vying for the attention of the male customer.

The menu offering for men has also broadened as professionals see more and more customers asking for specialised services. It ranges from beard crafting and skincare to trendy haircuts and coloration. Celebrity hairstylist Dharmesh Hingorani, a.k.a. Dodo, Co-Owner of Zido Salon, Mumbai, gave us a lowdown on the latest developments in men’s grooming and what to expect from the new age male client.

Men’s grooming: A luxury or necessity

Hingorani says, “Men grooming has always been a necessity and not a luxury. However, earlier it was dealt at a barber shop level as men’s salons were not popular. But the last few years have been an era of men. Several grooming brands have entered the Indian market and changed the overall scenario, adding the luxury tag to men’s grooming. As the concept is at the cusp of both the segments, it’s an advantage for salons to position their services accordingly.”

According to him, the advent of technology has changed the perception towards personal grooming. with Smartphones and easy access to social media, everyone wants to look good and be groomed all the time. “we have clients who visit us for a haircut or a beard trim twice a month as compared to once in three to four months in earlier times,” Hingorani adds.

Mane ideas

Dharmesh lists down trending hairstyles that men of fashion must try this season.

• Long locks: The lockdown has brought back the hipster era fashion of long locks from the 60s and 70s. with salons shut in the initial months, this has been trending and going viral.

• Sleek styles: As this is the epoch of youngsters ruling the corporate world, sleek haircuts have been trending. The peculiarity of this style is the clean and sharp look as it merges well with the personality of the corporate honchos.

• Funky look: India has the highest number of youth population in the age group of 15-24 years old. The need and the fad of funky styles and looks will always be in demand. However, it is important to ensure that it gels well with the day-to-day look and personality of the person.

• Personalised look: This is my personal favourite. It gives me a lot of scope to explore the styles for hair and beard depending upon the personality of the client. Comfort should always complement fashion. If an individual cannot carry a hair or beard style with comfort and ease, it takes away from the purpose of getting the style done.