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Men lead rush to beauty salons despite Islamist threats
Wealthier urban Pakistani males are embracing cosmetic treatments that were once regarded as effeminate and even un-Islamic, according to a report published in The Times on Monday.The report, by Jeremy Page, states that a growing number of spas, salons and clinics are catering to the male market, offering a host of services that range from facials to manicures and back waxes to eyebrow threading. He points to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, who has a thin covering of black hair on his previously bald scalp as an example of the growing acceptance of hair implants in Pakistani society. I never bothered with this before, Humayun, 28, said after a facial at the Islamabad branch of Depilex Men. I guess theres just more pressure on men to look good these days. According to the report, the trend may be confined to the upper and middle classes, estimated at 20-30 million people, but it illustrates how Western-style media, marketing and celebrity culture are changing Pakistani society. In the countrys bigger cities - Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar - men are increasingly becoming conscious of their clothes, coiffures and complexions, the report says, pointing towards a recent talk show on a private television channel, which asked whether Pakistan was going through a metrosexual revolution. It has definitely come up in the past five years - and not just in the upper classes, Tahir Mohammed, a leading cosmetic surgeon, said. He said that 25 percent of his clients were now men, with a growing number asking for nose jobs or liposuction. The greatest demand is for hair implants especially among public figures. Men who have to face the public are especially conscious about their appearance, Zulfiqar Tunio, a British-trained plastic surgeon, said. There was a lack of awareness initially, but with the passage of time and a lot of marketing, now everyone is convinced, he said. Theyve seen the celebrities and the politicians. Sales of mens grooming products rose 15 percent last year to Rs 3.4 billion, according to a recent report by Euromonitor, a market research company. Were really surprised, Nadia Furqan, general manager of Nirvana, a male salon in Islamabad, said. I think women dont just want someone tall and well-built these days. They look for men who take care of themselves - who are metrosexual. Rural areas unaffected: However, it notes that rural Pakistan remains unaffected where most men still wear the traditional shalwar kameez and the standard hairstyle is a short back and sides. Deodorant and moisturiser are considered unmanly in such areas, it says, adding that local Taliban in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan force men to grow beards and reject Western fashions. Posted by: Fred 2007-09-25 |
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