Men in the Spa: Q&A with Spa Expert Mark Smith

“The Spa Man” discusses the male spa market in the U.K. and Europe.

Mark Smith (pictured below), a U.K.-based contributing editor at European Spa magazine and an expert on spas and male grooming, gives his insight into male spa trends across the Pond. For more, check out Smith’s blog and the March issue of DAYSPA!

DAYSPA: Have you noticed that more men are visiting spas in the U.K.?

Mark Smith: I’ve definitely seen an upward swing over the last five years. And it’s not limited to metropolitan spas: although the male spa trend began in London, it’s spreading to other parts of the country, and you now see men in most spas. At some London hotel spas, the male-to-female ratio is 50:50. And you now see men at spas without their female partners.

There are also dedicated men’s spas like The Refinery and Gentlemen’s Tonic. The latter, a male-only gentlemen’s grooming center and day spa, has now expanded overseas to Dubai and Hong Kong—it has become an international brand.

DS: Why do you think more men are visiting spas?

MS: There are a number of reasons. There is less of a stigma associated with men receiving beauty/spa/grooming treatments. This began with the metrosexual trend in the ’90s and since then it has become very natural for guys to enjoy massages, facials and a whole variety of services.

Additionally, there’s an increasing emphasis on appearance in today’s fast-paced world. Career aspirations, and peer and partner pressure, ‘force’ men to seek out treatments to help them look good. And then there’s the pressure from media: male models rivaling bronzed Adonises have men aiming to emulate the images they see on screen (film stars) and in ads (David Beckham).

And that’s before we get to the ‘selfie’ generation! We live our lives on social media, and the Instagram or Facebook selfie can be shared around the world.

DS: What are the biggest trends in male grooming in the U.K. in terms of products and services?

MS: The biggest spa trend is the growth of male barbering services. Many spas now devote a defined space to male grooming and barbering services. The Bulgari Spa in Kensington, London, was among the first to do this, and now Resense has partnered with renowned English barber brand Truefitt & Hill to offer these services in Kempinski Spas across Europe.

Secondly, there’s the growth of machine-based anti-aging facials for men: I predict that this will continue to grow in 2015.

In addition, men increasingly look for multi-use products that offer multiple benefits, such as combined moisturizing and SPF properties, or anti-aging and lifting. They spend less time than women on grooming, so any product that shortens their regimen, the better.

DS: How does the European male spa client compare to the American spa client?

MS: I think it’s taken a little while for European men to accept more advanced anti-aging facials as part of their grooming regimen, whereas Stateside, this has been a part of the grooming and spa ritual for longer and is more socially acceptable. However, now guys on the continent are fast catching up. Men want to look good and are spending more time in the spa to ensure they do.

In my experience, once men have been to a spa with their wife or girlfriend they become hooked. They realize it’s not a pink pampering beauty parlor and that spas offer high-quality, problem-solving therapies that are good for health and wellness.