Hello my lovely people! Gone are the days where men sported growth worthy of having them labeled an early man! Grooming is indeed booming and is going south – quite literally!
Body Grooming is the need of the hour – the women agree, and insist! Style, Confidence and Intimacy, in that order are all factors that drive men towards body grooming, based on what the women are saying. PHILIPS INDIA’S ANNUAL STYLESCAPE SURVEY, conducted by IPSOS reveals that women are becoming observant towards, while men are increasingly opening up to body grooming. Also, contrary to popular belief, men nowadays are immensely careful about their looks and are looking for body grooming solutions or gadgets to address this issue. This is the 4th annual survey conducted by Philips India that talks about Male Grooming preferences in India. Ten years ago ‘downstairs’ grooming was pretty much the final frontier in terms of keeping up appearances. But with the recent growth of interest in manscaping, all eyes have shifted southwards in the pursuit of neat and tidy nether regions.So much so that, according to a recent survey , one in five men now sport a close trim down below (though given that the survey also showed that 92 per cent of women prefer a man with a tidy trunk line, the other four fifths might want to consider some pubic topiary, too).In fact, a whole industry has developed around keeping men’s tackles clean and fresh, so grooming below the belt isn’t so much an eyebrow-raising oddity, as a practice you should probably consider taking up.So, here’s everything you wanted to know about ‘down below’ grooming and the PHILIPS STYLESCAPE SURVEY conducted;
What women want!
Excessive body hair is a big NO for the woman of today, with 65% women admitting that they prefer a well-groomed man, and a whopping 72% of the respondents clearly stating that they only like men with well-groomed chest hair. If it is any indication of the importance of bodygrooming, 65% women insist that it is one of the factors that impact their choice of a spouse/partner! The top areas of concern being hair in the armpits and intimate areas. When asked whether they would be comfortable if their partner has chest hair showing from his sexy V-neck tee, 32% women would refuse to step out of the house! Another 30% would, however, try to convince their partner to clean the hair off before stepping out. Interestingly, while a good sense of humor and compassion top the list of ‘ideal’ characteristics in a partner, Personal Grooming trumps chivalry with women preferring a partner who is well-groomed and presentable, to one who holds doors open for her!
The men are listening!
While the women are becoming more vocal about their preferences, the men are also taking note. Over 40% men believe that excessive body hair do turn off their partner. 70% men would like to know more about the best tools to remove body hair – all for the sake of intimacy! With fast evolving trends and changing fashion mantras, 90% men are adapting to and accepting fashion that demands a groomed body. 60% men admit that they have been in embarrassing situations due to un-groomed body hair peeking out from their trendy clothes.While increased intimacy is a key incitement to bodygroom for men, factors like confidence to flaunt their torsos and ability to come across as well styled still remain the most important reasons to bodygroom. As in the case of women, armpits and intimate areas are the top concern for men too.
Let’s talk:
Interestingly, the women too are taking charge and 50% women pick up men’s magazines for body grooming information for their men as well! The findings of this survey reflect the fast changing grooming preferences of the modern man. And how these preferences are shaped and in turn affected by the women. Philips has been at the helm of the style revolution in male grooming in India and has introduced marquee products based on deep consumer insight, be it the Grooming kit that caters to facial styling needs, electric shaver or the Philips BodyGroom. Philips has a wide range of men’s grooming products starting from trimmers to multi-groomers as well of state of the art electric shavers including the AquaTouch and Sensotouch.
*Note: These claims are based on a research conducted by IPSOS in March’2015 for Philips India. IPSOS interviewed 450 males and 350 females in the Age group 25- 30 years in key metros.
