Macho patches: men have become more aware of their appearance
A new trend has emerged in society: even men who are far from the world of glamour have begun to pay close attention to personal care products. Hair growth serums, face creams, and dark circle patches are in high demand. What is the reason for the new trend, whether it is possible to "be a good person and think about the beauty of nails" and how not to lose in the pursuit of eternal youth — in the material of Izvestia.
How to deal with the fear of old age
Psychologist Yuri Kudryavtsev believes that men's desire to look well-groomed is primarily due to the economic component and the desire to stay young longer.
"The majority of people in Russia have begun to live more comfortably and more successfully, even despite the global cataclysms and tensions,— comments Yuri Kudryavtsev. — There is no shortage in stores, as in the late USSR. Therefore, men began to pay more attention to themselves, in particular, focusing on appearance.
The psychologist advises to take into account fashion trends, which prescribe equality in the use of cosmetics.
— The fear of death and old age has not gone away either – everyone wants to live forever, be young and attract the attention of the opposite sex, — sums up Kudryavtsev.
Now, in general, the trend towards preserving youth and health is gaining momentum, and advertising cosmetics attracts men to the topic of self-care, agrees with her colleague Alina Koroleva, Candidate of Psychological Sciences. She believes that the fear of death and aging is the motivation "from," that is, the desire to avoid negative effects. And the desire to look and feel good for as long as possible is motivation "to", that is, the desire for a good result. Depending on these two points, the means to achieve the goal may differ. Motivation "out of fear" often pushes for unreasonable and risky means to achieve goals in the shortest possible time. For example, some rash interventions in their appearance. With motivation leading to a good result, the emphasis is on long-term, systematic actions, people choose a healthy lifestyle and high-quality care products.
Men most often reconsider various life issues, including expanding self-care, under the influence of the midlife crisis, adds Alina Koroleva. They rightly believe that trying to maintain their appearance is easier than later regretting lost opportunities.
— Hair and skin stay healthy longer with adequate care. If you "forget" about care, then you can bring yourself to a state where few of the "soft remedies" will help. Except surgery, which is far from simple and harmless, and most importantly, it does not always give the desired result," warns Koroleva.
Yuri Kudryavtsev also links men's increased attention to their appearance with the so-called midlife crisis. It is this period, like no other, that presupposes the loss of the meaning of life and the growing fear of death and old age.
"That's why men try to compensate for their suffering and worries through plastic surgery or careful grooming," Kudryavtsev says. — However, we must understand that the External will not replace the Internal. You need to work on yourself and accept yourself for who you are, develop, saturate your life with meaning.
What men fix
Kira Kopylova-Lehman, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Scandinavian Health Center, confirms that interest in her appearance from the representatives of the stronger sex has really increased noticeably. Men are more likely to perceive grooming and aesthetic procedures as part of normal hygiene, status, and professional image.
— In consultations, it usually sounds like this: I want to look fresher, younger, more collected, without the effect of a tired face. "Especially if the work is public or stressful," says the surgeon. "Another important point is that men are more likely to choose prevention and minor adjustments than radical changes. It is critical for them that the result looks natural and the recovery is fast.
According to the surgeon, procedures that give a clear effect without long rehabilitation are in demand.
The most frequent requests:
— botulinum therapy (injections of botulinum toxin to relax facial expressions and smooth out wrinkles, more often the forehead and between the eyebrows);
— fillers (preparations based on hyaluronic acid for gentle volume support and clearer contour, such as chin, cheekbones, nasolabial area);
— skin quality treatments: work with texture, pores, post-acne, redness, dull tone, when the face looks tired.
According to Kopylova-Lehman, men usually want to remove signs of fatigue, visually restore clearer facial lines, and make their skin look neat so that it looks well-groomed without noticeable interference.
The fact that representatives of the stronger half of humanity age more slowly than women due to the peculiarities of the hormonal system is partly true, the expert notes.
"Men's skin is on average denser and thicker, the collagen framework often retains its resource longer, and collagen is a protein that is responsible for density and elasticity,— comments Kopylova-Lehman. — Therefore, fine wrinkles and thinning of the skin in men may appear later.
However, facial features are blurred not only by the condition of the skin and the activity of hormones. According to the surgeon, the oval is affected by changes in fat packs (the distribution of adipose tissue in the face), sprain of the ligamentous apparatus, bone support, weight fluctuations, swelling, sleep quality and stress. Anatomy and genetics still set the trajectory of age-related changes, even if a healthy lifestyle helps to preserve youth.
The required minimum
Sergey Kirsh, the owner of the Geltek cosmetics company, also notes that men's interest in self-care has been really growing over the past few years.
— It's impossible to say about any bright splash, but this topic has ceased to be taboo for men. The monopoly of women on self—care is ending," says Sergey Kirsh. — I think that even if one of the men starts by stopping washing his hair with 3-in—1 shower gel, and buys a good shampoo, it's already great.
Sergey Kirsh calls the most popular cosmetics for the stronger sex products for the skin around the eyes that fight "dark circles", hair growth serum, beard products and for intimate hygiene. Thus, the claim that shower gel and aftershave cream are enough for a "real man" is becoming a thing of the past.
— Of course, we can say that the minimum required for both men and women is a bar of soap, — says Sergey Kirsh ironically. — You can live with wrinkles, pimples, and itchy, dry skin. The only question is how comfortable it is for a person. Effective care cosmetics allow you to avoid the discomfort of skin and hair problems, age more slowly, and enjoy yourself more.
The expert draws attention to the fact that now the proportion of those who want cosmetics from cosmetics is growing, not just a "ritual and emotions", but a real effect. Both women and men try to understand the ingredients of care products, find out what kind of skin they have, evaluate its features, and find out how to help it. Modern technologies allow you to look decent even only with the use of effective home care products, if they are well chosen, Kirsch summarizes.
By the way, men can use more than just "men's" products. Some types of cosmetic care have practically no gender, the expert believes. But since it is psychologically easier for representatives of both sexes to buy and use something "their own", manufacturers make special lines. However, women sometimes buy "men's" care cosmetics for themselves, for example, the same rollers against dark circles under the eyes.
— Now the quality of life has grown so much that people plan to live much longer than our great—grandmothers and great-grandfathers, - says Kirsch. — That's why everyone wants to look good at the age of 60. It is impossible to completely stop aging — this is the natural course of things, but modern chemistry and aesthetic medicine allow us to age beautifully.
A well-groomed beard and expensive perfume
The saying "they meet by their clothes" used to somehow get along in society with the fact that it was the strong half of humanity that was forgiven for some problems with appearance. It's not for nothing that the saying "a man should be a little prettier than a monkey" was so popular. Many consider carelessness in clothing and roughness of appearance to be a sign of macho. And the other extreme — refined, smartly dressed men — is cautiously perceived by the majority of Russians.
— The outside is not always objective. But, as a rule, the very concept of "macho" implies a leader who has an inner core, and his outer shell is not as important as his position and actions," comments Kudryavtsev. — Yes, the opposite of macho men — refined men — confuse us with bad associations. The golden mean is when a man is clean, shaved, or has a well—groomed beard, smells good, and also knows how to build a dialogue — pleasant to communicate with.
But this is not enough to complete the image. From the point of view of psychologists, a real man should be reliable, self-confident, appreciate himself and others, and possess a set of valuable qualities.
— In general, it's right when a man looks decent: dressed, washed and shaved. External signs are the first thing that people pay attention to when meeting and make the first conclusion about a person and their status," says Yuri Kudryavtsev. — However, the main thing in a man is not his appearance, but reliability, moral and emotional stability. In other words, the "inner core". A woman should feel comfortable and safe next to such a man.
The psychologist complains that it has now become the norm to make the "right" first impression, omitting the main thing — the inner content. "A man should take care not only of his external world, but also of his inner world, increase his self—esteem, and feel more harmonious," the expert argues.
However, Kudryavtsev believes that exceptions regarding increased attention to appearance are acceptable and normal when it comes, for example, to artists. For them, an external image is an integral part of their work.
What should a woman look like at 40+
But tougher social demands have always been made on women when it comes to appearance, Alina Koroleva emphasizes. And this, as well as the inexhaustible desire to please the opposite sex, helps many Russians to stay in good shape. Yes, for various reasons, women are more vulnerable to age, but lately even skeptics admit that they sometimes look younger than their peers. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Kopylova-Lehman agrees with this fact.
"This is due to the fact that many women now have a different lifestyle and care than in previous years," the surgeon comments. "More attention is being paid to UV protection, which reduces the so—called accumulated sun damage to the skin, and earlier prevention of age—related changes is underway. Ultraviolet light makes a significant contribution to the visible signs of skin aging, so the habit of protecting yourself from the sun really keeps your appearance at 40+.
According to Kira Kopylova-Lehman, another factor that helps women look better is regular small procedures and care that maintain skin quality and gently correct changes until they become pronounced. In addition, Russian women actively take a healthy lifestyle as an ally — they spend enough time sleeping, exercise, and meticulously control their weight. They also take a responsible approach to giving up bad habits and try to avoid chronic stress. Of course, unlike previous generations, modern ladies spend less time on household chores. All this is also noticeably reflected in appearance.
— Of course, a well—groomed woman wants to see a well-groomed companion next to her, - emphasizes Alina Koroleva. — It is women who promote the idea of self-care for men. In particular, they talk about the existence of various care products. Wives don't have to do that. Hairdressers and doctors also give tips.
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