Brett's Blog: Should Men Get Manicures and Pedicures?
October 8, 2008 | by Brett Blumenthal | 11 Comments
by Brett Blumenthal
Never will I forget the day when I was getting my weekly ’mani and pedi’ in a Manhattan nail salon, when two big, burly, tough-looking construction workers entered the salon to do the very same thing. Without a thought, they headed straight for the two open pedicure stations next to me, ripped off their stinky construction boots, sat down in the chairs and plopped their feet into the bubbling hot water. These two men were obviously regulars, as they addressed the nail technicians by first name and ‘knew the drill’ so to speak. Over the next hour or so, they looked completely at ease, enjoying the treatments…they were naturals.
Just this past week, history repeated itself. I was in the nail salon getting a manicure and I witnessed two policemen getting manicures. Apparently, they too were regulars, as the nail technicians who were working on their nails knew them by name and were chatting with them as if they were the best of friends.
I’m not saying that I never thought men should get manicures or pedicures, but it was the fact that THESE men were getting them; AND were comfortable enough to do so together. With one fell swoop, they debunked the stereotype that only gay or metro-sexual men indulge in this luxurious experience. Now don’t get me wrong, these aren’t my stereotypes. These are stereotypes that a lot of men have (including my husband…whom I love dearly). This prompted me to give men (and the women who love them) a good list of reasons to get manicures and pedicures:
- Sexy Factor: Let’s face it, when a man takes pride in the way they look, it is sexy. Granted, being obsessed about one’s looks is NOT attractive, but taking pride in one’s appearance says he cares just enough.
- It Feels Good: Although the actual manicures and pedicures feel good on their own, most come with a mini-massage component which makes them feel that much more wonderful.
- Stress Release: Taking an hour or so to get a manicure and pedicure can give a man some down time to relax and take his mind off some of the pressing issues he has to deal with. This is good for a healthy heart!
- Healthy Feet and Hands: During pedicures, dead skin is exfoliated away, helping to diminish calluses and potential dead skin build-up that can lead to bigger problems down the line. During both manicures and pedicures, the cuticles are cleaned up, which eliminates painful and unsightly hang nails.
- It Looks Good: If a man is tough on his hands and feet (construction workers are a great example of this), they can end up looking a bit worn and unattractive. Getting regular manicures and pedicures will help keep hands and feet looking their best at all times.
- A Softer Touch: This one really benefits women. Getting manicures and pedicures promotes softer skin on the hands and feet, which makes his touch that much sweeter.
So, if you are a woman who is dieing to get her man into the nail salon, tell the story of the construction workers and police officers. If you are a man who has always turned your nose up at the idea, think again. There are a lot of ‘manly men’ out there who seem to think it is manly enough. Do you have any other reasons that you think men should indulge?
Related Topics:
- Keeping your Nails Looking their Best
- Your At-Home Guide for Pedicures
- Men’s Essentials: His Grooming Guide
- Sheer Balance Beauty Guide
MG
After my honey has been on his feet all week, it’s nice to watch him melt during the foot soak. Afterwards, he has more energy, even his posture and stride improve! And he’ll readily admit to the other guys honey and sugar scrub rocks!
silenttears3333
>_< ive only seen gay guys get spa treatments
done 2 them. But then again, where i live isnt top on the list of spas to visit.
Ive always wanted 2 go 2 New York or California (and i WILL! ) and see all the spas and stores………………….
Michelle
My husband also enjoys a nice pedicure, but it was not always that way! I had to drag him in a few years back because his feet were just gross. He now can wear sandals and even other women notice how good his feet look, which is not what I intended, but nice nonetheless.
Has anyone had any experience with men wearing polish on their toes? I read about it recently being the ‘new’trend for men and was considering convincing my husband to try it, but wondered if anyone else had seen it yet. I think it would look kind of hot on him!
Nicole
I have always firmly believed that men deserve mani/pedis just as much as women do.
Men are always terribly reluctant to try them, but once they do, they are hooked for life!
I remember once I gave my (male) cousin a DIY pedicure, and he loved it. He said, “Man, girls get to do all the good stuff!”
I don’t see it as a feminine thing to do, it’s just a relaxing thing to do, similar to getting a massage.
I’m thinking of giving my boyfriend one. What do you think? Any tips/suggestions?
Brett
If your boyfriend is open to the idea…you should definitely give him one! Try using products that are specific for feet…I believe that Origins has one…but I’m a big fan of all natural.
Danielle
My partner and I operate a salon that caters to both men and women. We offer a nice range of services and have seen mroe men taking an interest in keeping themselves looking groomed and well cared-for.
We have some male clients who get polish with their pedicures, enough so that we’ve even developed a colro swatch collection just for men that offers colors that have been more popular with our clients. We see it as the next ‘new’ thing for men, and base don our experience, it is gdefinitely gaining in popularity.
We see no reason why men should not have great-looking feet, and so we offer colored polish to new clients when they get pedicures in case they want to try it. We have even had spouses/girlfriends bring in their guy to try it, based on word of mouth advertising from other clients.
It is great for our business too!
Jake
As the author mentioned, there are those darn stereotypes that some people really have a hard time with. I know I did, and thanks to my wife for the encouragement, I got past that and have enjoyed many pedicures (and even a manicure once) too!
Michelle asked about anyone knowing of men trying polish on their toes. I have, and I guess I’ve come a long way from where I once was because I now see it as just another way to keep my feet looking better.
Not sure if it’s a trend, but I tried it a while back and liked the way it looked. My wife also liked it, and so I have been wearing polish on and off for a few years now. Colors are mostly ‘masculine’ like black or dark grey, but I also like silver, green and even dark blue.
In my opinion, man can certainly benefit from a pedicure now and then, maybe even more than women, considering the generally poor condition that our feet are in.
Sheri
I think that if a man wants to have his feet cleaned up to look good in sandals, a pedicure is just the thing to do it. Men’s feet are typically very rough and not very attractive (some are simpy repulsive!). Anything they do to improve on this is going in the right direction in my opinion.
I also feel that men can benefit from not only the relaxing experience of a soothing pedicure (as many women know the joy of quite well), but they should explore what other ways they can help make their feet look better too. I am talking about guys trying polish on their toes! Why not? I know of a guy who gets regular pedicures and regularly has them done in french (and no, he’s not gay – he is the husband of my very close friend). It looks awesome on him! Many of my friends are envious because they can’t get their husbands interested in trying it.
Darla
I’m all for men getting pedicures! Most of them have really grungy feet, so it would be great if they would clean them up for us.
Does polish work for men? I have seen a few guys who wore it well. They had on colors that looked masculine (black and deep gray) and I thought it made their feet look well groomed and actually rather hot.
I think that if a guy is self-confident, he can pretty much get away with doing what he wants to. And with that kind of attitude, I would find him even more attractive than if he just did what he felt ’safe’ doing.
jason
In case anyone is interested, a company in LA called BB Couture has just released a collection of six nail colors designed exclusively for men. The shades are defintely masculine looking and I think they are openly endorsing men using nail polish.
The collection be be purchased at http://www.overallbeauty.com
MichelleL
My husband and I decided to take advantage of a 2 for 1 sale we discovered as we passed by a nail spa while traveling. Bot he and I thoroughly enjoyed the treatment. They soaked our feet and cleaned, trimmed and buffed our nails and skin so that our feet felt smoother and looked so much younger.
The nail tech working on my feet asked what color polish I wanted for my nails. As I was looking through the colors of polish, she noticed that my husand was acting intrigued and she asked him if he would like to try polish as well. I didn’t know if she was serious or not, but he was apparently in a crazy mood and he said he did! He ended up choosing a silver colored polish, and so she proceeded to paint his toenails with it.
I have got to say that it not only surprised me that he would be open to this, but even more, that it turned out looking quite good on his “renewed” feet. Even the nail tech told him that she thought his feet looked very nice. She then explained that she had several male clients who regularly get polish with their pedicures, and that she felt that it was growing in popularity for men. I found that I even liked it on him after getting over the initial shock of it, so maybe she is on to something there.