Spray Tans and Beards

Salons in London are about get a lot bigger.

New research published in an article by Evening Standard says that one in five beauty salons in the UK are set to expand and create a men’s-specific division to accommodate increased business, and it’s all thanks to a surge in men seeking beard trims. And spray tans.

Wait, what?

The article claims that the boom in men’s salons can be credited to the likes of David Beckham and his perfectly spray-tanned face and neatly groomed scruff. Thanks a lot, Beckham.

In reality, the industry growth is quite astounding, as it is expected to result in “1,508 beauty jobs set to be created in the capital over the next 12 months. It follows continued growth of the £1 billion UK male grooming industry, with firms such as Estée Lauder Companies recently unveiling plans to open a string of barbour shops.”

The study also points out that men are taking their beard care much more seriously as “men in the capital will leave just three weeks between shave bookings, compared to seven weeks a year ago.”

What is most interesting though is that all of this is taking place during a time when there seems to be an endless stream of reports from various media outlets that we have “reached peak beard” and that the “beard trend is over.” While speculation around the “end of the beard trend” certainly won’t slow down anytime soon, there seems to be fairly definitive proof that beardsmen around the globe are taking a serious amount of pride in their appearance, grooming, and their beards – so much so that salons are opening divisions geared specifically toward them.

So if you guys need me, I’ll be in the men’s section of the salon getting a beard trim. And a David Beckham signature spray tan.