Men feeling pressure to remove body hair

There is growing pressure on men to look groomed, according to analyst firm Mintel, after conducting research finding that 70% of male consumers have removed hair from their body in the last year.

The study found that 29% of UK men had removed hair from the pubic region in the last 12 months, along with 13% removing hair from the chest, 12% from the underarms and 9% from the back. Half of UK consumers surveyed – including men and women – said they thought there was more pressure nowadays for men to remove or groom their body hair.

Charlotte Libby, senior beauty analyst at Mintel, said, “It is becoming increasingly commonplace for men, particularly under 30s, to remove hair from their body, as behaviours once described as metrosexual are becoming increasingly mainstream.”

One in five men said they felt under pressure to remove hair from their torso and, unsurprisingly, it’s the younger market that is feeling the need to stay groomed, with 58% of 16-24 year olds saying this was the case as opposed to 22% of over 65s.

This shift in attitudes has boosted the market of hair removal products for men, with predicted sales up 2.1% in 2014 to £624million, from £611m in 2013.

“Innovation in the shaving and hair removal market continues to focus on male-oriented products, with a particular trend towards male body hair removal and a return to tradition-inspired shaving and facial hair grooming,” said Libby.