Hair salon's massages, facials prove appealing to male clients

[salonsofamerica.com]

By Jane Roberts
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/business/article/0,1426,MCA_440_4668163,00.html
May 3, 2006

In a world where hair has become a means of self-expression, Carla Cutsinger is getting customers to stay in her salon longer by also rubbing away their worries. She spent $40,000 last year to add massages and facials at Fringe Hair Co. Inc. in Germantown, going from 1,600 to 2,200 square feet nearly overnight. At $75 an hour in a stressful world, her average salon tab is now $80, and men are some of the biggest spenders.

"A lot more of male clients have been very open to the spa. And the ones who aren't want to buy gift certificates for their wives," said Cutsinger, 37.
If women consider a massage a luxury, men, she says, "see massages as therapeutic, a necessity when they are hurting."
That difference, plus a growing throng of men who consider themselves metrosexuals -- straight men with a flair for style and plenty of disposable income -- are changing the demographic of who might be sitting next to you at the spa, says Laurel Smoke, editor of Salon Today magazine.
"Men are becoming more educated about the benefits of skin care and personal care. Salon owners are looking at them as a group of potential clients they haven't traditionally had.
"A lot of just-for-men spas are opening. They have big-screen TVs, bars, billiard tables. They are really putting themselves out there for men, and men are biting," she said.
For two consecutive years, Salon Today has included Fringe Hair Co. on its list of the nation's 200 fastest-growing salons. The base rule is that each must generate at least $100,000 in gross annual sales and be on track for significant increases for the coming year.
This year, Fringe -- open since 2001 -- was one of 61 salons in the $500,000 to $1 million range. Based on first-quarter receipts, sales in 2006 will be close to $1 million.
The growth is happening at the same time customers continue to tell Cutsinger they need simple cuts because "they don't have an hour to spend on their hair in the morning."
That, she said, is code for a group of women willing to pay more for a cut that looks good without curling irons or permanents.
Also among the people content to spend more are a growing number of metrosexuals. If you wonder who these guys are, consider that ESPN suggests David Beckham, Oscar de la Hoya, Derek Jeter, Mike Modano and Dennis Rodman might be good examples of men who aren't squeamish about being high maintenance, image conscious and willing to break the masculine code of conduct.
While Cutsinger's business still caters to a mostly female clientele -- although the balance is thinning -- the ticket to attracting more men has as much to do with salon image as services.
"I don't have a frilly decor. I try to keep it very unisex," said Cutsinger, who learned men's taste in salons when she worked at King's Den in Germantown for 20 years.
Some salon owners create special rooms for men. Because even if they consider themselves enlightened metrosexuals, men still do not like to be seen having their hair colored, Smoke said.
"The more a salon owner tries to target men, the more we'll be seeing men coming out and being classified as metrosexuals."
That is how markets are born.
--Jane Roberts: 529-2512