Paula Poundstone and Manscaping

My friend, Paula Poundstone, and I were chatting last night. Ok, so last night was the first time I met her, but I have been a fan for so long that I feel like we are longtime friends. We talked about her seersucker suit and how ‘To Kill a Mockingbird”-ish it made her feel. We discussed that I’m a massage therapist (which she met with a smile that said ‘how sweet’) and Manscaper (which she found very interesting).

I get mixed reactions from many people when they ask what I do or know I’m a massage therapist and read Manscaping my card. “What’s that? Oh, you shave guys’ backs? Good someone needs to...”

Women tend to ask questions which lead directly to parallels and stories of waxing and/or hairy men they liked or disliked. Common threads in these avenues of conversation are that waxing hurts (why I don’t do it) and women have strong feelings about the natural state of their men (more chest hair than overall body hair). Some prefer a smooth man, some like a lot of hair. Some say hair is ok, but please trim it. It really varies like favorite color choices or flavors of ice cream.

The men tend to take it as a challenge… “I don’t shave” or  “That’s girly” or  “I’m fine”-all answers to questions that were never asked. I’ve also heard “I don’t get any complaints.” We all know that in the male mind no news is good news.

For some, the presence of hair is tied into their sense of manhood (if only being a man was that simple). If your identity as a man balances on the amount of body hair you can grow, there are more issues at play than the need for grooming.

Taking it down to basics, body hair was originally for warmth and identification when we didn’t have clothes. It has a natural swirl pattern that is yours alone and a growth pattern that may change as you mature. It may also go gray, but how messy is that to get dyed?

I liken what I do as a Manscape Artist to the edge you get after a haircut - try as you may, it’s difficult to maintain it yourself. A nice edge will make a cut last longer. It’s really the same principle. Have you seen the people who have either gotten a crooked edge or tried to do it themselves and it never looks quite right or even? We pity them. Or what about the ones who have just given up on the whole idea entirely? I find myself drawn to staring when I sit behind them at the movies or when I was in class. Sometimes I’m standing in line at the grocery and thinking I would just like to edge you a little bit…

Consider it the flossing after brushing your teeth, the cherry on the sundae, polish on the paint job.

Being a Manscape Artist is like being a stylist. I look at what is naturally there and see how to bring out the most potential. Sometimes I save people from what they have done to themselves (there have been some doozies). What I love the most is when I witness the moment when a client sees himself in a new light after his first professional trim. Those smiles are rewarding.

Guys, it’s ok to care about the state of your hair and ladies (partners) its’ ok to let your guy know what you like. Open communication is key, but if you’re shy, just leave the blog up on the computer screen and if they get this far, I’m sure the message is loud and clear. Gift certificates are great subtle suggestions as well.

Well it’s time to wrap this up for now and I do want to leave you with a few thoughts:

It’s ok to trim. Trimming is not shaving. You can keep some hair and have it look more polished.

I’m here to answer any questions.

For all your Kneads,

Paulmarq