NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 13 – When you think about beauty, hairdressing and nail technicians, you automatically think of women and nothing else.
But that’s no longer the case as more and more young men continue to compete fiercely with women beauticians.
While both sexes perform admirably at work and have strengths and weaknesses that clients take into account before doing business with them, we found that male folks are drawing more customers than their female counterparts.
However, it is still unclear how men came to be better at doing a woman’s hair, choosing how to take care of her nails, and even doing make-up, which was historically a woman’s domain.
It’s interesting that these men don’t need expensive/luxurious shops to win over female customers.
The men in the sector have really embraced the art of beauty in all its forms, including manicure, pedicure, massage, hair and even clothing style.
Women are gravitating more and more towards male beauticians, hairdressers and massage therapists which is giving women a run for their money.
They assert that males who do their hairs, nails, and make-up are committed to their work, passionate about what they do, and provide excellent customer service in their beauty hubs.
For the past three years, Maureen Gitonga has been going to the same male nail technician, and she has always been happy with the care she gets from his beautician.
She says that she chooses to have her manicure and pedicure done at that specific location due to the men’s strong work ethic and dedication to giving exceptional customer care.
“I was looking for a place where I would be done manicure that will last and they are firm enough so they don’t break when I do work and I was lucky to find one place in town that I always go and I have liked their work, I feel satisfied,” she says.
“The customer service here is very good and it keeps me coming here, this people respect customers they know the lines they should not cross and they know what their customers need.”
Faith Njeri also states that she prefers a man to do her nails because she believes they can do it without feeling envious, they understand her better, and the man, identified as Fredrick Kantore the male beautician, is aware of her specific demands when it comes to manicure.
“Fredrick understands me, the color I like, the shape I want and his respect for women makes me comfortable coming here every day,” she says.
“However, for me when it comes to hair and nails, I prefer men because I have a mentality that they do their work perfectly and their work is exceptional more than for ladies.”
Abigael Nyambura asserts that males who work in the beauty industry do it flawlessly and without hesitation, just how they would want their ladies or girlfriends to appear.
“They imagine you’re a girlfriend whom they want to look beautiful and then they pick the best style and color that suits you. They tell you if a center or side part when plaiting will suit you better or not. In fact, they are practically more patient than female beauticians/salonists,” she says.
“Unlike women, men do not pressure you to have a style or a color you are not interested with when doing your nails.”
According to Terry Nyamwaya, how frequently she visits her favored male beautician depends on how quickly her eyebrows develop. She prefers him because of the quality of his job and how skilled he is.
‘I was referred to the male beautician by another male beautician who was my husband’s barber and he does my eyebrows. Depending on how fast they grow is when I will visit him but his work is good, I like it,” she says.
Felisters Kendi adds that because women tend to have a lot of attitude and perhaps jealousy, they may not perform well on another woman, which is why she would prefer a male beautician perform the procedure for her.
She continues by saying that male beauticians make salons and pedicure/manicure businesses more comfortable because they don’t squander time gossiping like their female counterparts do.
“Women sometimes have bad attitude and they may never appreciate another woman by just doing a good work and that jealousy is not good, if you doing something you do it passionately. I always prefer men doing my hair and nails they do it perfectly,” she says.
According to Beatrice Mwende, male hair stylists frequently give women more self-confidence after finishing their work by complimenting them.
“My hairstylist showers me with compliments after he finishes doing my hair. I walk from the salon feeling confident and knowing that he did a good job,” she says.
“After all who doesn’t like to be told at the end of the grooming session that they look like a million bucks!”
Julie Nduta, who works at an M-pesa shop at Imenti House in Nairobi, claims that she feels more at ease with male nail and hair technicians because she thinks they are more competent at their work.
“When I want to make my hair or my nails, I go to my favorite male hairdresser, I have been going to him for ten years since I discovered that they are not only professional but also perfectionists,” she says.
Respect is essential in this business, says Fredrick Kantore, a male beautician who makes a mint giving manicures and pedicures.
He continues by saying that men must exercise respect when touching women’s hands and even lower legs to keep the customers happy and this encourages them to return.
“When a customer realizes you do not respect them especially when massaging their hands and lower legs, they will leave and never come back, and I will be the one losing it at the end,” he says.
Kantore also added that people prefer to be attended to by the opposite gender because men generally do not joke with business, they give it everything it takes and are usually sensitive to time and agreement which of course is the sole of business.
“Most men have embraced toxic masculinity and would not want their hair or nails made by a fellow man. Same as a woman they would go for a man to do feet and body massage,” he says.
