Say tata to that hairy chest

The days of the hairy-chested hero seem to be long gone as one in five men in a recent survey say they undergo hair removal treatments for a smoother look, while 66 percent of women say they preferred a man with little or no chest hair.

Celebrities, models and sportsmen alike are resorting to salon-approved look in what seems to be a trend towards a cleaner version of the beautiful man.

Professor of applied sport and exercise science Greg Whyte believes that waxing hair within certain sporting industries makes perfect sense especially in aerodynamic sports like cycling and swimming - where there is a potential performance enhancement, but this trend seems to have caught on even when it might not serve to enhance performance...

A recent beach photoshoot of the British rugby team - all burly, muscled men with hair-free chests - got the journalists at Mail Online wondering what's happened to the once celebrated hairy chest.

Whyte's explanation for the hairless rugby players might serve as a passable excuse - daily massages means hair removal is also functional - but chances are that there's more to hair removal than simply for convenience and comfort.

The fuzz-free trend has also been fully embraced by ordinary middle-class men. UK department store John Lewis claims sales of male grooming products increased by 31 percent during April and May of this year.

While Transform Cosmetic Surgery noted a six percent increase in laser hair removal surgery among men in the past year.

Web designer Shane Suragh (50) who has been waxing his chest for two years has a simple reason: women find it more attractive.

"It is cleaner and more manageable and shows muscle definition more clearly," he says.

Beautician Imogen Hope Simpson also believes it is women leading the march against male body hair.

Mark Simpson who authored Metrosexy, a book about modern men's growing fascination with his own appearance, says young modern men think nothing of wanting to be sexy.

So, when did hairy chests go out and smooth chests come in? Male grooming expert Jason Shankey reckons the smooth chest trend started in the 1980s when body builders removed hair for better muscle definition and the trend started to catch on with other gymming men.

Then in the '90s the rise of the metrosexual, helmed by poster boy David Beckham also seemed to further stamp the bare chest movement.

It's not all plain sailing. Suragh said it took a while to get used waxing.

"I started with Veet home wax strips and screamed the house down. It was awful."

Source : iafrica