While booking a spa break to relax and unwind is known to be a popular choice for women - often for celebrations such as parties or hen dos - just how many men around the UK are regularly visiting spas and receiving beauty treatments?
Male grooming has seen a change and uplift in recent times, with more and more men incorporating wellness into their everyday routine. Younger men especially are feeling more comfortable than ever with booking in at spas and having beauty treatments.
To explore just how far male grooming is booming, we spoke to men across the UK to get their thoughts on spas, wellness treatments and why they may not be visiting spas as much as they might want to.
Generation Z and Millenials are seemingly embracing wellness the most, with over two in five (42%) Gen Zers and almost half (47%) of Millenials agreeing that they are more open to visiting a spa than the older males they know. Gen Z and Millennial men are also most likely to regularly visit a spa, while less than 1% of the silent generation and only 3% of baby boomers ever have.
As we know, spa getaways are also a great gift and one that the UK’s younger male population would love to receive. Two in five (40%) of Gen Z men agreed that they would love to be gifted a spa day, which doesn’t come as a surprise considering over half (54%) of Gen Z also shared that they wanted to start taking better care of their wellness, such as prioritising skin care, massages, pampering and nutrition. Why not explore spa breaks and days as a gift for your male friend or family member?
This shift in prioritising wellness is something men from each generation agrees with, as a third (33%) of millenials, over one in five (21%) of Gen X, one in six (15%) Baby Boomers and 14% of the silent generation all shared how they want to start taking better care of their wellness.
Find out more about whereabouts in the UK men are fulfilling their self care needs and receiving wellness treatments below - how does your location compare?
We asked men in the UK how often they like to visit the spa and one in 20 (5%) of our male respondents revealed that this is a regular break for them.
So which locations in the UK are missing out the most on getting pampered?
Scotland comes in at number one with almost two thirds (61%) of men stating they have never been on a spa day. However, Greater London - on the doorstep of our Tring and Henlow locations - is revealed as the most pampered with two in five (40%) being on a spa day before.
When men visit a spa, just what treatment is their go-to?
We asked our respondents which treatment they love to book themselves in for - from massages and manicures to facials - to see if different age groups prefer different wellness or beauty treatments.
The relaxing, rejuvenating treatment of a massage came out as a clear winner amongst each age group, but particularly for 25-34-year-old men. Facials - a beautifying and skin repairing treatment - followed closely, too, with 25-34-year-olds also favouring this treatment. When it comes to manicures, the youngest generation of 16-24-year-olds preferred this treatment the most amongst each age group.
These treatment choices differing between age groups suggest that each generation is becoming more aware and comfortable with grooming. And, with the likes of top league footballers, musicians and actors investing in regular treatments such as manicures and pedicures, is this paving the way for younger generations starting to prioritise their self care?
That’s not to say, however, that just because older generations aren’t favouring the likes of manicures and facials, they aren’t seeking alternative treatments. Massages came out on top for this generation and, with specially designed men’s treatments, there is a great space for men to feel more comfortable.
Despite research and trends revealing that men investing in wellbeing treatments and visiting spas is on the rise, it still remains that there are myths and misconceptions around men and spas.
So, we asked men in the UK why they aren’t visiting spas more often to debunk these myths once and for all.
More than one in three men agreed they can be put off a spa if it is too feminine, while one in four would like to see more male-specific treatments - something we prioritise here at Champneys.
For some men, it’s who they visit a spa with that can cause them to feel hesitant. The research explained that over a third (34%) of men would feel “embarrassed” to visit a spa with other men, and more than two in five (21%) would only go to a spa if they were visiting with a woman.
However, despite this, we can confirm that the notion of spa breaks being more appealing to women for hen-dos is a misconception, as one in seven respondents (13%) would like to go on a stag do to a spa.
The research was conducted by Censuswide with 1,000 UK men (nat rep) aged 18+ between 16.06.21 to 18.06.21. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
