A confession: I’m not the kind of man who spends a large amount of time on his appearance. My ‘routine’ could best be described as basic – a daily shower is just about where I draw the line. I haven’t paid for a haircut for years and my hair gets washed when I remember, which tends to be about once a month. So it came as something of a shock to me when a male friend of mine recently confessed to spending an hour every morning on “grooming”. Dan Edwards, stylist at Regis Hair and Beauty in the Bentall’s Centre, said he did not believe that to be unusual. He said: “The matted finish is very popular for guys at the moment. It’s kind of that perfectly imperfect look. It looks messy but it’s probably taken them hours to do in the morning.” Edwards added: “I think you have more gents coming into the salon compared to before when they would have just gone to a barber.” Natalie Evans from Headmasters Surbiton agreed, saying that nearly a quarter of their customers were men and paid anything between £25 – £65 for a haircut, although men who were not fussy about which stylist they saw could get a cut for £18 if they booked on the day. She said: “We have four or five gents who regularly pay £49 for a haircut. They take a shine to a particular stylist and want to see them again.” But, with Valentine’s Day approaching, what I really wanted to know was if it made any difference when it came to finding a date. Bex Murch, a 24-year-old children’s worker from Surbiton, said it could definitely make a difference because, for her, a first opinion about someone could be formed with little more than a glance. For Murch that opinion could be formed on things as simple as “if they have shaved, if they have put thought into what they are wearing” and, of course, their hair. The good news for guys still hoping to impress on Valentine’s Day is that it’s not too late. Both Headmasters Surbiton and Regis Hair and Beauty still have appointments available, even on Valentine’s Day itself. Natalie Evans said: “A lot of women aren’t booking on Valentine’s Day because obviously they’re hoping that someone might take them out.” This is the perfect opportunity then, to improve your chances of impressing that special someone on February 14. I might even break with routine and book an appointment myself.
