Spa-Experience

The Shave of New York

Remember what it was like to walk into a barber shop and get the ultimate shave from a master barber? Probably not, since most of us have never experienced this classic men’s grooming service. The Shave of New York, a new barber shop in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, aims to restore balance to our frenetic lives by encouraging men to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life, like a top notch shave, a scalp treatment or a simple trim.

Conceived by John and Daniella Scala, native Brooklynites with a family history in the grooming industry (their uncle is the man behind the Grand Central salon Francesco’s), The Shave of New York opened just earlier this summer but looks as though its Elizabeth Street roots were planted decades ago. The shop was designed entirely by John, who spared not a single detail in creating an authentic salon experience. From the black and white ceramic tiled floors and Day Lily-yellow walls, to the century-old, reconditioned barber chairs and perfectly poised ceiling chandelier, the interior feels at once confident and inviting.

And inviting it is. Upon being seated, guests are offered a complimentary beverage prior to their service of choice — a fine way to relax the nerves of those who’ve never gone under the straight razor. Still, ambiance and amenities mean little if the barber’s skills are lacking. Fortunately, Master Barber Michael W. Haar has the knowledge, dexterity, and authority (no small feat for a 24 year old) to transform a shave into a life-changing experience. A graduate of the American Barber Institute, Michael has been shaving himself with a straight razor for years and shares the kind of observations you’d expect from an old-timer (e.g. Johnny Depp stropped his razor the wrong direction in “Sweeney Todd”).

But back to the shave. The Shave of New York offers two shaves: The Traditional Shave ($30) and the Ultimate Shave ($50). Sparing excessive details that might ruin one’s virgin experience, let’s just say that the Ultimate Shave, comprised of roughly fifteen stages including a home-made clay mask, is akin to a short holiday at an exclusive spa — one that won’t compromise your masculine sensibilities. With time-honored products from Truefitt & Hill and Taylors of Old Bond Street, Merkur platinum-edged stainless steel blades (a new one for every client) and a specially curated selection of essential oils and floral waters, this is one shave that will change the way you look in the mirror.

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Grooms get a pampering
Manicures, massages and facials are no longer the preserve of the bride

Pity the poor groom and his groomsmen.
Buttoned up, spiffed up and maybe a little burnt out, they’ve long been bit players in the bridal extravaganza, left to feel a tad forlorn and irrelevant.  But times are changing, and [Read more →]

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The Golden Door
Escondido, California

Crossing the gilded entrance 40 miles northwest of San Diego transports you to a luxurious Japanese-style sanctuary of personal attention. Fitness classes and hikes often include only a handful of participants. (The spa hosts just 40 guests at a time.) And the staff members cater to your needs like they’ve known you for years. Our judges particularly appreciate this standout spa’s gentle approach to skin care and its strong connection to nature. You’ll fall asleep to the soothing sound of streams running through the carefully maintained gardens.

Note: Men are welcome at The Golden Door only nine weeks a year, so if you want to bring your husband along be sure to book your trip far in advance.

Don’t miss: Raking the sand garden for a moving meditation.
Cost: $7,995 per week, per person, all-inclusive. Three days cost $3,625.

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Increasingly, Men Are Enjoying Spa Treatments

Pedicures are among the gentlemenly attractions at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, outside London.

Sir, please take off clothes,” said the masseur.

The diminutive young Indian man ushered me into a dark room at the Ayushman Ayurveda Center. I had booked a rejuvenation massage. If one were ever to try an Ayurvedic treatment, I reasoned, where better than in Kerala, India, where the ancient Hindu-linked health philosophy is most deeply rooted?

Dropping my clothes onto a chair, I pondered my gut, my less-than-taut thighs. Meanwhile, the masseur wrapped an XXL plastic smock onto his XXS frame. He was humorless yet not unfriendly. I had no idea how intimate our relationship was about to become.

It’s no secret that spas are on the upswing, in the United States and abroad. Less known is that men are a growing segment of spa-goers. The International Spa Association (ISPA) reports that men now comprise 31 percent of spa patrons, up from 29 percent in 2003.

In the past, spa has been seen as pampering, lotions and potions that appeal to women,” says Jim Root, chairman of ISPA. Root proposes that “spa” stands for salus per aquam, Latin for health through water. “If you look at Russian and Scandinavian cultures, their health came about through bathing. Spa is a lifestyle; it’s an umbrella word for all things health-, fitness- and wellness-related.”

Yet in India, being bathed in warm oil by another man did not seem like the most obvious path to wellness.

“Sir, please sit on table,” said the demure masseur.

Naked, I perched clumsily on the table’s edge. It looked like a giant wooden breakfast tray, an upturned lip around its perimeter and a drain at one end. A bucket sat on the floor under the drain.

As I sat upright, the masseur poured sesame oil into his cupped hand and began to knead the liquid vigorously into my scalp. He poured some more oil, rubbing it into my ears. Another handful was slathered onto my face.

“Sir, please lie down.”

I rolled face-down onto the wood surface. Handful after handful of oil followed, along with a rub comprised of long, brisk strokes. Little pressure was applied, but there was lots and lots of oil, 30 minutes of lathering in all. What oil didn’t adhere to my body dripped off and oozed to the drain and drizzled into the bucket.

“Sir, please sit up.”

The rubdown was over, and the masseur helped me onto the floor. The soles of my feet were so heavily lubricated that I clung anxiously to his arm as he guided me to a steam room where I sat and ripened for 15 minutes. Then the masseur collected me, still clad in his smock, and escorted me to the shower where he sprinkled a powder across my skin.

“To remove oil, sir.”

I could barely stand without sliding, and I was being supported naked in a shower by a solemn man half my size, adorned in an oversized white plastic smock.

I did not feel rejuvenated. I felt 97 years old.

Stress Reduction

My experiences at spas have not generally been this extreme. Actually, I’ve learned that a great spa treatment tends to be a reliable way to relieve the ache of jet lag, or to cure the stress I sometimes feel at the end of a grueling travel itinerary. Swedish, lomilomi, reflexology, or even a men’s facial: I’m not monogamous about the type of treatment, as long as it’s handled by a pro who lures me into switching off physical or mental tension.

“Spa has moved beyond the pampering component and become mainstream,” says Root. But the industry has done little to encourage male role models, as evidenced by most spa brochures, which almost always exhibit women undergoing treatments. “The spa world hasn’t always made it comfortable for men. Without a guide, it’s been an unknown.”

Common obstacles for men include a concern over intimacy, anxiety over body parts, or discomfort entering what has traditionally been thought of as a women’s environment. “They are concerned about their appearance, maybe they’re ashamed of their feet,” says Root, who adds that the social aspect in a spa is foreign to many men. “You can put a group of strange women in a room and they wind up being best friends. Men aren’t the same way about socialization.”

“Men want the real deal. They don’t want to be pandered to.”

Hotel Hampshire

But they do line up for spa treatments at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, a 133-room country retreat 40 minutes west of London’s Heathrow airport. Situated on storied grounds where Henry VIII met his first wife Catherine of Aragon, the hotel caters to weekend guests from London as well as day visitors for its much-lauded spa. Actor Ewan McGregor and family were in residence during my visit.

At the risk of gliding into a cross-pond cultural fender-bender, I’ll posit that the English tend to be a tad more prudish than Americans. Where better than the English countryside to find experts who might know how to coddle an uneasy clientele?

Ian Mackie, the hotel’s senior spa director, confirmed that English men can be a bit reserved about spa treatments but also that his business is on the upswing, with men comprising about 40 percent of the spa’s guests on weekends. He also notes that men are more likely than women to buy spa products after their treatment.

“Spa has been perceived as very feminine,” says Mackie. “But we are working to make men feel more welcome.”

This means designing the hotel’s 27,000-square-foot spa — which occupies an 18th-century stable block — with a masculine color scheme and lots of wood accents, installing a proper gym, adding a 66-foot lap pool within an airy conservatory, and stocking the men’s relaxation area with business and sports magazines. It also means instituting a line of treatments for men, including a golfer’s massage and a sports massage, and day packages utilizing men’s products created by the British skin care line ESPA.

“For massage, we’ve had to train therapists to give men the pressure they want,” said Mackie. “And our men’s facial is devised specifically for them. For instance, men like hotter towels on their face. Golfers complain they have terrible feet, but they love having a foot massage or pedicure.”

Excess love handles, a trio of corns on the sole of my left foot: I wish I were completely comfortable with the state of my own body.

At the Four Seasons, I am prepared to disclose my defects to spa therapist Charlotte Ansell before she starts my hot stone massage. Perhaps sensing my anxiety, she addresses the intimacy she confronts at work as I settle onto the padded massage bed.

“Like a doctor, we see lots and lots of bodies every day,” Ansell says. “But as a therapist, you learn to look beneath the skin, to the muscles and what you’re working with.”

And with that, a heated basalt stone is placed at the top of my spine, where it immediately transmits warmth below the skin. Charlotte uses the rounded volcanic rock to massage my shoulder blades, to smooth muscles, to provide rigid force where needed. And as the stone starts to cool and my jet lag begins to melt away, Charlotte slides the stone down one arm and into my open palm. It feels like I have been delivered a secret gift. The idle stone is a gentle weight that anchors my body to the table while my mind floats away.

This time, when I leave the massage table an hour later, I feel a decade younger.

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The plan: primping, prepping, plucking

A summer body takes some work, and men are getting into it, too

Ready? Deep breath now.
One, two, three.
Riiipppppppppp.
YEOW!

Oh, the excruciating sounds of summer.
While some people flop down on beach towels looking like hairy, pasty-skinned winter beasts, many won’t step foot on the stand until they’ve made an appointment at a local salon to get plucked, waxed, scrubbed, soaked and sprayed.

Baring it on the beach often means stepping up the beauty routine.
When the season of skin gets underway, Devon Tucker, owner of Covet Spa in Hockessin, said she sees an uptick in grooming services, such as manicures, pedicures, spray tanning, body exfoliation and facials.

“Every quarter there is something you must do,” said Tucker. “Getting ready for summer is not different than getting ready for any other season.”
And it’s no longer just gals doing head-to-toe primping.

“Men are getting into everything,” said Katie Soyka, a make-up artist and skin care specialist at Bad Hair Day in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. “Not just gay men, but straight men, too. They are caring about themselves, too.”

Young men are an important and growing sector of the health and beauty care industry, representing a potential market in 2008 of $2.8 billion, according to a report by Packaged Facts at Market Research.com.
Chris DiStefano, 42, of Wilmington, started getting spa treatments after some convincing from a former girlfriend.
So far, the 42-year-old, who has a house in Dewey Beach, has had facials, pedicures and a chest wax.

“I think more men should [go to the spa],” said DiStefano, who has pedicures to soften his soccer-hardened feet and finds facials soothing. “The only problem is it gets expensive.”

Services at some salons can cost anywhere from $15 for a basic pedicure to $135 for a full facial.

But that’s only part of the daily, weekly and monthly regimen to think about before you tie on a bikini, pull up the board shorts and slide into flip-flops.

To Brazilian or to bikini?

Hamlet never had to wrestle with a question so intimate and a survey of local salons reveals an array of euphemisms and opinions when it comes to intimate hair removal.

So what is the difference between a bikini wax and a Brazilian wax?
“Ummm, it’s almost like a bikini is a double scoop ice cream cone and a Brazilian is with the jimmies and the frosting,” said a coy Soyka of Bad Hair
Day.

Monika Hibbard, esthetician at Wilmington’s Michael Christopher’s Hair Salon and Day Spa, and owner of the latter half of the title, is a little more direct.
“A Brazilian is not a hair left from stem to stern. Not one hair left on your genitalia,” she said.

That includes the back part too, by the way.
“People come in with all sorts of craziness,” Hibbard said.
But, it’s not any “craziness” Hibbard has to deal with. The day spa does not do Brazilians because “we don’t think it’s necessary,” she said “It’s not a good thing to do because, for one thing, it’s mucus membrane down there and could give you folliculitis.” (That just means a sprouting of those nasty red and white-
headed pimples. Yuck.)

Soyka and Tucker said Brazilian waxes are still popular at their salons, but, because so many people have different ideas, estheticians handling the wax are always careful to talk about what a client thinks they want.

“It’s a delicate thing, but it’s handled professionally,” said Soyka.
Christine Givens, 23, of Elkton, Md., said she gets waxed, but when pressed for details, she retorts, “I can’t tell you all that!” The mother of two does admit she doesn’t always get the opportunity to do the regular maintenance she requires.
Men who opt for the service — a recent US Weekly article included this too-much-information-tidbit from Sean “Diddy” Combs: “I wax my privates” — usually request a bikini, rather than the Brazilian. A basic bikini wax is often enough to cover any embarrassing pop-outs.

Fashion magazines have said that the Brazilian is going out of style. Having a simple but groomed “down there” hair is good enough, said Hibbard.
Bikini waxes start at $25 at Michael Christopher’s and run to $35 at Covet Spa for a basic bikini and cost $45 for a partial brazilian. At Bad Hair Day, a bikini wax is $30 and $65 for a Brazilian.

Hair removal isn’t limited

“We also have a few male clients who do their backs,” said Hibbard of Michael Christopher’s.

So how to do they deal with the pain that sometimes feels like hundreds of Band-Aids are being removed from your body at one time?

“We have a bar next door, and [some men] have a drink before their appointment so they’re feeling good and happy as clams,” Hibbard said. “Men can’t handle pain.”

Shane Plumley, 35, a bartender at Baxter’s Restaurant and Lounge next to Michael Christopher’s, said he doesn’t always know if guys are finding courage in a glass pre-appointment but he adds “I’d definitely have to have lots of vodka before I get waxed.”

For those unable or unwilling to imbibe before the Big Rip, taking ibuprofen half an hour before the appointment helps reduce pain and inflammation.
DiStefano said he wished he knew about downing a shot of liquor or popping ibuprofen before he had his one and only chest wax.

“I went in hardcore,” said the teacher, who vows never to have the service again. “It looked great but I felt numb.”

Leave the roasting for the grill

Slathering up with sunscreen is a no-brainer. Healthy skin is always in style.
“If you’re properly protected, you can gradually build your tan,” said Hibbard, of Michael Christopher. “I believe in sun, it promotes Vitamin D. I think people are lacking in that ’cause they are so crazy about diets.”

But Tucker said spray tanning is a popular option at Covet, which starts with a 30-minute exfoliation to prepare the skin for the airbrush. An organic spray tan system with a number of specific shades is used and it lasts seven to 10 days. It costs $48 per 30-minute session, with packages available.

Self-tanners and bronzers are also a good idea, but not all bottles are created alike.

Meredith Coons, 23, of Hockessin, said she prefers the Estee Lauder Sunless SuperTan ($22.50 for a 1.7 ounce bottle) or, for a cheaper brand, any of the
Jergens Natural Glow products (from $5.59 to $7.99).

“I used to tan, but my mom screamed at me for doing that. It’s so bad for you,” said Coons. Finding a good self-tanner is about trial and error, she said, something a family member discovered when trying an over-the-counter self-tanner.
“I made my sister do it, and she turned orange. It was right before prom,” said Coons. “Luckily it was on her back, and I was able to wipe off most of it.”
Soyka, of Bad Hair Day, said she doesn’t recommend tanning salons.

“What’s going on in tanning salons is also skin cancer,” said Soyka, a big believer in gorgeous, floppy sun hats.

She scoffs at the notion that pre-tanning helps prepare skin for constant exposure to the sun. “What are you preparing, to burn more? Tanning is just burning your skin brown instead of red.”

New birthday suit

Like salt left crusted on the side of the road, the skin also has a lot of winter residue left, namely a crust of dead skin.

Tucker, of Covet Spa, said the build-up is why many people break out during the change of seasons, and it’s also why the skin feels drier. For the summer, she recommends switching to a cleanser that has more astringent to cut through sweat and perspiration and using a lighter moisturizer with sunscreen.
Hibbard recommends a good facial for men to help prevent ingrown hairs along the beardline.

And a good sloughing never hurts.
“Do a body scrub,” said Tucker. Basic body scrubs at Covet run from $50 for a 30-minute treatment to $135 for a 90-minute treatment and include an application of after-bath cream. Some include a hydrating mask and coconut milk spray and after-bath that, she said, “mimics the lining on the inside of your mouth and encourages skin regeneration.”

Hibbard said keeping a sugar or salt scrub or loofah or exfoliating glove in the shower and gently using it two to three times a week can slough off dead skin and keep skin glowing. Exfoliating can also prevent ingrown hairs, especially in that sensitive bikini area where the elastic band of underwear can put pressure on the skin.

Foot fetish

Walking in the sand does not equal a pedicure. Soaking and sloughing off dead skin will reveal a bright new nail bed.
Indeed, pedicures “bring your feet back to life,” said Soyka, especially for removing that nasty white stuff from your heels.

Katie Davis, 27, of Wilmington, said she prefers bright colors when getting her pre-shore pedicure, while her friend Tasana Pattaratara, 31, of Wilmington, prefers natural color on her toes. Tucker said bright, primary colors such as reds, blues and green are in style this summer.

Sokya also sees more men than ever getting their toenails trimmed. They’ll usually forgo the color though “some like a clear gloss or something without the sheen,” she said.

Plumley, the Baxter’s bartender, said he always gets a manicure and pedicure before going on vacation to Provincetown, Mass. He likes to have his nails done, especially when he is wearing sandals.
Polish is always part of the service. “I think this year I’m going to get a midnight blue,” Plumley said.

But some men will only go so far when it comes to primping and preening.
Andrew Austria, 30, of Wilmington, said he would consider getting a manicure or pedicure, but he hasn’t yet made the jump.

“Apparently a lot of guys want to do it, and I’ve had friends who’ve done it and liked it,” he said . “But it’s not a top priority [for me].”

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Eight Great Getaways For Dad

Wine collecting dads this year might unwrap a coveted bottle of 2003 Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon this Father’s Day.

A lucky few will visit the Silver Oak vineyard. Book him a special package at the Napa Valley wine estate Meadowood, and its resident master sommelier, Gilles de Chambure, will accompany Dad on appointments to this and other exclusive local wineries. He’ll enjoy personal tours and tastings as well as a picnic lunch in one of the vineyards. In the evening, he’ll sit down for a four-course dinner with wine pairings at the estate’s Michelin-rated restaurant. Prices range from $2,420 to $3,070 for a one-night stay.

This is one of a handful of weekend trips suitable for adventure-loving dads.

Depending on his interests, other gift ideas might include whitewater rafting down the Colorado River, fly fishing in the remote wilderness or a weekend at an 18-hole resort and spa.

These trips can also include friends and family. The PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Fla., for example, offers the “family fun fore all” and “guys buddy trip” promotions. With the family package, two children and two adults stay for $99 a night and enjoy unlimited golf on three courses, discounted meals and spa services and access to golf clinics. The “guys buddy trip” promotion is $445 per person through October and includes 18 holes of golf each day and cart and caddie fees.

James M. Gelfand, the resort’s vice president of sales, marketing and revenue development, says that while most book family packages for Father’s Day weekend, buddy trips are also popular. The bottom line, he says, is that, “Dad gets to come and play golf and he doesn’t have any guilt.”

What People Buy

This year, consumers are expected to spend $95 each on Father’s Day gifts, according to the National Retail Federation, a trade association. Common presents include clothing, books, CDs, computer accessories, gift certificates and greeting cards.

There are also gifts that might exceed Dad’s wildest expectations. The Scotch whisky distiller Chivas Regal is offering a $117,650 package that includes a five-day stay at a private mansion in Scotland, a round of golf at St. Andrew’s Links, dinner with the Duke of Argyll at his castle, helicopter transportation and a bespoke kilt and family crest consultation.

For $49,000, you can transform him into a Vegas high roller. The “ultimate mancation” package offered by the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa includes the keys to a Ferrari 360 Spider, one day of racecar driving, golfing at TPC Las Vegas and cigars to end every dinner.

Father’s Day: Consumer holiday or the real deal? Weigh in. Post your thoughts in the Readers Comments section below.

Even without the promise of a lifestyle makeover, Las Vegas is still a popular destination for Father’s Day weekend. Lauren Volchef, director of marketing for the Web site lastminutetravel.com, says that Las Vegas bookings usually spike that weekend. This year, they account for 23% of the site’s bookings; they usually comprise 8% to 10%. Volchef also says that golf meccas like Palm Springs and Myrtle Beach are common destinations.

What To Do

Gambling and golf, however, are not your only choices. Jennifer Gaines, contributing editor for lastminute.com, says that families spend more time in the outdoors during the holiday weekend. She recommends locations like Monterey, Calif., for the beach setting; Boise, Idaho, for the mountain backdrop; and, Charleston, S.C., for history buffs interested in the Civil War.

Brandon Lake, vice president of the guided tour company Western River Expeditions, says that hiking, rafting and camping excursions are a perfect fit for active dads. His company, which is based in Salt Lake City but conducts tours of the southwest, offers multi-day packages of whitewater rafting, off-road safaris in bio-diesel fueled Hummers and backcountry camping. A four-day “sampler” trip includes accommodations at $575 for each adult and $475 for children between 5 and 15.

Fishing is another excellent outdoors activity. Though guided fishing trips are often difficult to schedule at the last minute, they are worth the effort. Gail McCoy, owner of the Montana fishing lodge Spotted Bear Ranch, sells out for the holiday weekend months in advance because families enjoy the isolation.

“They can be fishing all day and not see another person,” says McCoy. “There’s a quiet comfort … and a silent camaraderie that’s absolutely a bonding experience.

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Spas the New Men’s Club: Men Love Spa Treatments Too

“Sir, please take off clothes,” the masseur said.

Receiving a pedicure at the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, outside London

The diminutive young Indian man ushered me into a dark room at the Ayushman Ayurveda Center in Kerala, India. I had booked a rejuvenation massage. If one were ever to try an Ayurvedic treatment, I reasoned, where better than Kerala, where the Hindu-linked health philosophy is most deeply rooted?

Dropping my clothes onto a chair, I pondered my gut, my less-than-taut thighs. Meanwhile, the masseur wrapped an XXL plastic smock onto his XXS frame. He was humorless but not unfriendly. I had no idea how personal our relationship was about to become.

It’s no secret that spas are on the upswing, here and abroad. Less known is that men are a growing segment of spagoers. The International Spa Association reports that men comprised 31 percent of spa patrons in 2006, the latest year for which data are available, up from 29 percent in 2003.

“In the past, spa has been seen as pampering – lotions and potions that appeal to women,” says Jim Root, association chairman.

He proposes that “spa” stands for salus per aquam, Latin for “health through water.”

“If you look at Russian and Scandinavian cultures,” he says, “their health came about through bathing. Spa is a lifestyle; it’s an umbrella word for all things health-, fitness- and wellness-related.”

Yet, in India, being bathed in warm oil by another man didn’t seem like the most obvious path to wellness.

“Sir, please sit on table,” said the masseur.

Naked, I perched clumsily on the table’s edge. It looked like a giant wooden breakfast tray: an upturned lip around its perimeter and a drain at one end. A bucket sat on the floor under the drain.

As I sat upright, the masseur poured sesame oil into his cupped hand and began to knead the liquid vigorously into my scalp. He poured more oil, rubbing it into my ears. Another handful was slathered onto my face.

“Sir, please lie down.”

I rolled face down onto the wood surface. Handful after handful of oil followed. Little pressure was applied, but there was lots and lots of oil – 30 minutes of lathering. What oil didn’t adhere to my body dripped off, oozed to the drain and drizzled into the bucket.

“Sir, please sit up.”

The rubdown was over, and the masseur helped me onto the floor. My feet were so heavily lubricated that I clung to his arm as he guided me to a steam room where I sat and ripened for 15 minutes. Then the masseur collected me and escorted me to the shower, where he sprinkled a powder across my skin.

“To remove oil, sir.”

I could barely stand without sliding, and I was being supported naked in a shower by a solemn man half my size.

I didn’t feel rejuvenated. I felt 97 years old.

Sampling the fare

My experiences at spas have not generally been this extreme. In fact, I’ve learned that a great spa treatment can reliably relieve jet lag or cure stress at the end of a grueling trip. I’m not monogamous about the type of treatment: Swedish, lomilomi, reflexology or even a men’s facial.

“Spa has moved beyond the pampering component and become mainstream,” says Mr. Root.

But the industry has done little to encourage men, as evidenced by spa brochures, which almost always depict women undergoing treatments.

“The spa world hasn’t always made it comfortable for men,” Mr. Root agrees.

Common obstacles for men include a concern over intimacy, anxiety over body parts or discomfort entering what has traditionally been thought of as a women’s environment.

Men “are concerned about their appearance, maybe they’re ashamed of their feet,” says Mr. Root, who adds that the social aspect in a spa is foreign to many men. “You can put a group of strange women in a room, and they wind up being best friends. Men aren’t the same way.

But they do line up for spa treatments at the Four Seasons

A hot stone massage melts away jet lag and eases sore muscles.

Ian Mackie, the hotel’s senior spa director, confirmed that English men can be reserved about spa treatments, but also that his business is increasing, with men comprising about 40 percent of the spa’s guests on weekends.

“Spa has been perceived as very feminine,” says Mr. Mackie. “But we are working to make men feel more welcome.”

“For massage, we’ve had to train therapists to give men the pressure they want,” said Mr. Mackie. “And our men’s facial is devised specifically for them. For instance, men like hotter towels on their face.”

What about the anxiety?

I wish I were completely comfortable with the state of my own body, with its excess love handles and unsightly feet. At the Four Seasons, I am prepared to disclose my defects to spa therapist Charlotte Ansell before she starts my hot stone massage.

Perhaps sensing my anxiety, she says, “Like a doctor we see lots and lots of bodies every day. But as a therapist, you learn to look beneath the skin, to the muscles and what you’re working with.”

And with that, a heated basalt stone is placed at the top of my spine where it immediately transmits warmth below the skin. Ms. Ansell uses the rounded volcanic rock to massage my shoulder blades, to smooth muscles, to provide rigid force where needed. And as the stone starts to cool and my jet lag begins to melt away, she slides the stone down one arm and into my open palm.

It feels like I have been delivered a gift, the idle stone a gentle weight that anchors my body to the table while my mind floats. This time, when I leave the massage table, I feel a decade younger.

SPA TIPS FOR MEN

Common Men Spa Concerns and Questions

What Men Want in a spa

Choose a spa. Review the treatment menu from a spa you’re considering. Does it offer men’s treatments or use products designed for men? Does it have a dedicated men’s area? What other facilities or classes are available? If you have the opportunity to visit the spa, ask for a tour.

Ask questions. Communicate any concerns you might have. If you prefer a male or female therapist, ask if you can request by gender (women make up the vast majority of spa therapists). If privacy is a concern, ask what the dress code is. (Usually, what’s worn under a robe is up to the client.) “There are a lot of services that can be delivered without you getting undressed,” says Jim Root, association chairman.

Get the details. Be aware of the spa’s cancellation policy, and verify whether a tip or service charge is automatically added to the bill (10 to 15 percent is typical).

Select a treatment. A shoulder- and back-focused massage is a typical first-time experience. “If you haven’t been to a spa before I wouldn’t really recommend an Ayurvedic four-handed massage,” says Ian Mackie, senior spa director at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. “You want to build up to the more advanced treatments.”

Communicate with your therapist. Do you want to feel invigorated after your massage, or more relaxed? Make your therapist aware of any physical conditions that might inhibit your enjoyment of the treatment. “You have the power to say, ‘This is my first time,’ ” says Mr. Root. “It should be a customized, individualized experience that addresses your needs.”

Allow extra time. “We recommend arriving early and using the sauna or steam room first because it relaxes the muscles and opens the pores,” says Mr. Mackie. “It also allows you to calm down before your treatment. When the therapist meets you, you’re already in the mode, setting the scene for a great massage.”

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Men Spa 

Men looking for a decent haircut and shave have generally had two options: Head to the local barber or brave a female-focused beauty salon. Now, some new shops for men aim to offer salon pampering in a guy-centric environment - complete with ESPN and scotch.

 

These manly salons also allow men to indulge in treatments once taboo, such as manicures and facials - but all with a distinctly male tenor. Instead of pastel-colored walls, there are wood floors, black leather couches and pool tables. Some also offer private areas for more blush-inducing services, such as hair coloring and body waxing.

 

These kind of spa treatments for men have become more popular. Men made up 31 percent of the 111 million spa visits in the U.S. in 2006, according to the International Spa Association. That’s up from 24 percent of 109 million visits in 2003.

 

The swanky barbershop chains are expanding. John Allan’s will be opening its first locations outside of New York this year with new shops in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Europe. The Grooming Lounge, with shops in Washington, D.C., and McLean, Va., is opening in Atlanta this year. And Mark Matthew in Studio City, Calif., is planning new salons in Westlake Village, Pasadena and Beverly Hills.

 

Primping comes at a price. A haircut, shave and manicure can cost $65 to $135. Add other services like facials or massages, and you can easily spend a few hundred dollars. To find out if the grooming indulgence was worth the price we visited outposts of the new style of barbershops and salons in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington. We generally loved the close shaves (except for one near-Sweeney Todd experience) and free beer, but in some cases, the service didn’t match the price tag.

 

The Mark Matthew Fine Gentleman’s Grooming Club in Studio City certainly aims for a “man’s man” ambience. Inside, it’s all guy stuff: flat-panel TVs turned to business news and Spike TV; posters of jazz musicians and single-malt scotches on the wall. But the atmosphere was undercut severely by the fact that, during our two-hour appointment, we were the only customers. It was a bit sad to be the only patrons for the whole afternoon.

 

We found the manicure - with a hand massage, creams and a paraffin wax treatment - to be more than we needed. The manicurist also offered to trim body hair from various locations that she declined to specify; it didn’t sound like something we were interested in exploring.

 

The haircut was outstanding. The stylist worked quickly and, given our mess of hair and hazy instructions, actually managed to interpret what we wanted better than we could’ve imagined.

 

The shave was another matter. We opted for what the spa calls its Quick Shave - a shave with a straightedge razor on the down stroke and a standard razor for the up stroke. We found the succession of lotions and aftershaves to be overkill. Worse, we still ended up with stubble on parts of our face.

 

All in all, the spa had a friendly staff working in an unfortunately tomb-like atmosphere. The haircut was great, but the shave was mediocre and the manicure was more than we needed. That didn’t cut it for a $135 tab.

 

The Grooming Lounge in Washington was tiny - about the size of a two-bedroom apartment - and crowded. When we arrived, we took a seat on a black leather couch in a waiting room. We had tea, but others sipped scotch or gin. Indie rock played in the background while a silent flat-screen played ESPN.

 

“Time to relax,” our barber said when she arrived. But that was difficult with all the chatty patrons and staff. We had a hot towel for our face, but it made it hard to breathe. During our face massage, the barber kneaded our cheeks so hard it felt like each one was in a washing machine. Later she inadvertently got lotion in our mouth.

 

The hot lather shave - one with the grain, one against - was underwhelming. They didn’t offer a straightedge shave, so we had to settle for a Mach 3. We later noticed she missed a spot and didn’t address the furry back of our neck.

 

We opted for a “relaxed” and “shattered” hairdo, which resembled every other bland trim we’d gotten as a teen and during college. We were supposed to have a scalp massage, but that didn’t happen. Instead, we got a perfunctory minute of our barber running some electric massage tool over our upper back and shoulders. Not so soothing.

 

After the haircut, we were escorted to our manicurist. It felt odd to be positioned face-to-face with her, but she was easy to talk to.

 

The final charge was $130, plus tip - too expensive because the next day, we clipped loose strands of hair that the barber missed. And despite all the aftershave applications, we still had razor burn. “We very rarely get a lot of complaints,” says Mike Gilman, Grooming Lounge’s co-founder. “Our whole business is based on regulars.”

 

Truefitt & Hill bills itself as “barbers to British royalty since 1805,” and has trimmed the locks of Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Fred Astaire and Alfred Hitchcock.

 

When we arrived at its Chicago outpost, we were offered coffee or tea. The bland coffee was served in a foam cup, looking out of place amid the mahogany fixtures, green marble floors and framed drawings of English country estates. Classical music played while we snacked on decent chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies.

 

Our barber ushered us to an antique barber chair set between partitions, providing a semblance of privacy. Other barbers and manicurists bustled about serving the largely middle-age clientele.

 

Wielding straight razor and comb, our barber gave us a splendid haircut. The hot lather shave - once against the grain, once with - even 24 hours later, was the closest and smoothest we’ve ever had. A manicurist quietly buffed our nails and massaged our hands while we luxuriated beneath a succession of eight hot towels.

 

The charge was $135, plus tip. That’s too pricey for our budget, but the service was excellent.

 

Our one major gripe: No televisions. General Manager Kirk Merchant says that when his father opened the place in 1989, he wanted to provide the ultimate in relaxation. “TV does not fit in that concept at all,” Mr. Merchant says.

 

Nickel Spa is located in an old bank in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. We waited about 10 minutes while we sipped bottled water, the only drink they offered, before our barber came.

 

Here we opted for a straightedge shave for both our scalp and face. (We returned the next day for a facial. We were told that a having a facial on the same day as a shave would irritate our skin.)

 

The haircut and shave were a disaster. We suffered numerous cuts on our neck and one on our left cheek. “That doesn’t happen often,” says Hector Pena, a general manager for Nickel Spa. “We haven’t been having complaints with it.” We also noticed that the spa technician missed some spots on the top of our head. We pointed it out, but he said, “Oh, no, that’s just a birthmark.”

 

“I’m just kind of surprised that would happen,” Mr. Pena says. We “should’ve called and come back the next day. Free of charge, they’ll take care of it.”

 

The facial was much better. It lasted an hour in a private room, and we almost nodded off to the sounds of crashing waves that played on the sound system. The attendant applied various creams to our face before starting the painful process of removing blackheads. “Are you ready for the torture?” she said beforehand.

 

Given the issues with our haircut and shave, we thought $58.31 plus tip was overpriced. The facial, $104.13 plus tip, was a better bargain considering you can’t do it yourself. And we got a 20 percent discount for our first visit.

 

We tried the John Allan’s location a few blocks from Wall Street in New York. A polite hostess greeted us and offered water, soft drinks or Samuel Adams on tap. We took the beer.

 

Our first stop was the sink, where we had a pleasant scalp-massaging hair wash. Next we had a hot towel for our face and a quick neck rub.

 

When we finished, our manicurist and a glass of Sam Adams were waiting for us. In between sips of beer, we chatted with the manicurist as she filed our nails. From our chair we spied the lounge room, where patrons shot pool as cable news played on the television.

 

Moments later our barber came for our haircut and beard trim. The barber delicately maneuvered the hair clippers through our hair for a close cut. We settled for a beard trim because they didn’t offer straightedge shaves. “We can give you a Mach 3 and you can go shave in the bathroom,” the barber said. Mr. Allan says he receives very few requests for shaves.

 

Finally, we headed for the shoe-shine chair. The friendly attendant gave our boots a proper cleaning and shine while we read the newspaper and polished off some more beer. Every time our glass was close to empty, an attendant snatched it for a refill without asking. We paid $65, plus tip, which wasn’t bad for the attention we received.

 

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