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Rich Cobb displays a manicure he got at Beaucage, where he also had a pedicure. Cobb called the treatment "a small moment of escape." (Globe Staff Photo / Amy Newman)
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Go ahead, guys, make your day
Spoil yourself with a facial, pedicure, or a swedish massage. It's OK. Really.
By Paul Massari, Globe Correspondent, 11/08/2001
 View printable version
Are men the new women? The question's premise is sexist, of course. Within our stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity, women are supposed to embrace vanity while men eschew it. Women powder. Men sweat. Women puff. Men buff. Women pamper. Men pump up. Unless of course you're a gay man. Then you're somehow expected to find time to do both.
If ever there was truth to these gender divisions, there no longer is. Yes, most of Boston's spas and salons still have plenty of female customers. And yes, the gay community is well represented there too. But regardless of gender identification or sexuality, all kinds of men are flocking to personal care providers.
We treat our kissers to fabulous facials. We have extravagant Europeans fuss over our hair and pay them $40 to $80 for the privilege. We flip through the latest issue of Men's Health for tips on how to develop washboard abs while a pedicurist fawns over our tootsies. And, although we may be more used to a hip check, cross body block, or a tackle, we're succumbing to the gentle touch of the massage therapist.
Come along as we visit spots where the air is scented with jasmine and myrrh and the men are well-exfoliated. And don't be surprised if you bump into your terry-clothed buddy Butch coming out of the aroma-therapy chamber next door.
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Beaucage 71 Newbury St., 2d floor, Boston; 617-437-7171. Beaucage offers discount packages for its styling, facial, and nail services. The budget-minded can try the scalp massage and blow dry for the price of a seat at Fenway ($55). If you want soup to nuts, try the four-layer facial, manicure, pedicure, and blow dry for $185.
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Play footsie
Beaucage
According to Dean Boudreau, owner of Newbury Street's Beaucage salon, men are a little ticklish about their feet.
"They come into the salon for a haircut," he says. "They see this . . . stuff going on. They're curious and an employee recommends a pedicure. They're squeamish at first. They think it's not masculine."
Boudreau says, however, that more and more guys are getting over their fear of footcare. Although they may be intimidated initially, the thought of one of Beaucage's attractive attendants petting their tired dogs becomes too much to resist and they make an appointment.
A Beaucage pedicure is a luxurious four-step process that Boudreau calls "a small moment of escape with a little personal maintenance going on." First, a pedicurist dunks your feet in a sort of mini-jacuzzi, prepared with essential oils, to soften the cuticles and any calluses. While you're soaking in a private space decorated in earth tones, they ply you with trashy magazines, cookies, tea or coffee. After the soaking, the attendant neatly shapes your nails. Next comes the salt scrub, a treatment designed to exfoliate any dead and dry skin. The final step is the most delicious - a lengthy massage with cream to hydrate the skin on your feet.
Boudreau says most men expected that the pedicurist is just "going to shape the toenails. They do, but they're also working on calluses. Then there's the oil and the massage and the hot baths. If you're active and athletic, this addresses a lot of the wear and tear on your feet."
The experience turns out to be a delightful surprise. And many of the men become loyal customers.
Richard Cobb, for instance, is a regular visitor to Beaucage. The 33-year-old graphic designer (young-looking, he says, because of all his pedicures) spends a lot of time in the gym and explains that pedicures help.
"I work out about six days a week for three hours a day," he says. "It's what beats my feet up the most. Your feet dry out and your heels feel like sandpaper. It was nice to get in bed and not have your feet stick to the sheets!"
He also takes advantage of Beaucage's manicure services every couple of weeks. "I'm an artist and my hands get grungy from illustration. It gets a little embarrassing to point at something [during a presentation to clients] with paint-covered hands. Your hands look much cleaner. You feel more comfortable."
The treatments "are pretty addictive," he says.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper
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