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A Hairy Affair - Technology & The Hairy Male

Business World Jul 09, 2015

Puneet Mehrotra wishes more tech innovators will notice the gap between technology and male grooming The cavemen didn't bother about them. Julius Caesar used to get his facial hair plucked. Sean Connery used a single blade. My “Topaz” moment reminds me of my father teaching me  shaving, correcting me of going in the “direction” of the stubble otherwise it may bleed. Single blade moments have a lot of blood in them! The cutting edge technology I have so far used consists of five blades by Gillette. It does give me the freedom irrespective of the direction of the growth of the stubble but beyond the face, it becomes a dangerous proposition especially in zones down south even for the masochist males. Personal Grooming Without Pain  I have often wondered what’s next in personal grooming.  As the Venture Capitalists say “what’s the next solution can you offer to problems?”. I often wondered if in the internet of things, all the bright minds can think of apps and software when it came to technology. What about personal grooming? How can personal grooming be linked to the www? Also is it possible to have get rid of male hair without blood and pain? Chestful of Pride Growing up in the 80’s the male chest hair was a sign of masculinity. With the iconic open shirt wonders like Vinod Mehra and Vinod Khanna,   hair popping out of the shirt meant the symbol of an ultimate male.  Anil Kapoor’s growth twenty years ago may have been the sex symbol but all that changed in the 2000’s. A clean shaven chest and grooming is indeed booming and is going south – quite literally! With latest surveys and trends claiming that women prefer men who are clean, a hairless chest may not necessarily mean a chest full of cuts and wounds thanks to technology. Body Grooming Trimmer Traditionally it may have been waxing and the razor.  Both painful with a lot of bloodshed.  It’s a welcome relief to find  Philips Body Grooming Trimmer.  It not only manages this well. Having been in the business for decades Philips probably knows what skin sensitivity means and the trimmer translates “male” blade positioning with the skin sensitivity of women, which simply translates into a smooth non-painful experience.  What’s more you can even trim under the shower.  The battery lasts upto 2 months. Noteworthy is this is not a normal trimmer (those are different beard trimmers which come in the Rs.3000 range) but a body specific trimmer called Bodygroom series 1000 priced Rs.1295.  It may just be worth it, if you want to transform your look from Akshay Kumar version 1998 to Akshay Kumar version 2015 without the pain and blood.   An Augmented Reality The other day Pepper Fry released an augmented reality app where you can use your real home settings to try out new furniture on your mobile.  I wonder why has it never occurred to any of the bright tech kids to have an augmented reality for male grooming.  How can anyone ever know whether a certain style would look good or no unless one tries it out. If you goto Google Playstore and iTunes it has more apps for  “dog grooming” than male grooming. The Last Word Male body grooming has been either a taboo subject or seen as feminine. There are topics you won’t discuss with anyone.  The  definition of what macho means changes with time. Yet at the heart of it is the intimacy with self, a celebration of being. Body is perhaps the most beautiful vehicle given to us by nature to be able to experience this beautiful world.  In a world where Fifty Shades of Grey is right in the open, male body grooming isn’t just about style and confidence but an intimacy with self and deserves more attention.  I wish more tech innovators will notice this gap between technology and male grooming. Puneet Mehrotra writes on Life and Technology.  You can contact him at puneet@tbe.in