In recent years we have witnessed a significant shift in the male perception of wellness and beauty culture, especially with the rise of the ‘metrosexual’ — a term coined to refer to men who enjoy shopping and generally spend a lot of time and money on their appearance. People have become more concerned about their appearance and well-being, and as such they are investing in themselves so as to promote health, wellness and self-confidence.

Men have also embraced this lifestyle. Chris Benjamin is one such gentleman, and he has been a client of Y’ashay’s Day Spa & Salon for four years. He visits the salon regularly to have his locks retightened, and the spa for a facial or massage when necessary. Today aesthetician Keisha Peynado administers a glycolic facial, which facilitates the extraction and diminishing of ingrown facial hairs, removes blackheads, eliminates discolouration and promotes the overall rejuvenation of the skin. Keisha explains that this particular facial is popular with her male clients as it is affordable and highly effective. Here are the results.

(Photos: Tameka Coley & Marlon Reid)

1 Keisha first uses a facial wash — which she matches to Chris’s skin type — to cleanse the face.

2 She then applies the chemical — glycolic acid or glycolic gel solution all over the face.

3 The face is then steamed so as to open the pores, which allows the chemical to penetrate the skin, removing the impurities.

4 Keisha then removes the chemical from Chris’s face. * Due to the strength of the glycolic acid the chemical can only be applied for a short time, no more than ten minutes.

5 The skin is then exfoliated with a facial scrub, and a brushing machine is used to facilitate the cleansing process before the scrub is removed.

6 Keisha then uses a tweezer to remove the ingrown hairs from Chris’s face and chin. She also uses a commodone extractor to remove all blackheads and whiteheads, which she does by dragging the extractor across the skin, collecting the impurities with cotton as she goes along — a rather uncomfortable feeling, Chris tells us.

7 When this is finished a facial wash is again used to cleanse the skin which removes all the dirt, oil and dead skin cells from the face. After this Chris receives a gentle massage all around the face.

8 Keisha then applies a facial toner to the skin to remove any residue and applies a mask to the face for 15-20 minutes.

9 When the time has passed, she removes the mask and once again applies a toner to the face to remove any residue.

10 A moisturiser with sun block is then applied to finish, which Keisha explains is of utmost importance because of our tropical climate. She also tells our team that people with darker skin especially need sun block with a high SPF rating to protect their skin against sun damage and discolouration.

Model: Chris Benjamin

Aesthetician: Keisha Peynado

Ya’Shays Day Spa and Salon

94 J Old Hope Road, Kingston 6. Tel: 927-9515