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The foreword of
Mantalk, Elliot Jacob's new nonfiction book on the art of
health and beauty for men, states "it is a common stereotype
that men do not like asking for directions... men are
tacticians." Perhaps it was my "tactic" anti-directions side -
or just my cynical, skeptical self- that made me wary of a
book with chapters titled "New Skin, New Man" and lengthy
paragraphs on pec implants. But Mantalk, which sounds a
lot like Montauk and I'm going to go out on a calf-implanted
limb and guess that that's deliberate, quickly showed me that
not only is the practice of man-beauty, so to speak, entirely
valid, healthy, and interesting, it's in surprisingly high
demand. Mantalk is the book men have been waiting for
ever since Norelco came out with a men's razor whose ambiguous
use is "bodygrooming" This book cuts through the ambiguity and
makes "male grooming" understandable. Metrosexuality has
spread to the masses, and this D.I.Y. (or with a good plastic
surgeon) guide to man-grooming is the straight eye for the
everyguy. So, men - let's talk.
The male grooming market has apparently been cited as an
industry of .5 billion, according to Mantalk. While
masculine vanity was once considered unmanly, it is now
becoming something of a status symbol. Plus, it's just
emotionally and physically healthy for a man to look and feel
good. This is especially true for middle-aged men and
baby-boomers, who have found that aging, white sometimes
deeply gratifying, isn't always pretty. That's not to say that
the modern man wants to be "pretty," but to look and feel good
is very fulfilling for a man and his special somebody. With
the nerve-wracking threat of heart disease and numerous forms
of cancer - and the sometimes equally nerve-wracking threat of
just being fat or unattractive - it is not just fun and
fulfilling for a man to take care of himself, but important
All of this helps to explain why the market for men's beauty
products - from the classics like razors and colognes to the
exotic jaw implants - has increased dramatically over the past
several years. That, and "Queer Eye."
Jacobs, a Mensa member and plastic surgeon in Manhattan who is
also inexplicably licensed in The Bahamas, explains that as
men age, their skin loses its firmness. At as early as
thirty-five, the skin begins a slow descent downwards as it
loses its battle with gravity. This process is greatly sped up
by sun exposure and alcohol. You might forget what you did the
night before, but your skin wont. By age 55, a man's skin can
go from having had "acne and some loss of elasticity" (age
25-45) to "wrinkles, uneven color and pigmentation, sagging,
sallow yellow color, and dark circles under the eye." This is
a natural process but science and Jacobs are waging war on
wrinkles. Avoiding wrinkles entirely is probably impossible,
but consistent moisturizing can greatly help the health and
appearance of skin. After that, Jacobs skips right to Botox,
which he assures is safe and non-invasive. Your last resort
for younger looking skin is the ever-efficient facelift, which
Dr. Jacobs later explains has become substantially simpler,
with the use of the Contour Threadliftt
TMTM, which is a one hour process
using many sharp bristles to make your face look youthful. But
if you're not okay with '"barbed' sutures" making "tiny
incisions like multiple mini-umbrellas" on your face, then I
suggest you start moisturizing, men.
The term "neck lift" might sound daunting and just plain weird
at first, but Jacobs assures that subtle surgery is an
effective way to look younger and better. As gravity pushes
skin to the Earth's core, and fat into weird parts of the
body, many men are bothered by a "turkey gobbler," the hanging
fat that appears in the lower face and neck. A neck lift,
sometimes with an additional chin implant, can enhance your
jaw line and make your features finer. Other facial fun you
can have is eyelid rejuvenation to look less tired or bloated,
and a nose job to create a "strong, balanced facial profile
that gives the impression of personal confidence." Personal
confidence - or at least looking personally confident - has
become immeasurably important in both the business world and
dating, making this book a useful guide.
Filled with anecdotes about men who have successfully
rejuvenated themselves, Mantalk is easy for anyone to
read. Really, it is not just the "metrosexual" trend that is
encouraging men to take care of themselves. From simple
healthy lifestyle choices to luxurious, effective plastic
surgeries, men should be taking an active interest in their
physical looks and well-being for their own sake and health.
However, the metrosexual trend should not be ignored with a
laugh at Ryan Seacrest's expense - men taking their looks and
health seriously is becoming something doctors, marketers, and
employers are all taking seriously. At eighteen, I'm not a
boy, not yet a man, but I will be taking several of Dr.
Jacobs' health tips. As for pec implants, for now, I'll stick
with push-ups. But the man on the cover of Mantalk
looks healthy and sharp, with defined features, cool hair, and
a glowing tan. If that's the future for me - and the future of
older men - it's looking pretty bright.
Mantalk is published by MD Publish and is available on
Amazon.com
- Mike Vilensky
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