It’s odd that, in 2022, we still haven’t really come up with a collective name for men’s beauty treatments. The word ‘beauty’ – although this may change – still seems more appropriate for women than for men; ‘grooming’ has all sorts of connotations and, at the very least, conjures up little more than eyebrow trims and wet shaves; ‘self-care’, a popular one at the moment, sounds a little too Love Island to me, and ‘aesthetics’, while accurate, is perhaps more of an industry term than a word you’d drop into conversation with friends in a bar. 

And yet more and more men have discovered the subtle and sophisticated rejuvenation techniques – often non-invasive, with no or little down-time – that can be administered on a lunch break and have you looking fresh-faced and well-rested in only a matter of minutes, hours or days, depending on the treatment. Several clinics have told me that around 30% of their clients are now men, who come in and ask not to look younger, but to look as if they’ve had a good night’s sleep or a relaxing holiday. It’s not about looking a different age, it’s about looking the best you can for the age you are. Think of it as hopping aboard a Belmond Express for a gentle journey rather than taking a quick easyJet flight into your physical future.

The list of what are sometimes referred to as ‘tweakments’ grows more sophisticated and less daunting all the time: think wrinkle-smoothing injections to help you appear less furious, fillers to contour your jawline, ultrasound laser to tighten your skin, dermaplaning to exfoliate your face and leave it glowing. All you need is an expert eye to help you discover what will best leave you feeling content and comfortable with how you look, without appearing as if you’ve had anything ‘done’.

If you prefer a more traditional approach, a new generation of acupuncturists have discovered ways to harness the centuries-old Chinese medicine to improve the look and feel of your skin. One of the most remarkable treatments I’ve tried recently is needle shaping at the gentle hands of John Tsagaris at The Wellness Clinic. The practice uses tiny acupuncture needles to create natural collagen threads in the skin where volume has diminished or fine lines have appeared. Once the needles are placed in the skin, gentle traction is applied to them, and the process painlessly and naturally firms and lifts up your face. Don’t worry that for the best part of the session you’ll resemble Pinhead from Hellraiser; as soon as it’s over you’ll see your skin looking fresher and firmer. My cheekbones were higher than they have been for years. As a result, my mood was lifted, too.

In this great big, bonkers world we find ourselves living in, with so much more beyond our control than ever before, don’t let anyone make you feel bad about wanting to look good. If you can use an ibuprofen to ease a headache and an Instagram filter to lighten a picture, then what’s wrong with a treatment to erase a wrinkle? Research has shown that looking good can make you feel good. A holistic approach to skin health and aesthetic treatments – nurturing both the inside and out – is the future. ‘Wellness’ is perhaps the word I was looking for.