Is Your Man Too Girly?

I recently moved to a new apartment and have since spent my weekends on the floor of my studio, putting together bookshelves and cabinets. For the things I couldn't do myself and for tools I didn't own, I asked for assistance—but it wasn't a handy boyfriend or male friend who came over to help. It was my 82-year-old grandfather. It seemed that, at least among my circle, the ability to wield a drill had ended with an older generation. The only kind of maintenance the men in my life do generally involves tweezers and perfectly groomed eyebrows.

A new study released by Gillette tells me that I'm probably not alone. The survey, conducted by Galaxy Research, quizzed 1,251 men between the ages of 18-64 on male grooming habits. What the survey found: guys are spending more time in the bathroom than ever, and it's not because of last night's Mexican takeout.

About 70 percent of the men said Generation-Y guys take almost as long as women to get ready... and they may be using our favorite products, too. Seven percent said they've used concealer to hide a pimple, 15 percent have had a facial, and over half of men say they've indulged in some form of beauty treatment, from spray tanning to manicures and pedicures. And these numbers are low compared to what a survey in Men's Health found, with 80 percent of men claiming they'd be willing to spend at least $100 a month on their favorite grooming products. Surprise: Men Primp As Much As Women Do

Hey,who can blame them? Women love to get pampered too, but what happened to the Renaissance men, the guy who trimmed his nose hair and couldrewire a lamp? Sixty percent of guys surveyed said they haven't purchased a tool in the past year, and 25 percent said they've never fiddled around under the hood of a car.

Aninformal survey of my guy friends confirmed those stats—like me, theycould put together an Ikea bookshelf, but that's where their skill-levelpeaks. Those same guys admitted to a surprising collection of beautyrituals: tweezing, acne treatments, highlights, regular manicures and pedicures and below-the-belt waxing. The common thread? An "I can paysomeone to do it for me" mentality—and that goes for everything, fromhair care to putting together furniture.

Maledating writer Abraham Lloyd agrees, saying that one of the primarygenerational differences between young men today and of generations past is what they measurethemselves against. "Men today valuetheir time differently than their fathers and grandfathers. When giventhe choice to either fix something broken or buy something new, moreoften than not men of the Ikea Generation will do just that, for thesimple fact that we would rather spend that time on something moreimportant." 19 Pastimes That Boost A Guy's Sex Appeal

Does "something more important" include primping? Abraham says it does.

"Women appreciate a man who respects himself, and one way to conveythat is through your appearance. Today manicures, grooming, fashion, andshoes ooze masculinity the way that a worn set of hands did for ourgrandfathers." His beauty ritual: a haircut and eyebrow wax every threeweeks, a mani-pedi every two weeks, a facial and massage every month,and manscaping a couple of times a week. And his last home project?

"Yesterday I used Drano to unclog my bathroom sink and bathtub. That'sabout how handy I am." He’s not apologizing for it though, saying that,"Women today don't really care what a man does with his hands... unless,of course, it involves holding a woman.”

Is Your Man Too Girly?

What toolbox? Your guy's favorite tool may be his tweezers. Do men today have too many girly habits?

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