Thanks to growing pressure from the media, film and television and even the sporting world, men are becoming far more conscious about their personal appearance and grooming. A plethora of male-orientated products have flooded onto the cosmetics market, jostling for position alongside women's moisturisers, hair removal creams and waxing kits. Yes, real men do wax and is a growing trend. Hair removal (excluding the daily ritual of shaving) is one of the biggest growth areas of male grooming and more men are looking at alternatives to the painful ‘back, sack and crack' waxing treatment. Cosmetic physicians have reported a marked increase in the number of men seeking laser hair removal as a more permanent solution to wax or razors.

Dr Meredith Jones, a lecturer in media and cultural studies at the University of Technology in Sydney, has studied this trend in male hair removal. Although it initially started in the pornography industry and bodybuilding, male hair removal has now become ‘mainstreamed into normal grooming and fashion'. Male hair removal also has its place in the sporting world, with both cyclists and swimmers removing excess body hair to improve speed and performance. Now, with the advent of buffed, hairless celebrities, body image has become far more important to men and consequently the annual expenditure on male grooming products and treatments, such as laser hair removal, has increased enormously.

The most common areas of the body for male hair removal treatments are the back, shoulders, neck, chest and eyebrows, with the dreaded ‘monobrow' fighting for top billing with back hair. Laser hair removal is one of the most popular methods and is on the increase.

As laser hair removal is the longest-lasting and often permanent method of removing unwanted body hair, the monobrow and back are often the most requested areas for treatment. However, laser hair removal requires a series of treatments, and whilst it does provide a permanent reduction in the quantity of hair, it can be seen to be an expensive method of hair removal compared with other techniques. But if taken into comparison against a lifetime's supply of razors or wax treatments, the costs can even out!

Laser hair removal involves a laser beam being directed at the skin that essentially kills off the hair follicles. Results do depend on the colour of your skin, with darker skins often being unsuitable for laser treatment because of the risk of damaging the pigmentation. This is why it is essential that if you are considering laser hair removal as a method of permanently ridding yourself of unwanted hair, you consult a qualified practitioner or dermatologist before starting any course of treatment, this is key. As the treatment involves the use of laser technology, this is particularly important if you are planning any work around the sensitive eye area to remove eyebrow hair. A laser can easily damage the eye causing permanent blindness, so it's best to be sure that the person with their finger on the trigger is an experienced professional.