According to Fake Bake, 53% of UK men hide the fact that they use fake tan.
Having questioned over 1,200 men, the professional tanning brand commissioned the survey to highlight that tanning is not only a female-focused part of a beauty regimen, although 69% admit to using their partner’s products to achieve the sun-kissed glow they desire.
Fake Bake’s Global Creative Consultant James Harknett reported that male tanning is at an all time high and continues to grow at a rapid rate. “I tan around 50 men per month and it's rising by approximately 10% each year,” he said.
“A major trend with men over the last year is more requests to be defined and contoured. 28% used a facial tanner to look younger and 12% said they use a fake tan to camouflage scars and stretch marks from lifting weights.
"They love the look it gives them and how it can make them appear more chiseled. We’ve found that 34% used a fake tan to define muscle tone and look more buff.”
Spa and grooming expert Mark Smith (AKA The Spa Man) is not surprised that such a large number of men complete this regime in secret. “While grooming is widely accepted as part of the norm, fine tuning rituals like brows and tanning remain an area that is dominated by female beauty,” said Smith.
“There’s also a constant stream of negative images of men with bad fake tans. As a result secret tanning will probably remain the norm for many guys.” Smith agreed that popularity will grow.
Smith said: “For 2017, I think that tanning will remain popular, partly due to the growth of men’s fitness on Instagram. Guys want to look toned and fit and fake tan enhances this. Guys like The Body Coach who is successful for being fit and groomed will ensure that guys want to look their best posing for selfies. Fitness is going to drive grooming more and tanning plays an important part.”
