 Simon Mallia tallies up the price gay men pay for looking good.
In 2007, Australians spent an estimated $500 million on non-surgical beauty treatments.
Among those outlaying their cash on their looks, the approximate gender split is 20/80 in favour of women, but the proportion of males (particularly those who are middle aged) is growing at a rate of between 11 - 20 percent per year.
This increase is attributed to several factors, including Australia’s harsh climate, our desire to look attractive to our partners and our need to feel better about ourselves.
But being pretty isn’t always easy. Indeed, sometimes it can get downright painful - and I don’t just mean the pain inflicted on your wallet by a shopping spree!
“Different treatments and procedures [inflict] various levels of pain, but ultimately how much it hurts is largely attributed to the individual’s pain threshold, and the area being treated,” says the manager of Chadstone’s Laser, Skin & Wellness Clinic, Julia Grinberg.
But just how painful can non-surgical procedures be? I set out to find out.
TEETH
At the bottom end of the pain scale is the Hollywood Smile. Teeth whitening or bleaching is now a fairly common procedure, with an oxidizing agent used to lighten the shade of the tooth. While this procedure is not generally painful, assuming it is performed correctly; it can cause temporary sensitivity and mild irritation.
Pain Factor: 1/10
SKIN
By far the fastest growing non-surgical treatment for gay men, anti-wrinkle injections are injected directly into specific wrinkle-causing muscles in the face, allowing them to relax temporarily, reducing dynamic lines and creating a softer-looking appearance. The treatment consists of a series of needles, which can be tolerated with minimal discomfort.
Pain Factor: 2/10
Dermal filling, like anti-wrinkle injections, are increasingly popular, and generally more painful, although some practitioners do offer pain blocks for the procedure. The results from using dermal fillers are more instant, as they’re used to fill or replace the lost volume in lines and folds in your face. They’re also used to pump up your lips a la Angelina Jolie.
Pain Factor: 7/10
Another popular skin treatment is vascular laser therapy, which can be used on your face or legs to diffuse redness, broken capillaries and spider veins. This procedure is quite painful but many practitioners offer a cooling agent to minimize pain. Most patients tolerate treatments without the need for an anaesthetic.
Pain Factor: 6/10
HAIR
When it comes to hair removal, there’s no other pain quite like the one experienced when having your arse waxed; and it’s not just the cheeks we’re talking about! The pain of removing hair from your sphincter and perineal raphe is what I would call particularly excruciating, particularly as the sensation lingers. An important tip is to ensure you minimize ingrown hairs by exfoliating. This can not only be unsightly, but painful too.
Pain Factor: 10/10
Another method of hair removal is electrolysis, which is more or less permanent, but also painful, tedious and expensive. It’s also difficult for large amounts of hair.
“You need to make sure the person using the machine has extremely good eyesight,” warns Julia Grinberg, “as a needle is inserted into each hair follicle, and then an electric current is sent through to kill”.
The feeling of electrolysis is like a painful buzz.
Pain Factor: 9/10
Intense Pulse Light (IPL) and lasering are two different procedures which offer permanent, gradual reduction of unwanted hair. Both feel like a rubber band flicking your skin, but the laser method, although generally requiring less treatment time, results in a much more intense pain. If you’re considering laser treatment, you should be warned that not all skin types or hair colours are suitable for this procedure.
Pain Factor: 5 - 6/10
BLEACHING
At the more taboo end of beauty treatment is anal bleaching. Saying goodbye to the ‘brown-eye’ is becoming much more popular than you’d believe.
“Recently the product we used in Australia was banned, so I’m now looking for volunteers to trial the effectiveness of other sourced products,” says Julia.
“You can get skin bleaching products from a chemist, but I look for a product that works well for my clients.”
Anal bleaching only takes a couple of minutes, as a bleaching solution is wiped onto the offending area, resulting in a mild stinging sensation.
Pain Factor: 5/10
Regardless of the temporary pain I put myself through during each of these procedures, I have to admit that each time I left the clinic, I did so with a certain bounce in my step that wasn’t the result of a lightened wallet.
I had heightened confidence, and I really did feel good about myself.
It’s easy to understand why there’s an increasing demand for beauty treatments. Paradoxically, it seems, perhaps the pain is necessary to make ourselves feel better.
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The pain of beauty
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