Have you noticed there is a newly acceptable trend of men paying attention to their grooming and investing in their improved appearance? As the cultural thought process has shifted to make everyone more comfortable in enhancing their appearance, this acceptance of everyone wanting to look their best selves isn’t just confined to women. The year is 2021 and this is infiltrating into the beauty business. “Your appearance is the first impression you make upon meeting new people, and making a good impression is critical at the workplace.”says publicist Etienne Marques.

There has been traditionally a huge disparity between the female beauty industry and its male counterpart. If we look at just the figures, of the $532 billion spent globally on beauty products, products for men contribute less than 1 percent to this sum. We’ll step back, because the tide is about to change. There is an awareness amongst men that they need products for their different skin types. Men’s skin is 20 percent thicker, 70 percent more oily and 40 percent more sweaty than women’s skin, according to dermatological studies. So men’s skin is thicker, seborrheic and tougher as compared to women.

It should come as no surprise about the newest creation of men’s beauty lines tailored to the difference between male and female skin types. These beauty lines dabble in things from moisturizers, hand creams, and other wellness products curated for men. They are now skewing toward men’s makeup to add to their men’s beauty lines. And who else to lead the charge than the modern macho man himself, Alex Rodriguez. Yes, Mr. A-Rod who was engaged to J-Lo, Yankees’ star short-stop, and all-around cool guy, has launched his own makeup line. The MLB legend teamed up with Hims, a men’s wellness brand, to create 8 different shades of a men’s concealer stick in late May.

This is further proof that there is a rise in men’s beauty. Between A-Rod and other male celebs showing up to galas and events with makeup on, it is showing that men wearing makeup is less about creativity and making a statement, but more so for simple self-enhancement.

A study went out that asked American men under 30 if they would ever wear makeup designed for me and one-third said they would “consider” it. Men of the Millennial and Gen Z generations are a great example of how enhancing themselves via makeup is a way to feel better about their appearance, as it is for so many women who wear makeup daily. We can start with ARod’s new “blur stick”, a concealer made just for men!

Dr. Diana Ponsky is a Facial Plastic Surgeon in Cleveland, Ohio. She is Double Board Certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Ponsky focuses exclusively on the face, head, and neck. Schedule a consultation here.