Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 88

life

EQUESTRIAN

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY
Photo: Dr Maire Rhatigan - Orchard Cosmetic Skin Centre at St James Clinic

Christmas gifts &
Special Offers

Before treatment

After treatment

• Gift vouchers available
• Free consultation for
injectable wrinkle treatments
(www.botox.com)
• Free mole check service
• Free underarm IPL / Laser
hair removal with every
course booked for another
body area
• For men, free consultation
for IPL / Laser hair + test
patch
• 10% off any treatment
if you refer a friend, your
friend gets 10% off too

men dare
to be bare
Men are paying more attention to their
appearance than they ever have before. But
the reason men want to rid themselves of
bodily hair isn’t necessarily to do with vanity,
Dr Maire Rhatigan of the Orchard Cosmetic
Skin Centre tells Roz Whistance
“Men have a pretty hard time of it,” says
Dr Maire Rhatigan. “We expect them to
make the best of themselves but they’re
saddled with the traditional idea that it’s
not masculine to pay attention to their body
image.”
That is changing, however. Hair salons
report that they are seeing more and more
men, not just for styling, but for colouring,
eyebrow shaping and massage. It is part and
parcel of an interest in fashion and style, and
even in waxing to remove unwanted hair.
“The welcome mat look is a bit passé,” said
one stylist.
At the Orchard clinic Dr Rhatigan sees an

88

increasing number of men who want to get
rid of their body hair permanently. “Some
men are very hairy indeed,” she says – “and
they don’t like it. Shoulders and backs are
a particular worry to some, but I also do
abdominals and pecs.”
“I have had clients who won’t take off
their shirts on the beach because they are
concerned about being hairy, or they’re
afraid to be seen at the swimming pool.
Some are so conscious of their body hair
that it stops them from being physically
close to another person – which can end a
relationship before it’s really begun.”
Waxing, as well as bringing a tear to the
eye, is an imperfect solution because of the
need to wait till the hair has grown long
again before the next treatment. In-growing
hairs can also be a problem. At the Orchard
clinic, Dr Rhatigan treats clients with Intense
Pulsed Light (IPL).

“The light is absorbed by the pigment in
the hair, which goes into the follicle deep
within the skin, and the heat from the
light destroys the follicle,” she explains. “A
minimum of six treatments are necessary
because of the hair cycle, and these must be
a month apart because all the hairs may not
be in the active phase in the cycle at any one
time.”
In the vast majority of cases the hair
becomes soft and downy, then stops
growing completely.
“Men who reach middle age – the “male
menopause” can develop a new coat of hair
which goes over their back and shoulders.
It’s an upsetting reminder of their age, so to
have a permanent solution is for many men
a huge relief.
The Orchard clinic is offering men a free
consultation and a test patch to see how
they react to the treatment.

The Island's new funky radio station www.wightfm.com