“Selfcare means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.”
I remember a conversation I had with a gentleman on the benefits of massages for both the body and the mind. The last words he spoke to me were; “I would not get a massage because I am not gay”. At first I was taken back by the statement but when I did some research, this seems to be a common belief among men, especially those of African descent. But why?
Toxic masculinity plays a huge role in the development of this mentality. For so long, men have been groomed to be providers and to suppress their emotions at all costs. However, with the rate of stress induced suicide in men, has this been a good approach?
The expectation among men to be ‘tough’ along with a display of the associated egocentric behaviour, is crippling. A study done by Promundo and Axe was the perfect example as they found that the majority of men, between the ages of eighteen and thirty, feel pressured to fit into ‘the man box’ and to ‘act like a man’. The complete disregard of sentimentality in ‘the man box’ leads to a variety of issues including narcissism, which affects everyone and everything attached to them. As progressive as modern day society is, the fact that people are still being pressured to adhere to the indoctrination of ‘act like a man’ is truly mind blowing.
Sixty-five percent of men avoid seeking care, whether it be medical or otherwise, until they are at a point where they fear for their lives. While women are more aware of their mental and physical health. This is one of the reasons why the life expectancy for women is higher than that of men. In an aim to increase awareness of male related health issues, the ‘Movember campaign’ was initiated in 2003. Since then, there have been several campaigns, including those by brands like Axe, Chanel, Estée Lauder, etc., which aim to promote men to take care of their bodies on the inside and the outside. As a result, the personal care market for men is seeing a huge growth with a projected increase of nine point one percent from 2022 to 2030. One of the biggest advocates for men’s health, especially appearance-wise, is Pharrelll Williams. He is a perfect example of what it looks like when you take care of your body. Although ‘black don’t crack’, it sure will if you’re not taking care of it.
Overall, your gender isn’t a factor when it comes to taking care of your body. You only have one body so if you don’t take care of it, who will?
We are in a time where everyone is realizing the importance of nurturing physical and mental health. When you take care of yourself, you create a peaceful environment within you, which will translate into being a person of positive impact to those around you. Therefore, participating in the ‘self-care craze’ doesn’t make you less masculine. Besides, in a society where people are defining themselves as they see fit, why are we still conforming to rules and traditions that were formulated to suit an olden day society?
Reference
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/mens-personal-care-market
https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/masculinity-and-self-care-feature-654164/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/why-d
Kupakwashe Antonette Chimonyo
Kupakwashe is a writer for The Feminist Health Blog and hopes to support people, even if it’s only one person, lean more into who they are and to appreciate themselves. She believes self love is the root of peace and happiness.
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