Melbourne, Mar 16 : Facials and waxing are no longer limited to women, for men are also indulging in the treatments with gusto.

The trend for men to experiment with creams and lotions has even given rise to a new word: Manscaping.

Cleansers and moisturisers are now as important for men as a razor and shaving cream.

Construction project manager Russell Thompson goes for facials and massages every four to six weeks.

"It has paid off," the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"I think people guess my age as younger than I am. I go to the beach a lot and work outside so my skin gets quite fried, so it seems to offset that," he added.

Paul Anderson Mankind, from Surry Hills salon specialising in male skincare, serves about 500 male customers a month.

"The people that come in here don''t see it as a luxury. They see it more as a necessity," Anderson said.

The clientele range from proud metrosexuals to train drivers to landscapers.

"We have train drivers, landscapers, a chippie. We''ve even had a few guys who were working on a nearby construction site," he said.

"When we started it was the corporate types who came but as we''ve gone along it''s been really across the board," Anderson added.

With specialist websites like Himage. com. au offering male-grooming supplies, more and more men are embracing beauty products.

"We see the guy buy the shave product, then he comes back two months later and buys the cleanser," said former accountant Chris Cassar, who developed the website.

"They gradually get into it. We think a lot of Australia right now is still at that early stage," he added. (ANI)