Men take the gold for grooming

From foot spas to funky hair colours — the men in any contingent are beating the women hands down in the preening department.

From foot spas to funky hair colours — the men in any contingent are beating the women hands down in the preening department. In the Commonwealth Games Village’s International Zone, men have been visiting the in-house salon more than the women.

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The staff at the salon said that the athletes and the delegates living at the village have tried almost everything offered at the parlour — facials, foot massages, manicures — except waxing. Attendants said most men come for simple grooming, like haircuts and pedicures. They said the salon provides at least 40 haircuts a day.

An attendant at the salon said: “There is a huge demand for funky hairstyles. Some want to colour their hair green, some blue and even yellow.”

Another popular service is the massage. The salon has already provided nearly 8,000 Ayurvedic muscle relaxant massages for free to the athletes and their family members. Amongst this, about 60% of the customers were men, the staff at the parlour said.

“As it is Commonwealth Games, we decided to give free body massages and hair cuts as a goodwill gesture,” said Shahnaz Hussain who runs the salon at the Games Village. “Our muscle relaxant Ayurvedic spas are the most sought after. Apart from that, the haircuts are also a rage,” Hussain said.

She believed that the salon and its services were a good opportunity for the athletes’ families to have some time off, without getting bored at hotels.

“Family members and friends of the athletes come here just to rejuvenate themselves and spend a good time together. They also buy the wide range of products available with us,” said the attendant.

“I have come here for the first time but I think I should come here every day,” said Laura Edwards, who was at the Village with a delegate from England.

Susan Davis, who accompanied her son, a badminton player from Wales, was undergoing a foot spa at the salon.

“This is the first time I am getting a pedicure done in my life. It is quite cheap here. The dust and the grime in Delhi make the feet sticky and dirty,” said the 60-something Davis.