5 male grooming trends that shaped 2024, plus what to look out for in 2025

The male grooming landscape has been steadily growing. These days, it’s not uncommon to see more men uploading #GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos on social media as they embrace skincare routines, get aesthetic treatments done, seek professional grooming services and even dabble with makeup.

And it’s largely thanks to the prevalence of Asian male celebrities in the limelight. These K-drama and K-pop stars have made clear, blemish-free skin desirable, shared Dr Rachel Ho, an aesthetic doctor at La Clinic.

This growing awareness has also made it more acceptable for guys to use makeup to present a better image of themselves, added makeup artist, Lasalle Lee.

Here, CNA Lifestyle looks back at the top grooming trends of 2024.

1. GOING BEYOND FACIAL CLEANSERS

In the realm of skincare, “the momentum in 2024 is particularly notable”, said Shinji Yamasaki, co-founder and CEO of homegrown brand, Re:erth.

At Re:erth, the team has noticed an 80 per cent growth in its male customer base.

Moving beyond the bare minimal of just cleansers, Yamasaki has observed that more Singaporean men are adopting a variety of skincare products to achieve healthy skin. These include moisturisers and targeted treatment products to address specific skin concerns, such as acne and ageing.

But that’s not all. Yamasaki also shared that some men are incorporating other skincare products, like exfoliants, face masks and even pimple patches. All these reflect Singaporean men’s “growing interest in comprehensive skincare routines”.

2. PROFESSIONAL HAIR REMOVAL SERVICES

“Hair removal for men has become increasingly destigmatised and there now seems to be a shift from the ‘quick and easy’ clippers or razor to a more qualitative finish,” shared Jasmine Yong, founder of Sugar(ed), Singapore’s first professional body-sugaring studio specialising in hair removal services.

According to Yong, she has seen a 12 per cent growth in Sugar(ed)’s male clientele, especially between the ages of 26-35 years. “This shows that the younger professionals are much more into grooming than a few years ago.”

The most popular hair removal services at Sugar(ed) are the Manzilian (their version of the Boyzilian), followed by underarms. 

Added Yong: “Younger men today tend to pay more attention to grooming and are more open to exploring grooming practices traditionally associated with women.”

3. DABBLING IN MAKEUP

Men wearing makeup isn’t completely new. Just look at celebrities like Jared Leto and Johnny Depp who have no qualms wearing eyeliner, and it’s not because they’re walking the red carpet.

And while Singapore is still considered fairly conservative in this aspect, as compared to men in other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, there is a growing number of Singaporean men who are willing to dabble in makeup these days.

According to Lee, it’s usually younger men, between the ages of 18 to 25 years, who are open to trying and willing to put in the effort to care about their personal presentation.

Actor and influencer Braven Yeo and musician Kevin Brendan regularly share on their socials #GRWM videos, and yes, it includes makeup application too.

Men wearing makeup isn’t about being feminine. Instead, Lee shared that makeup, like clothes, can help improve one’s appearance, which in turn boosts confidence.   

For those keen to try, Lee, who works regularly with male celebrities like Pierre Png, Elvin Ng, Romeo Tan and Herman Keh, advised starting simple: Concealer to cover dark undereye circles and post-acne marks, cushion foundation to even out the skin tone and a brow pencil to make brows look fuller.

4. LETTING THEIR NAILS DO THE TALKING

Giving new meaning to the word “manicure”, we’re also seeing increasingly more men spotting painted nails. And it’s more than just having a nice colour, it’s showcasing nail art on their digits too.

Stray Kids’ Hyunjin regularly spots coloured nails, while BigBang’s G-Dragon recently showed off his nail art for his solo comeback, Power.

These celebrities are breaking gender norms, making it acceptable for men to wear colour on their nails.

5. BRO-TOX AND MORE

When it comes to men and aesthetic treatments, “the perceptions and standards of beauty have evolved in the last decade”, shared Dr Ho. And the reasons are multifaceted, from increased accessibility and treatment options with minimal downtime, to shifts in attitudes reducing the stigma in doing aesthetic treatments.

In the past year, Dr Ho has seen about 30 per cent more male patients, ranging from professionals and engineers to students, with most of them between the ages of 25 to 40 years.

And the service that many of them come in for is Botox, affectionately dubbed “Bro-tox” (Botox for men).

“More people are recognising that the results of Botox injections can be personalised, and that the outcomes don’t always have to be stiff or frozen. My male patients who ask for Botox want natural looking results and this gentler approach to Botox, sometimes called ‘Baby Botox’ is warming up to them,” explained Dr Ho.   

Besides Botox, other popular aesthetic treatments among men, shared Dr Ho, include fractional CO2 laser to treat acne scars and hyperpigmentation treatments to address dark spots, especially from sun damage and post-acne.

GROOMING TRENDS FOR 2025

With Singaporean men increasingly becoming more invested in their looks, 2025 looks set to be another year where the men do get it.

“More men will view grooming as essential for both personal and professional success,” said Yamasaki.

In aesthetics, Dr Ho expects to see an increase in regenerative treatments that utilise actives like PDRN (polynucleotide) and exosomes. “These treatments activate the skin’s natural healing processes to rejuvenate and repair signs of ageing and damage.”

Added Dr Ho: “The category of regenerative treatments has been gaining traction in Singapore in the recent years, and as more men warm up to aesthetic treatments, the idea of enhancing the skin’s ability to regenerate itself for younger looking skin is more likely to appeal to them.”

The focus on caring for one’s appearance will also see continued investment in skincare.

“As convenience remains a priority, science-backed products that offer multiple benefits, such as SPF combined with moisturising properties or lightweight, non-comedogenic formulations that provide anti-ageing effects, are likely to gain popularity,” explained Yamasaki.

In short, multi-functional products will be highly sought after, as men appreciate simplicity and such products will seamlessly fit into streamlined routines, Yamasaki added.