Celebrating 45 Years of Face of Man [UPDATED]

Australia’s first-ever men’s grooming lounge

Face of Man began as a men’s grooming lounge in 1978 and, 45 years on – it is an institution. A lot has happened in our 45 incredible years of business and like a fine wine, we only improve with age. Throughout our four epic decades, Face of Man has continued to innovate with a firm finger on the pulse, creating a Salon that not only boasts the latest leading treatments, innovative technologies and exceptionally skilled Therapists but truly holds space for the men that visit us.

Frequented by celebrities, sporting legends, musicians, businessmen and just down-right awesome blokes, the calibre of clientele is a testament to the service our team, and teams before us have provided.

Voted ‘Best Men’s Salon in Sydney’ by GQ in 2017 we have continued to set the standard in our industry. It is truly a privilege to be part of Face of Man and its long and wonderful history here in Sydney!

At Face of Man, we merge both results focussed Advanced Skin treatments with relaxation and nurturing to truly offer men a complete mind, body, and soul experience.

Business Success

In addition to celebrating yet another year of growth despite a global pandemic, we continue to be at the forefront of challenging a stigma that surrounds self-care and men.

With an influx of stress and uncertainly during the past 12 months, self-care particularly in men has been a necessity. We are proud to have created a space in which men felt comfortable enough to embark on their self-care journey.

We are proud to be part of something greater. Allowing men to exist in a space that challenges that belief and helps improve men’s confidence as they can address skin concerns that may be affecting their appearance and thus, their self-esteem.

With our growth has come the introduction of new, innovative treatments and available technologies. We announced an exciting Treatment to our line-up, Pico Toning after acquiring the latest Discovery Pico Plus Laser Machine. We are just 1 of 15 Salons across Australia that have this machinery and as a result, have been able to perform exclusive skin treatments.

Face of Man has grown to 7 full-time therapists, including 6 dermal therapists, which makes it the largest team we have had in our 42 years and we are proud to see this family grow and flourish.

Cricket legend Michael Clarke, Fitness mogul Commando Steve Willis and NRL star Luke Burgess are just some of the impressive individuals that continue to visit Face Of Man and their public praise and influence has been instrumental in helping our team spread the Face Of Man message to the masses.

Our brand awareness and success in 2020 has also seen us expand, introducing a sister brand within the same George Street establishment. This year, we launched Next Level Clinic – a luxury Tattoo Removal Clinic focussing on laser treatments. The launch of our new brand is a true testament to the success of Face Of Man despite adversity throughout the pandemic.

Green Policy

Face Of Man continues to implement sustainable practises within our Salon to help reduce our carbon footprint. We will continuously strive to minimise our impact on the environment and will continue to look for ways to make improvements with our internal processes.

We maintain a rigorous recycling system within the Salon. Wax solvent and cryogen containers are meticulously and correctly disposed of in dedicated bins, boxes and paper are reused whenever possible, and staff have access to full kitchen facilities to avoid unnecessary take-away food and drink packaging.

The brands we are aligned with have been carefully considered. In additional to quality products, we are proud that the items donning our Salon shelves such as Ultraceuticals, Truefitt and Hill and The Beauty Chef are cruelty free. They aim to use sustainably and responsibly sourced products and ingredients.

Customer Experience

At Face of Man, the level of consideration in our client experience is something we pride ourselves on above all else. It is at the forefront of what we do and is encapsulated in our brand values and what we stand for.

We have a responsibility to create a safe, warm, and welcoming space for men. We understand that self-care at this capacity is a new concept for many men and living in an age where mental health is such a focal point among men, we ensure that their time spent at Face of Man not only treats their skin but supports their mental health. We take the client experience very seriously.

From the moment a client walks through the elevator doors, they transcend into a state of instant calm as the outside noise melts away and they can begin to slow down.

Upon arrival, our receptionist warmly greets each client by name to further enhance our VIP experience. He will be escorted to our waiting area, sink into our 1920s vintage Chesterfield sofa and while he completes his client card, sip on a complementary beer, scotch, herbal tea, infused water, or elixir.

The waiting room is filled with scents to spoil the senses and create a relaxing ambience.

If the client is having multiple treatments, he will be shown through to our locker room where he can securely store his belongings and be given a luxurious fluffy robe and slippers to wear.

Their therapist will introduce herself before walking the client through to his treatment room ensuring the client feels comfortable.

For clients having full body waxing, massage or body chippering they have the choice of having a shower afterwards. If they do not have time all these treatments finish with removal of wax or oil by hot towels. After their treatment clients are again shown back to the reception area where a glass of infused water or elixir and complementary sweet treat awaits them. The receptionist will again address them by name and make sure everything. was to their expectation and that they leave happy.

The experience does not end once the client leaves the Salon. The client receives a follow up email the next week checking in with him and his skin or if he has any concerns or questions about his treatment or homecare regime. In addition to this existing client will also be offered regular specials exclusive to them and tailored to suit their skin.

Staff and Training

The team at Face of Man are highly skilled, experienced and possess all the credentials and qualifications required to safety treat our clients. Despite their wealth of knowledge, our team frequently undergo rigorous training to ensure that their finger is firmly on the pulse with the latest treatments and technologies within our industry.

In addition to regular training, our Team are also tested in-house by our head Dermal Therapist to ensure they have extensive product knowledge across our entire range. It is important that our clients feel that their Therapist demonstrates the experience and knowledge that is expected of our team at Face of Man.

Each week we will take a specific treatment of the week and all therapists will be asked questions and casually tested on different aspects of the feature treatment, be it procedure or ingredients. We also ensure that if a therapist has not performed a treatment for a period, they are refreshed and know exactly how it is performed, the science behind it as well as its benefits.

It is also critical that our team can make carefully considered and educated decisions regarding treatment and product prescriptions so that our clients have the best possible chance of reaching their skin goals.

Challenges

The year that was certainly presented our industry in its entirety with complete uncertainty. Covid-19 began to impact Face of Man in February of 2020 and being positioned in the inner city of Sydney with dense population, restrictions were both strict and imperative. As people became more mindful of the contagious nature of the virus, clients began to cancel their upcoming appointments. This deeply affected team morale and created plenty of angst for management.

The mandatory lockdown that occurred in March certainly hit home. It broke our hearts to close our Salon doors for a indefinite amount of time and we would greatly miss seeing our wonderful team and clients on a daily basis.

Despite the uncertainty, our team used this time to recalibrate. During this time, we were especially productive. We used the downtime to work on quality assurance, finesse our policies and procedure manuals and update our treatments and client experience. It was certainly the silver lining in an otherwise devastating time.

Our team was open to furthering their education and underwent online studies. We developed a new treatment called the LED Platinum which would become launch offer when the restrictions eased. The LED Platinum included microdermabrasion, oxygen facial and finished with LED. It would be exactly what the client needed to re-enter the world after lockdown and completely reset and restore his skin.

On the 2^nd of June we hired 2 new team members. We have all been receiving Job Keeper through this ordeal which ended in March 2021.

For us, it has been about getting back to basics and doing what we love; Treating our clients, making them feel important and delivering incredible results and customer service.

Despite an improved marketing strategy, we are still missing many of our regular clients who have yet to return to Face Of Man since the pandemic. Due to this, we are 30 – 37% down yet remain positive that with work resuming in Sydney CBD and the rollout of the vaccination, our clients will be returning, we will continue to grow and find more success as the year progresses.

Despite the spanner the pandemic threw, there were plenty of positive takeaways. We were able to use the downtime constructively to improve our client experience and team processes, we found resilience as a team, remained calm and had faith in the journey.

It will take a long time to re-build our business. We certainly did not come out of Covid-19 unscathed and inherited debt in the process however we remained close with our suppliers who were understanding and gave us the breathing room to get back on our feet. Our support network has been instrumental in helping us find our footing and as a result, our business can thrive again.

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