In what seems like an unusual turn, men in Jos are gradually taking over the beauty business.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that years ago, the business of making women beautiful was considered a job exclusively for the female gender.

It was generally the belief that only a woman knows how best to make another woman look beautiful.

Hence, jobs like fashion designing, hair dressing, braiding, manicure and pedicure and other related tasks were seen as no-go-areas for males.

Before now, any male found doing such businesses was seen as eccentric, gay or an unserious person.

It is no longer what it used to be, in recent times men have gradually established themselves in the business of making women beautiful.

Today, the preferred choice of many ladies for their beauty needs are the men.

A cross section of some of them who are doing the business in Jos, shared their experiences with NAN.

Mr Moses Okpanachi, 25, a hairstylist and a 300 level student at the University of Jos, said he learnt the art of braiding hair when he was only 10years-old while having fun braiding his sister’s hair.

Okpanachi said he went to a beauty school a few years later to perfect his skill when he realised it could be a source of income for him.

“I started braiding hair from young age when I saw how my sisters struggled to braid their hair, not long enough, her friends would come with N50 so I could braid them as well.

“I realised the value for money at that young age and decided to learn more and I enrolled in a beauty school, called Joey’s Galleria in Jos, where I learnt how to fix weaves and become an expert.

”The owner of the business is a man himself and has many young men who learn different beauty trades under him.

“This business has helped me alot financially, my parents, apart from paying my school fees don’t do anything for me, I have been paying my bills since 15 years of age.

“I would love to open a very big beauty palace after school where I would love to teach others so that they too can be financially independent, braiding is my passion,” he said.

He, however stated that the society sometimes frowned their face when a man ventures into the business of hair making as it was seen as a business exclusively for women.

He stated that it was now better as more women had now embraced men attending to their beauty needs.

Mr Emmanuel Chikwado, a professional hair stylist at the Terminus Market,Jos, on his part, said that braiding and fixing weaves for women became a job for him when he could not find a white collar job.

“I graduated from the Polytechnic over 7 years and I couldn’t find a job, some of my friends were already into the business of making hair so i joined.

“I started as an apprentice and within a year, I was able to learn and started my own business, it has really helped me alot, it pays my bills and I can help my family members as well.

John Idi, a professional make up artist, said that applying make up for women stemmed from his love for art.

Idi described make up artistry as his passion, stating that making women beautiful gave him satisfaction, adding that it also paid his bills as women paid good money just to look beautiful.

He, however, said the downside of the business was societal judgement, as most people perceived men who venture into the make up industry as homosexuals.

Philip Gyang, 22, a nail technician, who also spoke with NAN, stated that more women now preferred male technicians than their female counterparts because ‘men paid more attention to details’.

“When it comes to beauty needs, more women prefer men to do their nails and other beauty needs, they always say we pay more attention to details than women and are faster.

“Fixing nails has made me financially independent and I want more men to open their minds and join the trade than roam around without a job,” Gyang said.

He also that he was happy that people in the state were currently embracing men in the business.

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Men gradually taking over beauty business in Jos – Survey