In China, a rise in demand for beauty and skincare products among men was recorded, pointing to "appearance anxiety" as the root cause. What is it about?

In a recent report from the National Bureau of Statistics, there are currently over 240 million single adults (aged 20 to 49) in the country. 

However, there is a concern that arose from the data as it was shown that men outnumbered women, leading to tough competition when it comes to dating and seeking relationships. 

"First impressions are crucial for success in speed dating," said Han Bingxue, a makeup artist based in Shanghai.

While Han used to only receive requests for a "date-ready" look from women back then, the MUA revealed that a lot of men were turning to salons as well to have a more flattering appearance and level up their dating game, after multiple failed attempts. 

"Appearance anxiety"— is one the root cause of this. With the women's growing love for idol culture and male influencers, Chinese men also adapted to this change and became more accepting of skincare, cosmetics, and beauty treatments. 

Azoya's Director Davy Huang agreed that this so-called "appearance anxiety" is, prevalent in first-tier cities;  Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. 

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"There is an increasing tendency for male consumers to start using skincare products for pore perfecting, whitening, and spot treatment. Some consumers may consider cosmetic surgery to remove spots or to rejuvenate the skin."

In Douyin alone, the Chinese counterpart for TikTok, men's makeup demand and sales surpassed $140 million as of 2023, with 47% of Gen Z male consumers contributing to this market.

Whereas in the whole of China, the market spiked from $2 billion in 2018 to about $3 billion in 2023.

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