Things that are more fragile than the male ego… me thinking… nope, nothing comes to mind. Seemingly the most innocuous things hurt the male ego, and nothing does this more than behaviors or activities that are perceived feminine. Society has told men that they have to be “tough” and “strong” and to hold all the power in relationships and yet if I were to point out that your bald spot was getting bigger, you’d be crushed.

Grooming and the Male Ego

What makes a man’s ego so fragile comprises of so many reasons but if I had to narrow it down to only two it would have to be his money and his appearance.

The men on dating apps and in real life are always talking about how they don’t want to be someone’s ATM, but they’re also intimidated when women make more money than them. The male ego is so fragile that more often than not it cannot deal with when the woman in the scenario makes more money. In a long-term relationship or a marriage, gender roles would then possibly have to be re-examined.

The past few years have challenged the idea of what is considered traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine. An example would be men’s skin care products. The market for men’s skincare products was valued at US $11.6 Billion in 2019.

How the Male Ego Has Evolved

So clearly the male ego has evolved because they’re comfortable talking about their skincare routines. This is contrary to the past when men had only one option for all their skin care needs and it wasn’t macho to admit that you used products marketed towards women for fear of being ridiculed by their friends and significant other.

Next would have to be men and their barber visits. My favorite podcast bros are always talking about how many services they received (the cut, the fade, the facial for the pores and not forgetting the gossip or as the men call it “barbershop talk”) and whether they were getting their money’s worth. Going to the barber used to be simple in, and then 45 minutes to an hour later, out at a reasonable price. Now it’s as much of an event as going to the ladies’ hair salon.

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What About Makeup?

In the pursuit of impeccable grooming, would it be so entirely out of the question to start wearing even a touch of make-up?

The rise of social media has allowed (straight) men to express themselves in a way that wasn’t previously accepted. Men have been using make-up for decades to be camera ready and so it was acknowledged as something someone in the entertainment industry, or the media used. Now, the average man has to be camera ready as well…for his Zoom meetings.

Men’s make-up ranges from starter kits, concealers, and lip make-up all the way to bold stage make-up. If wearing a touch of make-up or even having full Kardashian-style glam for the club or even the mall boosts the male ego, then by all means go for it.

We all have egos, and we all need an ego boost at times. If we’re not in the position to get said boost externally we should do it ourselves and if that means applying a little concealer then go forth and slay!