The modern man is all about the tan

One in three men confess to having a tanning regime, ensuring their bodies are bronzed before hitting the beach on holiday, according to the results of a survey of more than 1800 holidaymakers, conducted by leading online travel agent On the Beach.

With TV and film flaunting male icons covered in fake tans, beauty products and make up, it’s clear a new generation are following suit; as the pressure to look as perfect as celebrities now mounts for guys as well as girls.

Of those brave enough to confess building up a tan before going on holiday, one in five fellas start working on their glow for up to three months before, with one in ten leaving it to the last minute; one week prior to departing.

One in seven guys admit to using sunbeds, with more than half of those using the infamous machines, doing so up to half a dozen times before heading to the sun and worryingly, more than one in ten claim to use it on a regular basis, despite the severe health risks.

Surprisingly, 40% of men claiming to fake tan continue to apply whilst on holiday; a higher percentage than the ladies surveyed, with just 30% reapplying their fake tan.

The survey also shows one in four guys start working out to get their chiselled abs to beach body standard up to six months before and despite most men achieving this by eating healthy along with steady exercise, a shocking 5% claim to crash diet. Although, not as high as the 14% of women who also admit to crash dieting a week or two before their holiday, the results show the pressure to flaunt toned, tantastic torsos when abroad, can lead to both guys and girls abusing their bodies.

The results of the survey also show, 20% of guys’ splash out more than £100 on clothes and beauty products specifically for their holiday; just 6% less than stereotyped shopaholic women. In addition, more than half of all the men surveyed also confessed to starting their shopping spree a month before departing.

Alistair Daly, Chief Marketing Officer at On the Beach says, “With the new age of modern men, it has become increasingly common for guys to use beauty products, as many celebrities set a high standard of male grooming. It appears that the days of men with beer guts and t-shirt tans are long gone, as pressure to look like perfected A-listers’ is now rife among guys as well as girls.”