Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of a fairness cream product for men.

“Tall, dark and handsome is what I want my life partner to be,” said Sweta, a senior school teacher, while laying down her conditions for marriage while selecting a photograph from a bunch kept on a table. Her mother has been persuading her to get married for some time, but Sweta wants to marry on her own terms, she wants her man to be appealing—tall, dark and handsome!

For many, the above three physical features epitomises male beauty. But many boys use fairness creams these days—and many gals apparently prefer fair complexioned hunks. Has the notion of male beauty changed?

Dr. A. Golash, cosmetic surgeon states, “The number of men seeking consultation for enhancing looks has doubled in the last two years. In fact, the number of men consulting me monthly is almost equal to that of women now.”

Ms. Doel Roy Bishnu, Clinic manager, Body Care, stated, “Two years back, around ten men used to undergo skin lightening treatments each month, but now the figure is five times as much. Men seem to have become more conscious about their appearance.”

Add to this the fact that many dudes are no longer reticent to talk about what they do to get a fairer complexion. “When a man can go for manicures, why cannot he go for fairness treatments? What is the harm?” says Ritesh Dutta, a middle-aged businessman, “If women can enhance their appeal by using skin-lightening products, why can’t a man do the same?”

Noted ad-man Prahlad Kakkar, expressed in a media interview that this fairness-craze can be partly attributed to the television advertisements which reinforce a South East Asian bias that one has to be fair to be beautiful. The commercials portrayal of a perfect man has these common ingredients: look, personality, money and of course-fairness! The product plays upon the yearning of a man to be handsome, influencing him to buy the product, and in turn developing a need for it in the market. This bolsters the belief that fairness products simply exist to cater a need created by the very category itself!

The discovery that Indian men use fairness creams of women in closet prompted the launch of ‘Fair and Handsome’— a fairness cream for men— by the Emami Group in April, 2005. The brand took the nation by storm after launch, and is worth Rs. 50 crore today. Mr. Mohan Goenka, Director of the Emami Group of Companies, expects the sale to grow by 20-25 per cent next year. “As the sales figure took us completely by surprise, we wondered how come major companies never thought of catering to men, as fifty percent of our male user-base was ‘Fair and Lovely’ users marketed by Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL).”

‘Menz Active’, launched in 2006 was HLL’s reply to ‘Fair and Handsome’. The sudden opening of a new business domain— for which the entire credit goes to Emami— led to the introduction of more fairness products by other companies such as ‘Fair One Man’ by Shahnaz Husain and ‘Whitening Moisturizer’ from Nivea.

“At present the fairness cream industry is worth an astonishing Rs.1,100 crore,” stated Mr. Goenka, “of which Rs. 750 crore is generated out of the men’s domain. The market for men’s grooming products is witnessing a remarkable growth of 200 per cent annually.”

Mr. Abhijit Mitra, renowned sociologist, states, “The fairness craze deals with the underlying question for sex appeal. Masculinity has incorporated within itself certain feminine traits in order to appeal to women. Previously, men were not bothered about their look as being selective was their prerogative. But now, with the changed social position of women, it’s the turn for men to become insecure, as a result of which they are trying to increase their sex appeal by lightening their complexion.”

But the nexgen is confident that fairer skin has a better chance to woo women. Rakesh Balasubramanian, a Xaverian, points out, “Women, I feel are inclined towards fair men and are easily willing to give them a chance. If fair skin triggers a glance off a girl, why shouldn’t I utilise fairness products? Not having fair skin subjected me to dejection by girls. After I started using the creams, things looked up. Believe me, these cream actually work!”

Sucheta Sarkar, adds a different perspective to the fairness saga, “If I use creams to enhance my look, why should my boyfriend not do the same? After all, we are living in an egalitarian society.”

Sudipta Munshi, a teacher at Pratt Memorial School has an unusual take on the subject, “Everyone craves for attention; if such creams help in satiating our need for attention, why not use it? Since we live only once, we should do everything in our capacity to live life on our own terms. If my husband were to use such a cream, I would definitely encourage him.” Altamash Khan, an architect, takes the cue from Sudipta, “First impression counts a lot these days, in both personal and professional lives, a lot of weightage is given to how presentable you are. If such creams help one look better as projected by the advertisements, then there is no harm using it.”

A new trend can be observed glancing at the advertisements placed in the matrimonial columns of the newspapers. Earlier, it seemed, seeking a fair-complexioned spouse had been a prerogative for men only. Now, women also seek a fair groom. Most television serials and Bollywood movies today star fair men, leaving little scope for darker men to get meatier roles, barring exceptions. This leads one to think if everyone is actually becoming obsessed with fair skin. After all, many girls grows up fantasizing that one day her ‘prince charming’ would come riding a black stallion, sitting tall and straight, his bronze facial features tanned over the years, to sweep her off her feet. So how could there be such a sudden demand for fair men now?

Sanjukta Singh, Marketing executive of a private NGO endorses the traditional view, “I like my man to be rough and tough. If he is fair, I’ll consider him cute, not handsome. I equate dark complexion with manliness. Akshay Kumar is not at all fair, yet he has that manly charisma.” Francis Gomes, an employee of Axis Bank said, “Usage of fairness creams is a blow to manliness. I would never be tempted to give up what I already have, only to fulfill the whims and fancy of others. On no account would I compromise on my individuality.”

There also exist a small group of people who have a completely different line of thought. Lubna Salim, a Loreto College graduate, firmly believes, “God created and endowed us with unique features. I would not tamper with His creation by any means, be it by using fairness creams or highlighting my hair. I am happy the way I am.”

Caught between such opposing views, it is difficult to determine where the consensus lies. According to some medical practitioners, these creams contain only a small amount of skin-lightening components that are partly effective at best. Whether or not the creams work, the truth of this hour is, despite the industry being just two years old, it’s surging ahead uncontested towards a bright future.



Fareha Khan