David Beckham at 50: How He Changed Male Grooming

“I’m off for a manicure and pedicure,” my partner shouts as he leaves the house. A self-appointed ‘alpha male’, this appointment is just one of his many self-care rituals, which also include regular massages, fortnightly barber trips (complete with threading and steaming), occasional injectables, and a worrying habit of stealing my expensive skincare. As global superstar David Beckham turns 50 this week, I can’t help but wonder if he’s the one responsible for the rise of the metrosexual.

As someone who has embraced every hairstyle imaginable, reportedly follows a seven-step skincare routine, and isn’t afraid of a little self-care, Beckham was one of the first mainstream metrosexuals of the mid-90s — a man who made it acceptable for boys to do beauty too.

Experts Featured in This Article

Corina Mihalache is an expert aesthetician and founder of Ace Skin Health Clinic.
Dr Liam Piggot is a Dual Qualified Doctor & Dental Surgeon at Grand Aesthetics.
Lesley Blair is the chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC).

“David Beckham has had a huge impact on the men’s grooming and beauty industry,” says Corina Mihalache, Expert Aesthetician and founder of Ace Skin Health Clinic. “He was one of the first personalities to make it acceptable for men to take pride in their appearance without feeling that it detracted from their masculinity.”

When I asked my partner if he agreed, he wholeheartedly nodded and immediately started listing the things he’s done over the years inspired by Beckham – including blonde highlights, a full tattoo sleeve, and more than one questionable hairstyle that, let’s just say, we don’t talk about anymore.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m a full-on Beckham stan. From having his Manchester United poster proudly stuck to my teenage bedroom wall to drooling over him tending his bees in the recent Beckham Netflix documentary — is there anything this man cannot do? — to his decades-long relationship with Victoria Beckham, I’m here for it all. Over the years, he’s evolved from a fiery, short-tempered footballer to a bona fide family man, gaining fans across every generation. My Nana will still not allow you to say a bad word about him and after all these years, considers the two words ‘Rebecca Loos’ as blasphemy. But it’s his quiet revolution of male grooming and the impact on men’s perception of beauty that interests me the most.

“Over the years, he has helped change perceptions, not only through his style and grooming choices but also through how confidently and unapologetically he embraces them,” says Mihalache. And honestly, who can forget some of his iconic looks? From the blonde curtains to the head-scratching mohawk — and let’s take a moment of silence for the buzz cut, which reportedly cost him £300 at the time and kicked off a nationwide trend of men abandoning the DIY shaver for professional barbers.

It was this fascination with Beckham’s next move — what he wore, how he styled his hair, even how he moisturised — that had a knock-on effect, not just in football but in how young men everywhere saw themselves. Like my partner, many teen boys who grew up idolising Beckham absorbed this evolving idea that grooming was not only acceptable but aspirational. Mihalache agrees: “All of this played a key role in normalising and even celebrating male self-care. It has encouraged a wider audience of men to seek out options that help them feel more confident without feeling like they are ‘overdoing it’.”

In fact, the numbers speak for themselves. According to a report by Research and Markets, the global men’s grooming products market was valued at $80.1 billion (£60 million) in 2022 and is projected to reach $115 billion (£86 billion) by 2028, growing at an annual rate of 6.2%. Meanwhile, Statista shows that sales of men’s skincare products in the UK alone increased by 19% between 2015 and 2022.

This boom is not just about beard oils and hair gel either. Skincare, injectables, professional treatments — it’s all fair game. “His status as a global icon helped shift perceptions about masculinity and personal care,” says Dr Liam Piggot, Aesthetic Doctor and Men’s Grooming Expert. “By embracing grooming and endorsing products, Beckham inspires many men to take an interest in their appearance, leading to a notable increase in the market for male-targeted skincare, haircare, and beauty services. This positive shift has made men more aware of their grooming needs, expanding their options well beyond traditional products.”

Which is one of the reasons industry experts like Lesley Blair, Chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC), believe that the way products and services are marketed to men has changed completely. “We’ve seen a shift in the way brands and salons market to men,” she tells PS UK. “There’s been an increased focus on offering dedicated treatment menus and bespoke experiences tailored specifically for male clients.”

Blair credits Beckham as the catalyst, but she notes that growing access to information, social media recommendations, and advice from professionals have also played huge roles. It seems it is no longer seen as ‘vain’ for a man to invest time, energy, or money into his appearance; it’s expected.

It’s not just Beckham, of course, but he undoubtedly opened the door for the next generation. Footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jack Grealish, and Jude Bellingham have picked up where Beckham left off, further shrugging off the rugged, no-fuss stereotypes of the 1980s football scene.

“There’s no doubt that the David Beckham effect has contributed,” says Blair. “But there has also been a concerted effort by leading beauty brands to strike deals with other influential male celebrities and sports stars, helping to shift perceptions and tackle taboos around male grooming, bringing it firmly into the mainstream.”

Today, my partner’s skincare routine could rival mine — and if he ever skips a manicure or misses a barber appointment, I’m the first to hear about it. And honestly, why not? I love beauty and I think self-care is so important to our mental well-being, so why shouldn’t men get to enjoy it too?

Beckham’s tattoos, hairstyles, and style choices are endlessly iconic, but it seems it’s his legacy of self-care confidence that has truly changed a generation of men. So here’s to you, David Beckham: 50, fabulous, and still inspiring boys (and fully grown men) to be their most polished, proud, and perfectly groomed selves.

Lauren Ezekiel (she/her) is a former associate editor at PS UK, where she wrote about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism she began her career in 2008 at a leading Sunday supplement, where she climbed through the ranks to become beauty editor in 2012. Lauren is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and she’s often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. A mum of two, Lauren is an advocate for the benefits of beauty and self-care for your mental well-being, which inspired her award-winning charity initiative We C U 2020. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK!, Health & Beauty, The Sun, Asda, Dare and Metro.