01:00 AM EDT on Monday, June 20, 2005

BY SAMANTHA THOMPSON SMITH
Raleigh News & Observer

RALEIGH, N.C.

Most mornings when Liam Porter gets up, he runs gel through his wet hair to get the style he wants -- a spiky look on his short, highlighted hair.

It wouldn't be that odd a scene if it weren't for Liam's age. Liam is 9 years old, a third-grader.

With men increasingly doing what was once considered strictly girly things -- getting pedicures, buying self-tanners and investing in expensive anti-aging creams -- it should come as no surprise that a younger generation of males is taking a serious interest in grooming.

"We start them out very young these days, and by sixth grade, they're doing their own thing and have their own expression," said stylist Roi Parker. No doubt. He's seeing teens who want $200 highlights. They're using hair gels and shampoos that cost $20 or more. And they're dousing themselves with new body sprays -- with names like "First Move" and "Lucky Day."

Liam, who saved up for a month, doing chores like mowing the lawn and taking out the trash to get the $45 for the highlights, said a lot of kids at his school are going lighter, more golden. Brown, these days, just doesn't cut it.

The coolest look? Spiked, blond hair. But don't cross the line by putting in too much of your mom's Bed Head gel. "If you're real into it, it's kind of borderline," said sixth-grader Ian Chambers. "If you're carrying your hair spray and a hairbrush, that's getting on the edge."

But you're not ready to go to school yet. Spray on a little Axe or Tag, two of the hottest new body sprays targeted to teens and young men, then you're ready to go.

It's no wonder the trend has taken hold. More boys these days are growing up without the fear that concern about their appearance will lead to taunts about their sexuality.

"This generation hasn't grown up with 'oh, you're gay or you're straight,' " Parker said. "There's no stigma. It's totally about wanting to look good, wanting to look cool."

He said when he puts a new product into their hair or does a certain style, the boys don't flinch the way some older men might. Instead, they want to know what he did -- so they can replicate it at home.

Why are they doing it? Partly to fit in. And partly to get girls to notice them.

"This is a very social age," said Sara Anderson, a guidance counselor of seventh-grade students. "This is when they begin to want to be a little more cool, in the mainstream. They're becoming more aware of their peer group and fitting in."

Madison Avenue is doing its part, too, to encourage their new habits.

For the last decade, sales of men's grooming products have been on the rise, with leaders in the women's products business, like Estee Lauder and Shiseido, jumping in more recently to get a piece of the action. Last year the prestige male grooming products industry became a $59 million business -- up 13 percent from 2003, the second year sales grew faster than those of women's cosmetics, according to NPD Beauty, which keeps up with marketing trends in the cosmetics industry.

Leigh Smiler, director of marketing for skin supplies for men at Clinique, said television shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Extreme Makeover, which included men alongside women transforming their look, have contributed to the recent explosion in men's grooming products sales.

"The shows helped legitimize men's grooming," Smiler said. "They made it OK to talk to your friends about razor burn."

And with kids so closely following pop culture trends and messages sent out into the mass media, they've picked up on what men are doing.

"I think that younger men seem to be more accepting of putting grooming into their daily routine," Smiler said. "These are guys who grew up as mall rats. They're constantly shopping. They're constantly in the know."

To be sure, women's cosmetics and skin care products still far outstrip men's products on drugstore shelves.

But the men's product aisles are getting more crowded. Old Spice now has a "high endurance" body wash for $3.44 at Target. Tag has new body sprays with scents designated "Lucky Day," "First Move" and "After Hours." They're selling for about $5 at CVS. Tag is chasing Axe, which launched its body spray line in 2002 to target teenage boys.

Meanwhile, in the shaving aisle, Aveeno, Nivea and Neutrogena --brands that used to target just women -- now have shave gels and lotions for men to help sooth razor bumps and soften their skin. Even Suave has gotten on board. It has a new sport gel hair product for men, a bargain at $1.49.

"Men are getting more and more comfortable with their personal care," said Jennifer Woods, manager at Sephora at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh.

"They're talking about skin care. They realize this isn't just for women anymore."