The pale and interesting look is off the menu when it comes to young Irish men now. Instead of the milky complexions of the Celts, they're looking for something a little more Jersey Shore these days.

And being hairy now is not what it was in the 1970s. From being the very stamp of a macho man, it's now become the stamp of a tramp. Young Irish men prefer to be smooth and tanned, which means waxing and Brazilians.

It's a major social change and beauticians have been taken aback by the speed and numbers. Dublin men under 25 are lining up for the 'man tan,' local beauty salon owners told the Evening Herald this week.

Marissa Carter, the owner of Carter Beauty in Blackrock, told the Herald that men are taking more care of their appearance and it's boosting her business.

'I only really noticed it around last year. My sister was going on her sixth-year holiday and she started booking young, hot men into the salon,' she said. 'We were a little bit taken aback by the amount of boys.'

Irish lads are reportedly getting their chests waxed, their eyebrows trimmed, the calluses taken off their feet, and in ever increasing numbers.

Carter was surprised to see how many sportsmen - including football and rugby players - were making appointments at her salon for painful waxing sessions.

'I think that young Irish girls are into that look a lot more,' Carter said. 'The young guys are paying more attention to their looks. It has become not a big deal anymore, it is just seen as proper grooming. For young guys - in the 18-to-25 age group - this is the norm. They are really starting to give young girls a run for their money.'

Irish girls are now falling for the prettier, more stylish guys they see in bands like One Direction, The Wanted, and Jedward, Carter said. 'Our generation likes men to be men,' she continued. 'But young guys are looking at who the girls fancy and modelling themselves on that. Their fashion sense is all about skinny jeans, tight T-shirts and fitted clothes. It is a step up from what the metrosexuals were all about.'

'The 'man tan' is coming into its own,' she concluded. Pasty Irishmen beware.