Men and Skin: The Reality
Now that Father’s Day is around the corner, I figured it would be important to discuss the differences between men and women’ skin. However, first I wanted to wish all fathers an exciting day, because let’s face it…their role in the lives of our children is critical, and we just want them to keep doing it!
For many years, it has been taboo for a man to take care of his skin openly. Not too many years ago, my male clients’ would come to my office and ask me to keep it a secret. While some women did so too, the reasons were different. So what goes on behind closed doors with my male clients? I had the artist who jumped from the laser bed and walked out of the office because he didn’t like the noise made by my pixel treatment as it was applied to the skin. Yes… the noise! I felt like I had committed a crime, and was incompetent, so after my many calls he finally came back. To my surprise, we used some headphones, and he pulled through and enjoyed beautiful skin to the point that he kept having more. There was also the CEO who had eighty five thin hairs on his shoulders and made me mark each one of them because he wanted to make sure I did not miss any of them. To me, he was my greatest teacher. And let’s not leave out the one seduced by his wife to do the laser in the bikini area. Now, that’s love! So from the artist, to the CEO, to the romantic, grooming is now part of a man’s routine, more so than before. I feel that the old gender role models are no longer in place and new ones are being built, as we create a new way to relate between the sexes.
With this new reality, it is important to understand the differences in men’s skin versus that of women. Many think that men’s skin is simply more resistant, but that is not exactly the case. Yes, their skin is thicker and has more collagen, which makes it rougher and less prone to wrinkling, although wrinkles in the forehead can be deeper. In general, some estimate men’s skin to be 25% thicker than that of women. Research has also shown that men’s skin thins gradually with age, as opposed to that of women’s which is more stable until the impact of menopause and the concomitant changes in estrogen. Testosterone (androgens) also has a great impact on men, resulting in more sensitivity from a delayed healing response. This delayed healing response makes it more prone to skin cancer, to the effects of ultraviolet radiation, to pigmentation, and redness. Their skin produces more sebum, making it oilier, with bigger pores, and in some cases, with swelling on the nose. Men are also more prone to folliculitis, from the facial hair. Because they have more muscle mass, men’s skin shows more laxity. Last but not least, while shaving can be an exfoliation, it can also irritate the skin leading to more bumps and ingrown hairs, if done carelessly.
While these are general differences, some researchers also believe that women wear more sunscreen and take better care of themselves. With the recent openness of men to lookout for their skin, regimens can be designed to address these differences, which in turn, can have an amazing effect on themselves. Cheers to many years of good skin!
Happy Father’s Day! Please don’t forget, you can reach us at info@Medaestheticsmiami.com, and as always, “Our Promise Is More Than Beauty”.
