Men’s Skin Care: Healthy and Handsome

Men’s skin care is about a lot more than aftershave. Since June is Men’s Health Month, we’re sharing some tips on how men can keep the largest organ of the body — their skin! — healthy and handsome.

Men’s Skin: The 411

Gender does make a difference when it comes to skin care. Due to hormonal differences, men’s skin is generally coarser and rougher in texture than women’s skin. The cleansers, moisturizers, and serums that women rely on don’t have the same effects on men’s skin. In terms of lifestyle, men have not (until recently, anyway) been willing to invest even a few minutes in a daily skin care regimen that goes much beyond a shower and a shave. As we know to our regret, 79% of men — even today, even with pervasive messages about the dangers of unprotected UV radiation! — don’t use sunscreen regularly or effectively. That’s a real problem, because men as a group spend more time outdoors working and recreating than women do, a statistic that accounts for the higher rates of skin cancer among men.

Men’s skin is also paradoxical. Despite being generally thicker-skinned than women, a full 65% of men report having sensitive skin. And when it comes to the aesthetics, men actually retain younger-looking skin longer than women do, possibly because regular shaving has an exfoliating effect that keeps skin cells turning over and helps avid dullness. Men even have the edge over women when it comes to carrying off the signs of aging. What would be dismissed as frown lines, crows’ feet, and wrinkles in a woman often pass, in a man of the same age, as rugged good looks. Not fair!

Men’s Skin: Real Care and Rejuvenation

Times are changing. As more product manufacturers develop skin care lines formulated especially for men, there’s competition at those double sinks morning and evening. Men are recognizing (and the women in their lives are helping them recognize) that healthy, handsome skin for men requires the same daily basics as skin care does for women: cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting. Today the market for men’s skin care products is large and growing, with 7 out of 10 men purchasing skin care products for themselves. The founder of Estee Lauder’s Lab line for men noted that initially, web searches for men’s skin care products surged between midnight and 2 a.m., indicating that men might be hesitant about admitting interest openly. But that’s changed.

Men are also taking advantage of the many cosmetic treatments and products that subtract years from a man’s face. It’s not vanity, most say, but the need to maintain a youthful, competitive edge in a tight job market. Acne and rosacea treatment, hair removal, peels and facials, laser rejuvenation, injectables for the reduction of wrinkles and double chins — all of these contribute to a man’s healthy, handsome self-confidence.

At Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena, we celebrate men’s skin all year long, with medical, cosmetic, and aesthetic treatments and products suited to each man’s skin type and needs. Until June 30, we’re offering Men’s Health Month specials for first-time male patients, including 15% off BOTOX Cosmetic (to address frown lines and crows’ feet), 15% off KYBELLA (the injectable treatment that dissolves fat cells under the jaw, disappearing the double chin), and 20% off our indulgent Gentlemen’s Facial. Contact us today to learn more about how you or the man in your life can achieve healthy, handsome skin!