Men's Skin Care

In what ways is men’s skin different than women’s?

• Men’s facial skin is thicker
• They have larger pores
• Men perspire up to four times more than women and produce more sebum
• We have less subcutaneous fat which decreases with age and this can cause sinking in of the skin due to loss of this volume
• Of course men have facial hair, but this structure provides support so men get fewer wrinkles in the beard area
• But they do experience a higher percentage of androgenetic hair loss

What are the essentials of a good skin care regimen for men?

Men tend to spend more time out in the sun due to work or hobbies so a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 is at the top of my list. Besides sunscreen and a mild cleanser I also recommend that my male patients incorporate some form of anti-aging into their skin care regimen –a moisturizer with antioxidants or Retin A at night.

I understand that cosmetic procedures among men were up again in 2012 with over one million procedures.

Yes, it’s definitely becoming more socially acceptable for men to have cosmetic procedures, especially minimally-invasive procedures. As men stay in the workforce longer than ever, many are relying on cosmetic procedures for rejuvenation. There’s no down time and they can often have a treatment without anyone detecting they’ve had anything done, just noticing that they look better.

So what are men having done?

The top 5 minimally invasive cosmetic procedures by men last year were:

• (Botox or Dysport)
• Laser Hair Removal
• Microdermabrasion
• Chemical Peel
• Soft Tissue Fillers

How does that compares to what you see here in the desert?

Our top procedures among men are similar, but we see a higher percentage of men having dermal fillers than the national average. Cosmetic lasers such as the fractionated CO₂ laser also are very popular among men in our practice.

Any other recommendations on men’s skin care?

I just want to encourage men that it’s OK to take care of yourself and want to look good as you age. It’s not vain and as we live longer, it’s not so much about looking younger, it’s just about looking the best you can – wanting to look refreshed and healthy