When you think of the typical man’s morning routine, you might not picture him taking the time to properly care for his skin that way us ladies do. Emphasis on maintaining a skincare regimen mostly falls on females rather than our male counterparts, but we want to remind everyone that men need skincare products, too!
There are several differences between the skin of a man and a woman, other than just the facial hair. To begin, men are thick-skinned and we don’t mean their personalities! Testosterone causes an increase in skin thickness, so a man’s skin can be up to 25% thicker than a woman’s. This increased thickness means that their skin is also tougher. A man’s skin is also typically more oily, beginning right after puberty. Lastly, men have a higher collagen density in their skin than women.
A man’s skin sees a lot of damage in its lifetime, especially to the skin on his face. UV damage from the sun, razor burn from daily shaving and breakouts can leave the skin saggy, wrinkled and scarred, without the right preventative care. The good news is a man is never too young or too old to start caring for his skin. Below are some different product types men should consider adding to their routine today.
Cleanser
Ever wondered why men seem to break out longer and later in life than women? It is because of the oilier skin we mentioned before. To prevent these blemishes from occurring, it is important to wash your face every day with something besides a bar of soap. Soap, especially bar soap, can actually be damaging your skin by stripping it of its natural moisture.
Moisturizer
Speaking of moisture, using a daily moisturizer is vital to keeping your skin healthy, especially one that has an SPF. It might seem unnecessary to use a moisturizer since men typically have oily skin but it is important to keep skin moist in order to prevent premature aging. Moisturized skin cells are better able to function and repair themselves which means less skin damage in the future. In fact, you may not know that oily skin is actually a common sign that you’re not moisturizing enough!
Acne Scar Gel
95% of acne sufferers will develop some form of acne scars in their lifetime. Since men typically have longer lasting acne breakouts they are at a high risk for scar formation. There are two forms of acne scarring – a lump on the skin or a depression – and the severity of these scars is contingent on early intervention with a scar gel such as RejuvaSil® Silicone Scar Gel. Scars can be formed when the body develops too much collagen to repair skin damage or when there is a loss of skin tissue. If you have already developed acne scars, an acne scar gel can help reduce the appearance of the scars left by these acne breakouts.
Wrinkle Cream
Thanks to the hormone, androgen, collagen in the male skin don’t degrade as rapidly as it does for women. However, men tend to be less meticulous about applying and reapplying sun screen, which leads to a faster degradation of elastin. If you are reading this and you are in your 20’s you might feel tempted to skip over this section. This would be a mistake since the best way to treat wrinkles is to prevent them. UV rays are attacking your skin's collagen and elasticity every day which is why it is important to start wearing sunscreen when you’re out and about, and to add both a skin serum and eye cream into your nightly routine.
Ready to take your skincare efforts to the next level? Here are some additional tips, gentlemen... If you smoke, quit because that is a sure way to damage and age your skin. Learn how to shave correctly to prevent cutting and infecting the skin. Don’t shy away from a facial every once in awhile. You can get an express facial for less than $50 and take a nap while you’re at it. Lastly, when you bring home your new skincare products, don’t be surprised if you find yourself fighting for counter space in the bathroom. The women you live with will never see it coming!