Dr. Aprahim Goel on how men too can take care of their skin.
The saying that “Men are from Mars and women are from Venus” also holds true when it comes to skincare products.
Men tend to have thicker layers of skin – their skin can be some 22 percent thicker than that of women. Hence men need to use a higher concentration of active ingredients and should also do skin treatments more frequently. But men are luckier than women in one way: Collagen content is higher in men’s skin, hence wrinkles and other signs of aging appear later. But sebum secretion is also higher in men. The lipid layer on the surface is more pronounced, so exfoliation in men is a slow process and they tend to suffer from dull and oily skin.
Skin care should be incorporated into every man’s grooming regimen. It's important for men to take care of their skin as they age because pollution and stress can take their toll.
There are various ways you can pamper your skin. Some of the basic things you can do with your skin are cleansing, exfoliating (once a week, not daily) toning, sun protection and nourishing. But just doing this is not enough if we want to look our best.
Here are some additional treatments that men can do to give themselves a more youthful glow.
1. Ultrasound & radiofrequency
This is a miracle nonsurgical treatment for wrinkles and sagging skin. The ultrasound rays target the fat cells and damage them by resonance whereas the radiofrequency tightens the loose sagging skin. These two treatments are available as a combination in the newer Accent Ultra. Thermage is a pure radiofrequency treatment while Ultrashape and Ultracontour are ultrasound treatments used for skin tightening.
In a mere 60 to 90 minutes, with no side effects or downtime, your face could shed a few years. Just three to five sessions, four to six weeks apart, are required to build up a good quantity of collagen. There is a slightly warm sensation during treatment but no post care needed in Accent Ultra. However, Thermage can be quite painful. The ideal candidate for this treatment is a middle-aged male or female with early to moderate sagging. However, in case of extreme sagging, cosmetic surgery or facelift is advisable.
Today, people shy away from surgical facelifts so non-surgical options such as this are popular. I am particularly fond of Accent Ultra as it is totally painless and no anaesthesia of any sort is required. My patients explain it as a hot stone massage and, in fact, enjoy it. I am also happy with this treatment as, for the first time, I have a true lunch hour lift to offer to my patients at an affordable cost.
2. Hair free, care free
Ingrown hairs from shaving and razor burns can be a pain even to the most macho of men. Consider laser hair removal and forget about the razor forever. With the right laser, six to seven sessions spaced at four to eight week intervals can help you get rid of the undesired hair on your face forever. However, in some cases a touch up might be required once or twice a year, especially for the hormone regulated hair growth on the face.
I have male patients coming in for treatment on ingrown hairs on the neck, coarse hair on their ears, cheeks and eyebrows. Sometimes they want to remove all the hair on their face as well. Since the laser works on the black pigment melanin in the hair, which is more abundant in thick hair in men, the results are very good. The new Soprano laser is painless and I have more men opting for laser treatment now. With the newer lasers there are no side effects except for a little redness, which settles in a few hours. Occasionally, there can be a breakout of acne that settles with medication.
3. Wrinkle eraser
Botulinum toxin type A is a quick-fix solution to zap those age revealing laugh lines and frown lines. The protein is injected to relax the muscles so that they don’t move. The procedure is almost painless (unless you are afraid of jabs) with no downtime and is effective for a good six months.
Many of my male clients want Botox. They do it for two reasons. Firstly, they don’t want their business rivals to know what’s going on in their minds. Botox is helpful is erasing some of the telltale facial expressions. Secondly, sweaty underarms can be very embarrassing – and this too can be stopped by Botox.
Treatment on the armpits involves 15 to 20 injections but the effect usually lasts longer than that on the face. I am usually elated with the high satisfaction level that clients feel after the total effect of the Botox injections kicks in within just one week.
Botox is also used on men who need facial contouring because of a very prominent jaw. The jaw’s prominence due to masseteric hypertrophy is contoured by injecting Botox into the masseter muscle. However, it can cause difficulty in chewing for a few days.
4. Filler up
Receding chins, sunken cheeks, and hollow eyes can be a thing of the past. You can now laugh away those laugh lines. All the above can now be treated either with your own fat (autologous fat transfer) or injected with fillers. The fillers could be hyaluronic acid based products like Restylane, Juvederm and Esthelis, which last up to a year, or permanent fillers like Aquamid, which lasts much longer.
Fillers are my personal favourite. The procedure is a very satisfactory one because the results are almost instant. They are ideal for flat cheekbones, acne scars, and nose corrections for men.
5. Polished to a shine
Microdermabrasion, which is better understood as ‘skin polishing’ by some, is a quick way to get healthier, clearer and more youthful skin. Men’s skin needs exfoliation every two to three weeks because, as mentioned earlier, exfoliation is a slower process due to their thicker skin, and the dead skin build up is greater. By precise exfoliation with fine aluminum oxide crystals under vacuum pressure, microdermabrasion treatments can rub away years of build up on the face, revealing beautiful skin.
Stress can lead to a dull complexion, early wrinkles, and blemishes. Microdermabrasion is a skin polishing option that is excellent for lunch hour rejuvenation. In fact, it is the most commonly demanded cosmetic treatment for men at my cosmetic clinic today as it has no downtime. However, post exfoliation, it is important to use sunscreen and moisturisers.
6. Gentle peel
The newer modified fractionated Erbium Laser 2940nm, the fractional CO2 laser, as well as the variety of chemical peels are good for tough men’s skin that has been damaged by the sun, stress and pollution over time. However, strict avoidance of the sun for one week after the peel is a must. There will be slight to moderate peeling of the skin for a few days after the peel or laser. During the peeling stage there can be some redness as well as skin reaction. Topical medications help to a large extent. However, some people can react to peels and develop post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Hence a patch test should be carried out before doing peels for large areas. Compared to microdermabrasion, peels are stronger procedures with more downtime but can produce better results.
This is a good weekend rejuvenation treatment for sun-damaged skin.
7. Rejuvenate skin with a relaxing facial
Apart from all these more drastic treatments, men should also indulge in a good old relaxing facial from time to time. You owe it to yourself to relax, clean and nourish your skin.
Monthly facials are meant for dry, dehydrated and mature skin types. For younger skins, which are acne prone and oily, a clean up – a simple exfoliation and comedone extraction once in four to six weeks – is sufficient.
There are a host of different facial treatments for different types of skin. Ask your beautician for the best treatments for your skin type.