You can still be manly and have a good skin care routine!

I was recently approached by one of my fellow classmates about skin care recommendations for men. It was a great question! I didn't know any off the top of my head, but innocently assumed that good skin care products should work well on all types of skin, regardless of gender. I decided to do a little research to see if there was a significant difference between male (DMAB = designated male at birth) and female (DFAB = designated female at birth) skin and if there was anything you could do to tweak your skin care routine (and still be manly ;)).

Here is what I found:

1. Male skin is ~20% thicker than female skin. This is a good and a bad thing. Due to the thicker skin, there is more collagen which prevents the formation of wrinkles! This is why men often get wrinkles later than women. The downside is that when the wrinkles appear, they are much deeper compared to women.

• potential adjustments to make:

  • use retinol serum at night = decrease size of wrinkles

  • use hydrating serums + literally hydrate (drink more water) = prevents exaggeration of wrinkles

2. Testosterone makes male skin more active + have larger sweat glands = more oily (consequently less prone to dry skin)

• potential adjustments to make:

  • use lighter, less oily, or even oil-free moisturizers

  • cleanse 2 times a day

  • ditch your "shower bar of soap" + instead use a hydrating cleanser on your face

3. Male skin is more prone to acne due to being more oily

• potential adjustments to make:

  • use exfoliative cleanser that have acne fighting ingredients like salicylic acid + benzoyl peroxide

4. Shaving increases your skin's sensitivity + can potentially damage it

• potential adjustments to make:

  • exfoliate before shaving = reduces risk of razor burn

  • avoid alcohol based aftershaves

  • rinse your face with cold water afterwards = reduces redness

  • apply moisturizer after shaving

In addition to some research, I wanted to look up some Dermatology-Recommended Brands that are directed specifically towards men:

1. Clinique For Men

2. Lumin

3. Disco

As a reminder, it is almost always better to use fragrance free products on your skin, so instead of using soaps to make you smell manly, use good skin care products, and then apply cologne afterwards to attract the ladies! In the end, my recommendation is to ditch the "shower bar of soap" skin care routine and implement these recommended changes to make your (or your S.O.'s) skin healthier and clearer! Still, in the end, gender aside, everyone's skin is so different and to get YOUR best skin, you first need to figure out what type of kind of skin you have. Remember that taking good care of your skin isn't just for women, but men can do it too! The ladies love clear skin!

Til next time!

Student Dr. Paige Daly