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Skin

How does men’s skin differ from that of women?

Not only is men’s skin thicker, but it also tends to be oilier. This extra lubrication is essential for beard growth and helps to counterbalance the ravages of time, protecting the skin and acting as a natural wrinkle-reducer. Despite the benefits, having excess skin oil does have a downside: When the oil combines with dirt and dead cells, it can clog the pores and cause skin breakouts.

What happens to the skin as men age?

Skin changes dramatically as you age. During puberty, when a male’s hormones are kicking into high gear, the body produces more sebum (oil). However, as men get older, oil poduction in the skin reduces and moisturizers with age-defying ingredients are needed to nourish, hydrate, and help combat the skin’s aging process.

The sun…friend or foe?

While sunshine may lift your spirits, it does nothing but harm the skin. Exposure to the sun’s damaging UV rays is one of the leading causes of premature skin aging and also puts you at greater risk of developing skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that, regardless of skin type, a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 is essential for year-round use.

What is exfoliation and why do I need to do it?

Skin produces cells that continually renew themselves. Exfoliation helps rid the skin of the dead surface cells that build up on its surface. Scrubs containing granules. A good men’s facial scrub will gently buff away impurities and dead surface cells, stimulating skin renewal and revitalizing the complexion without any redness or flaking. A facial scrub is also the perfect pre-shave tool for lifting hairs away from the skin prior to shaving.

Why use a toner-astringent?

Large pores? Oily Skin? Toners rebalance the skin”s pH level after cleansing. Toner also prepares your face for the glycolic acid (AHA’s) in fine facial moisturizers, since these won”t work on alkaline skin. A toner will also help to minimize the appearance of pores, and will remove dirt and oil from deep within the pores. Apply toner to a cotton ball or cosmetic pad and wipe away the excess dirt and oil, the result … shine-free-skin with a matt finish.

Under eye cream: Is it for men?

Check out any photo of yourself that’s at least five years old and you’ll no doubt see far more significant changes in the eye area than in any other areas of your face. The skin under the eye is extremely delicate, and as you age it gets thinner, making it extremely susceptible to wrinkles. It’s especially important to feed the vulnerable under-eye area with a nutrient-packed, super-hydrating, quick-correcting serum. Start today – even if you’re only in your twenties – prevent or rectify those fine lines.

The great cover-up… are masks necessary?

A skin mask can quickly salvage winter-wear or over-sunned skin, softening, brightening and smoothing it in one easy step. Men’s oily skin responds best to a mask that’s fortified with natural clay, which tightens, tones, and clarifies as it dissolves dead cells and removes pore-clogging debris on the skin’s surface. Apply a thin layer the clay mask on the face, let it dry to a flaky crust (approximately 10 minutes), rinse off with warm water, and check out the results.

 

FACIAL SKINCARE GUIDE

Face Wash

The foundation of any good grooming routine.

Cleansing is crucial for ridding skin of pore-blocking grease and grime and preparing it for shaving.

Cleanse your skin daily. Massage into damp skin with gentle circular movements concentrating on oilier areas (avoiding the delicate eye area) and rinse off with warm to cool water.

Face Scrub

Facial scrubs contain small ‘polishing’ particles or special enzymes which dislodge dead skin cells and help remove any ingrained dirt. Exfoliating your skin will leave it feeling soft and younger looking, and will reduce the occurrence of spots, shaving bumps and in-grown hairs. It will also assist your skin to produce more new skin cells, leaving your skin with a healthy glow.

Use one to two times per week, depending on your skin type. Massage the scrub into damp skin with gentle circular movements (avoiding the delicate eye area) and rinse off with plenty of warm to cool water. Remember not to rub too hard!

Face Masks

Apply a face mask and kick back with your favourite magazine, knowing you’re giving your skin a deep-down cleanse to keep it in tip-top shape. Women have been doing it for years!

You can try a clay cleansing mask which will absorb excess oil, impurities and unblock pores, or a hydrating mask which help add critical moisture to the skin, improving its texture and preventing it from drying out.

Use once a week after prepping your skin with a face scrub. This will increase the mask’s efficiency by removing any dead skin cells that would otherwise act as sponges for the mask. Then apply the mask over your face – avoiding the delicate eye area – and leave on for about 10 minutes before washing off.

Face Toners

A process that we all think we can skip, but you’ll be amazed to see the benefits of applying a toner after cleansing or shaving.

A skin toner will reduce shine and will tone the skin. Excess oils are removed that lead to clogged pores and blackheads. Toners also help to reduce the appearance of pores, by closing the pores and refreshing the skin.

Splash a little toner on your face and neck and experience how refreshed your skin feels and looks.

Face Moisturisers

Moisturisers do much more than just make your skin feel better.

Not only will a face moisturiser help protect skin from environmental aggressors and prevent it from flaking and feeling tight, they also reduce the signs of ageing – yes, less wrinkles!  And it’s not just people with dry skin who need a facial moisturiser – every skin type must be hydrated.

Moisturise after shaving, and at night after washing, applying over the entire face and neck.

Aftershave Balm

The modern alternative to stinging, drying aftershaves, aftershave balms come as gels or creams and are used to soothe, calm and moisturise the skin after shaving.

Shaving aftercare is essential, particularly if you’re prone to razor burn. Aftershave balms contain ingredients to cool the skin and reduce shaving rash. They also help heal any tiny nicks and cuts and moisturise the skin.

Use your aftershave balm straight after shaving.

Eye Creams

Eye Creams are specially formulated for the delicate skin around the eye area, and contain powerful active ingredients to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles.

Facial moisturisers will overload this delicate skin, leading to spots and irritation, which is why a separate eye cream is essential.

Apply a small drop around each eye socket using your ring finger and gently pat around the eye to help stimulate the removal of toxins from the area. Choose eye creams if you want to tackle wrinkles and a gel if puffiness is your problem.

Anti-Ageing Serums

These specially formulated products use cutting-edge technology to target the natural ageing process and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. Some support the production of collagen and elastin, while others contain powerful antioxidants to limit cellular damage. They all have the same objective though – to help keep your youthful glow!

For the most effective results, it is wise to use on a daily basis. Either morning or night is fine.

Scalp

Dandruff – caused by the overgrowth of a microscopic yeast – affects more than 50% of us at some time and men are more susceptible to it than women. It’s quite normal to shed some dead skin flakes since skin is constantly renewing itself, but yeast overgrowth on the scalp can speed up this process and lead to the formation of unsightly flakes. Nobody’s entirely sure what sends the yeast into overdrive but stress, hormonal changes and humidity are thought to be triggers.  It’s no great drama though, a good anti-dandruff strategy can eliminate the problem in no time.

Prevention

Cut back on sugary and salty foods as both of these may cause your scalp’s natural secretions to alter, making your skin vulnerable to yeast overgrowth.

Don’t scratch! The more your fiddle with your scalp the more you’ll irritate the skin and the bigger the flakes will be. Loosening the flakes through your hair is also not a good look! You also run the risk of damaging the hair follicles.

Always use an anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner like men-u Healthy Hair & Scalp Shampoo which helps dislodge the flakes so they can wash out of the hair. Research in Australia has shown that tea tree oil can cut the incidence of dandruff by nearly half, so why not try the American Crew Tea Tree Range of hair care.

If normal anti-dandruff shampoos don’t do the job try one containing the anti-fungal agent ketoconazole which attacks the yeast itself.

Hair

Roughly 95 percent of thinning hair in men is caused by male pattern hair loss, which can manifest as a receding hairline or a thinning patch at the crown of the head. If your hair loss doesn’t match this pattern, you may be among the remaining 5 percent whose hair loss is the result of an underlying health condition such as auto-immune disease, hormonal imbalance, severe trauma or shock to the system, medication side effects or other causes.

• Male Pattern Hair Loss
  If you’re experiencing male pattern hair loss, you can thank your parents for passing the genes along to you. This type of hair loss occurs when DHT causes the hair follicles to shed thick hairs and produce thinner, shorter, colorless hairs. This “peach fuzz” makes the hair look thinner, leads to bald spots, and eventually permanent hair loss. Once the hair follicles in thinning areas atrophy and die, the scalp appears tight and shiny.

• Alopecia areata
  Patchy hair loss-most commonly seen on the scalp and in the beard area-is likely alopecia areata. The hair falls out in these areas and results in smooth, round patches that can be about the size of a coin or larger. Alopecia Areata is caused by the immune system attacking the hair follicles, alopecia areata can start or stop suddenly, and can occur in children and adults.

• Telogen effluvium
  Anemia, low iron, inadequate protein, thyroid disease, surgery and illness can trigger sudden and massive hair shedding over the entire scalp known as Telogen Efflivium. Those who experience this type of hair loss often notice large amounts of hair coming out in their hairbrush, in the shower or on their pillow. Once the cause is addressed, hair loss usually reverses in 6 to 12 months without any treatment.

• Traction alopecia
  Excessive, ongoing pulling of the hair can result in traction alopecia. Most frequently seen in braided hair, this constant stress causes permanent damage to the hair follicle and prevents hair from regrowing.

Hair Loss Treatments

If commenced in the early stages of hair loss, treatments can certainly be effective in preventing further loss. If the root of your hair shaft has already died, unfortunately there is no cure.

So, get in early and work your scalp with the latest effective treatments.  These treatments will increase hair shaft density, prolong hair life and achieve fuller, thicker, stronger hair.

Try American Crew Trichology or Omeo Genesi where you will need to apply a variety of formulas such as ampoules, foam, scalp scrubs and shampoo. If your hair is important to you, the long term results are worth the effort.