There are lots of obvious physical differences between men and women but not when it comes to the skin. On the surface it looks very similar but when you look a little closer and you will find that  there are some things that set them apart. This difference plays a part in how to take care and treat the skin. So what are we talking about?

First of all men have thicker skin, the deeper dermis layer of the skin is about 20% thicker in a man than a woman. If you need evidence of this then look no further than the type of lines men get. They have less superficial fine lines and tend to have deeper ones caused by repeat facial expressions, particularly the lines between the eyebrows and around the mouth and nasolabial folds.

The second difference  in skin is that men’s skin loses its collagen earlier in life making the skin, thinner and more wrinkle prone. Men lose their collagen at a steady rate throughout life and women lose less until they hit menopause. After this time they lose it faster. Third of all men’s and women’s pores and oil production differs. Men not only have bigger pores, they have more of them. On top of this they produce more oil or sebum almost 50% more. Too much sebum can lead to more pore-clogging and acne. It also means that the pores get a lot more action so this makes them appear bigger, less sebum equals smaller pores.

Another thing men do which women do not, is shave. Shaving is known to dry out the skin and make it more sensitive, that’s because the constant friction removes the upper layers of skin cells. So as I said earlier knowing the differences in skin means we have to take different approaches in caring for it. Men who shave  should do it carefully with fresh sharp razors and not dull ones, using lots of gentle shaving cream is best, not soap which dries skin even more. In addition to this they need to add moisture to their skin while being aware of not creating more oil than they need. Men should cleanse skin better to avoid pore clogging and I suggest gentle low grade salicylic peels for this purpose or lactic acid ones that can moisturize while peeling. Incorporating an anti-aging routine is essential since they begin aging sooner and more constantly than women. For this I recommend Lumecca™ IPL to tackle many different signs of aging from lines to texture and sun damage. For the deeper lines men get from frowning, neurotoxins can have a huge impact as they really tackle those hard working muscles!

So now we see the differences between male and female skin but one things they must both do is drink lots of water, eat fresh antioxidant-rich food and use a good mineral sunscreen.

Come in and see us at Invigorate Advanced Aesthetics in Centennial, Colorado to start your IPL schedule.