Skin Strategies for Men
Skincare is largely marketed to women, we know this to be true. As a result, men have traditionally kept their skincare regimens pretty simple — but more and more men are recognizing that they should hop on this bandwagon, too. Protective and preventative measures are just as important for men to ensure clear skin and prevent the signs of photo aging — but that doesn’t mean the process is identical.
Step 1: Identifying a routine
My approach to male skincare and female skincare start off identically: by identifying the skin type. Do you have sensitive skin? Oily skin? Combination skin? Dry skin? The more I learn up front, the easier it is to determine which procedures and products are best suited to your skin.
Step 2: Remember the basics
Regardless of sex, my skincare recommendations always involve the same fundamentals:
- Sunscreen
- A moisturizer
- An antioxidant
- A retinol
Understanding a patient’s unique anatomy and goals just allows me to choose the products best suited to them.
Step 3: Consider facial hair
One of the biggest considerations in a male skincare regimen is hair grooming. I spend a lot of time guiding my male patients through shaving best practices to limit irritation.
I always suggest that my male patients wet the skin before shaving, use a moisturizing shaving cream, shave in the direction of hair growth, and apply moisturizer right afterwards to hydrate the skin and reduce irritation. I’m personally not a big fan of after shave — the fragrances usually sting, and it provides little to no benefit to the skin. Instead, sticking to a fragrance-free moisturizer can go much further in repairing any damage.
Step 4: Make sunscreen easy
For a number of reasons — including the aforementioned facial hair — men are often less likely to use a daily sunscreen. To ensure we’re covering our bases, I usually suggest a moisturizer that contains at least an SPF of 30+, and I always remind my male patients that the widow’s peak and balding scalp are especially susceptible to sun damage since they’re easily overlooked. If my male patients complain about sunscreen running into their eyes when they’re active, I refer them to stick options that are less likely to be impacted by sweat and activity.
All male patients start with a thorough skincare assessment and incorporate products designed for long-term skin health that considers their individual anatomy, lifestyle and goals — after all, investing in your skin is never a short-term focus. The good news is, there’s almost always something we can accomplish with the right at-home regimen.
Book a one-on-one consultation to learn more about the products and treatments right for you.
