Healthy Skin Care and the "Man's Man"
Esthetics has been a part of a woman's daily routine since the dawn of time.
The Egyptians were the first to develop cosmetics and actually believed that essential oils were the fluids of their gods' bodies, and were therefore sacred. "Sanus Per Aquam" was the Roman phrase meaning health by water.
Although there is a tendency to think of esthetics and skin care as an industry developed in the last century to help us look and feel our best, the practice has always existed in some form or another.
Now what about skin care for men?
Did you know that Roman men began shaving their facial hair as early as 454 B.C. for a cleaner and more sensual look? The act popularized the concept of hairless skin.
Today, there seems to be two sides of men when it comes to skin care and grooming. We have the adventurous "man's man" who chooses to ignore the practice of skin care because, you know, "he's a guy". In the opposite corner we have the metrosexual male whose lifestyle includes body waxing, self tanning, and multiple skin care products for each and every area.
It doesn't matter which stereotypical category a man falls into, but what does matter is him taking the necessary amount of time to protect his skin!
What should every man's skin care regimen include?
1. Cleanser- A facial cleanser should be used every morning and night to remove any dirt, oil, or depris. If a man has facial hair, he would most likely benefit from a cleanser with micro beads to thoroughly cleanse the pores and remove any dead skin from the surface.
Our favorite male cleanser is the Obagi Exfoliating Cleanser from our MSC3 line!
2. Moisturizer- Regardless of how oily one's skin may be, you still need to have a daily moisturizer in their regimen. Although the skin is our largest organ, it is the last to receive any hydration from water. A daily moisturizer will hold in the hydration we lose every day and keep skin balanced. Obagi Hydrate is the moisturizing product included in both of the Nu Derm skin care systems and is a popular add-on product to systems such as C-Rx normal to dry and CLENZIderm! Obagi Hydrate offers 8 hours of hydration and uses ingredients like avocado and shea butter for a soft and silky feel.
3. Sunscreen- Some men may not care that unprotected sun exposure contributes to early skin aging. However every man should be concerned with the life-threatening dangers of the sun. There are 3 different types of skin cancer with melanoma being the most dangerous. It is estimated that there will be 140,000 new melanoma cases in 2014. Take control, and protect your skin every day! An easy sunscreen product for men is our MSC3 HydraFactor Broad Spectrum SPF 30. This product eliminates products by combining a moisturizer with a sunscreen! For hot summer days outdoors, I would suggest the Obagi SunShield Matte SPF 50. This sunscreen has a high SPF to protect skin for a longer period of time. For all day sun exposure, you should reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours!
To learn more about skin cancer and tips to prevent it, please read the information about cancer article that focuses on skin cancers.
Not every man needs to take extreme meausures when caring for his skin. Developing good skin hygene can be very simple for every person!
Please contact our office at 515.421.4299 or email Jenae at jenae.wdfplasticsurgery@gmail.com to learn more about skin care for men or to order your products now.