Quick Tips for Men and Their Skin

I know this blog is probably frequented by women more than men, and I also know men don’t tend to think as much about their skin care needs. But I also thought it was high time to address some quick pointers for men’s skin care – and the women who are most likely to make sure they follow directions.

Wash your face. And I don’t mean with a regular bar of soap or body wash. There are plenty of inexpensive face wash options out there that won’t leave you smelling like a girl. For example, Dove carries a men’s line of washes for your body AND face.

Exfoliate your face. Put the sandpaper down. You need to exfoliate several times a week to remove dirt and grime from your face that can cause acne and razor bumps. Look for either a scrub or use nylon gloves when you wash to knock out two steps in one. If you’re wondering how to exfoliate, check out our blog post on the topic.

Moisturize your face. Again, there are face lotions out there designed for men, so don’t think using a moisturizer means smelling fruity all day. Choose one with an SPF of 30 or higher and you’ll again knock out two birds with one stone. Check out Neutrogena’s men’s product line that carries several different types.

SPF on all exposed areas. Sun damage isn’t limited to just your face; it can affect your whole body. Think about those older men whose skin looks like tanned leather. Use a body lotion with SPF 30 or higher to keep your skin protected (and make it a little softer).

Heat up before shaving. Put a warm, damp towel around your face before shaving, or even shave in the shower. The heat will help open your pores and soften your facial hair, giving you a closer shave and exfoliating your skin at the same time.

Lather up before shaving. Make sure to use a lotion, cream or gel product when you shave your face. Just soap and water doesn’t cut it. The more smoothly the blades move across your skin, the closer and better the shave you’ll get.

Shave with hair growth. Don’t shave against the “grain,” so to speak, which will only cause irritation. Shave in the direction your hair grows to cut down on razor bumps and irritation.

Don’t rub, pat dry. Rubbing your face dry will only cause irritation. Pat your face dry and immediately follow up with an after-shave product.

Protect your eyes and lips. These are sensitive areas on your face, so you want to keep them kissable and looking good. Again, there are manly products for these areas, so choose ones you like and use them on a daily basis.

Powder up. Whether you’re an athlete or a couch potato, guys have lots of crevices that can get itchy with a little bit of sweat. Use an antifungal powder or spray to keep jock itch and athlete’s foot at bay.

If you have any other skin care concerns, don’t hesitate to ask. Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll try to help you out!

The Truth About 10 Common Beauty Myths

Anti-aging, beauty solutions and skin care tend to attract a lot of rumors. We’ve addressed some myths related to acne in a previous post, but here, I’ll offer expert advice on 10 of the most common rumors out there. Here’s The Skinny on whether they’re true or not.

1. Use a little toothpaste on a nasty pimple to help clear it up.

True.

Technically, a little toothpaste on a pimple will help dry out the oil, which is the root of the problem. It serves a similar purpose to benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid solutions. That said, I still don’t recommend it as a long-term solution to the problem. While it may dry out a zit within a few days, it doesn’t provide any healing properties and could also dry out the skin around the zit too much. Not to mention it’s messy, and toothpastes with whitening beads could be too rough for your skin.

2. Cucumbers can help reduce puffy eyes.

True.

We addressed this claim in our post about puffy eyes not too long ago. This is probably more related to the fact that the cucumbers are cool and help reduce any swelling, because cool strawberry slices, cotton balls soaked in cold milk or even a chilled spoon will do the same thing.

3. Lemon juice can lighten your hair.

True.

Lemon juice can act as a bleaching agent, not unlike peroxide. While it can help, keep in mind that you and your lemon juice are not the same as a professional with long-lasting chemical solutions. While the juice may help lighten your hair, it may not be the right color, it may not be as intense as you’d like and it may look blotchy or unnatural. It also may not work at all if you have very dark hair.

4. Caffeine can help reduce puffy eyes.

True.

But probably not in the way you’re thinking. Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning won’t help reduce the puffiness, but an eye cream with caffeine in it will. The caffeine, when applied topically, can help draw water away from the skin and create a tighter appearance.

5. Rubbing egg whites on your skin can help stop or prevent cellulite.

False.

Unfortunately, rubbing egg whites on your skin will just leave you with a big mess on your hands. Actually, nothing will cure cellulite. It develops when fat deposits get caught between the fibrous bands connecting the skin’s tissues. Not even liposuction will completely cure it. And it is almost always genetic – if your mother had cellulite, you’re more likely to have it. Rubbing egg whites on your skin may make the skin look smoother, but it won’t cause any drastic changes.

6. Use dryer sheets on your hair to help quell flyaway strands.

True.

Just like they do for your clothes in the dryer, these sheets reduce the static effect – also known as the culprit behind these pesky flyaway strands. Ever notice that when you try to smooth them down with your hands, they just get worse? Try keeping a dryer sheet in your purse. They’re also great for static on clothes that are sticking to each other!

7. Massage olive oil into your hair to help it grow faster.

False.

Sorry if you’ve pinned something that says olive oil mixed with honey or vinegar or some other common kitchen product will result in long, beautiful locks. I pinned that to my “Myths” board. It’s really the massaging motion that helps your hair grow faster, because it increases blood flow to the scalp. If you want to stimulate hair growth, just wash your hair with regular shampoo. You’ll avoid the oily mess that results from coating it with olive oil.

8. A little hairspray on your face will help your makeup look fresh for hours.

False.

This probably came about by accident when someone with oily skin noticed they didn’t need to blot as often after using hairspray. While hairspray may help quell the oil a little, it won’t actually keep the makeup on in just any condition. You may be better off washing your face (with the right soap!) before applying, using a good oil-free moisturizer or just carrying a little powder with you.

9. Wash your hair with cold water to make it look shinier.

False.

Hot showers can dehydrate the hair shaft when it evaporates, which may actually seem like a good thing if you have persistently oily hair. While a little cool water may help your hair lay flat and appear shinier, it won’t actually change anything – much like those egg whites won’t change anything!

10. Sleeping on your back helps prevent wrinkles.

True.

This is one of the stranger myths out there, but it’s worth remembering! While there is no guarantee, the reason this works is that you avoid spending eight or more hours a day with your face smashed into a pillow. Sleeping on your back is not only good for your face, it’s good for your spine and posture too.

Have any questions or rumors I didn’t address here? Leave them in the comments and I’ll be glad to help!

Skin of Many Colors

The skin is your body’s largest organ. For that reason, it’s usually fairly obvious when something is wrong with it. The color of the skin is particularly noticeable, as most people with healthy skin also have a healthy, even tone.

Skin discoloration can be caused by a variety of factors, but this post will address a few common ones, as well as when to see a doctor.

1.    How does the skin get its color?

The outer layer of skin, called the epidermis, has what is called melanocytes. Everyone has different levels of melanocytes, which determine how dark your skin will be. Darker skin has more active melanocytes.

When exposed to the sun, melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin. The melanin works to protect your skin against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, often resulting in your skin darkening. While many people consider the resulting tan as an advantage, remember that any change in the color of your skin means that it has been damaged in some way.

2.    Common causes of discoloration

Discoloration can be temporary, but rarely just happens. It’s almost always associated with some other (sometimes preventable) cause. Common causes for skin discoloration include:

• Side effects from medication
• Signs of aging
• Sun exposure/sunspots
• Genetics (birthmarks, melanocyte deficiency/albinism)
• Scars
• Stretch marks
• Skin growths (moles, skin tags)

Some of these causes – like sun exposure – are preventable. If you wear sunscreen of at least 30 SPF every day, you’ll be less likely to experience sunspots or other discolorations associated with ultraviolet rays.

3.    Types of discoloration

As mentioned above, discoloration can results from preventable factors or from genetic or other medical causes. There are a few common medical terms related to discoloration that you should know:

• Hyperpigmentation – This is when the skin is darker than normal. It usually results from an injury or scarring in darker-skinned people. Some people even get it as a result of blemishes. This is why it is important to take care of breakouts properly, as explained in a previous post.
• Hypopigmentation – This is when the skin is lighter than normal.
• Melasma – This is a term for skin discoloration that is often related to hormonal changes. It is sometimes called “the mask of pregnancy” due to the mask-like discoloration on the face that often occurs during the rapid hormone changes during pregnancy.
• Albinism – This is a medical term for a person without any melanin in their skin. It is a genetic condition resulting in very light skin, white or pale yellow hair and light eyes.
• Vitiligo – This is a disorder that creates smooth white spots with no pigment on the skin.

4.    Treating skin discoloration

How you should treat your skin discoloration depends on why you have it. There is no cure for albinism, for example, but some temporary discolorations can be treated.

• If the discoloration is recent and only in the top layers of skin, exfoliation may help.
• First, try a cleanser with glycolic or lactic acid. These types of cleansers are not abrasive, but will exfoliate gently.
• If you decide to try something beaded that will help remove layers of dead skin cells that may be discolored, be aware that if it’s too abrasive it could make the discoloration worse.
• Make sure to follow the tips in our blog post on exfoliation.
• If the discoloration is a result of medication, talk to your doctor about stopping or changing medication to something without skin discoloration side effects.
•  If the discoloration is a result of sunspots or other sun exposure, prevent it in the future by covering your skin and wearing sunscreen of at least 30 SPF every day.
• If it’s simple and involves something like freckles, just use a good makeup to cover what you don’t like.
• Our blog post on the best anti-aging makeup may help.  
• If the discoloration is long-term and deep in the skin, talk to a dermatologist about laser treatments. These are often minimally invasive and can correct discoloration related to hormones, aging, birthmarks or other causes.
• If you have a strange mole, remember the ABCDE of melanoma, and get it checked out by a doctor if it starts to concern you.

Have questions about skin discoloration that I didn’t address here? Ask them in the comments and we can discuss them there.

Filling In Signs of Aging

You’ve probably heard of Botox. You may have read about it in our blog post from a few months ago. And you may think it’s your only option when it comes to a relatively inexpensive way to hide signs of aging.

Well, if that’s what you thought, you would be wrong.

There are a variety of filler options out there, all of which work in various ways. This post will give you The Skinny on fillers.

What are fillers?

Fillers, or dermal fillers, consist of a variety of elements by which to rejuvenate the skin and add volume to the face, lips or other parts of the body. Some fillers are made of soft tissue components that occur naturally in the body. Fillers can also be made up of the patient’s own fat from another part of his or her body or from a chemical developed to imitate soft tissue.

Generally used on the face, fillers can plump lips, smooth out facial creases or wrinkles and enhance shallow contours.

How long do fillers last?

Fillers are temporary. They usually last about three months, but there is a “semi-permanent” option involving polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA fillers. These fillers are typically used to treat deep wrinkles or major scars.

What are fillers made of?

Chemical fillers are made to imitate the body’s own soft tissue. A few of the most common include:

• Collagen – Well-known for its lip-plumping ability, collagen is a natural substance. It occurs naturally in cartilage, teeth and bones.
• Hyaluronic acid – This substance occurs in the body’s soft connective tissue, the fluid in the eyes, cartilage, joint fluids and skin tissue. Although it works well as filler, it’s also often used to treat arthritis pain in joints.
• Calcium hydroxylapatite – Found in human bones, this is the heaviest facial filler available. Deep wrinkles often require a heavier filler like this.
• Polylactic acid – This synthetic chemical, while it does not occur naturally in the human body, does imitate soft tissue. Rather than showing immediate results, this filler helps the body produce more of its own collagen to support more long-term results.

Are fillers safe?

Unlike other, more permanent surgical procedures, fillers don’t require a lot of recovery time. Also, because many of them are made from substances that occur naturally in the body, they are safe for most people.

Some risks include:

• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Itching
• Migration of filler material (particularly if you apply pressure – such as applying makeup – too soon after the procedure)
• Redness
• Rash
• Sensitivity
• Swelling
• Temporary paralysis of facial muscles

What are the benefits of fillers versus traditional surgery?

Although fillers are temporary and surgery lasts longer, there are several benefits to choosing a filler. They include:

• Changing the type, amount or location of filler after the first round – Because fillers only last a few months, it’s possible to make adjustments as needed during a second or third treatment.
• Little or no recovery time – Unlike surgery, fillers can be injected quickly and the patient can be out and about as normal the same day.
• Fillers are less expensive than surgery – Although many offices offer a topical anesthetic if the patient is uneasy about needles, fillers do not have many of the costs associated with surgery. Surgical costs include anesthetic, recovery care and many other expensive aspects of the procedure.

What types of filler do you offer?

At Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Associates, we offer several products:

• Radiesse^®
• Restylane^®
• Juvederm^®
• Perlane^®
• Sculptra^®
• Belatero^®
• Artefill^®

All fillers serve different purposes, and we always recommend a personal consultation with a dermatologist before making a decision.

Wondering if fillers are right for you? If you have any general questions about fillers just leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them there. If you have specific questions about your cosmetic care, find a qualified dermatologist in your area. If you’re in the Memphis area, call Advanced Dermatology at 901-759-2322.