UNDERSTANDING MALE SKIN
Guy’s… this is no fad! Facials are a great way to maintain a healthy looking skin whilst dealing with any underlying skin problems. Men, just like women, deal with issues like ageing, pigmentation, sensitivity, and acne. Male skin health is shaped not only by genes, but also by lifestyle choices. Treating male skin effectively begins with an understanding of physiology. Like all professional skin care, an effective regime depends ultimately upon one’s specific needs and lifestyle.
The biggest difference between male and female skin is due to the male sex hormones known collectively as androgens. Testosterone is the chief sex hormone of this group – adult males produce about 10 times as much testosterone as women. Testosterone promotes hair growth, triggering the production of terminal body hair (thick, long, dark hair) in areas such as the face, underarms, and genital area right from puberty. This can extend to the arms, legs, chest and the rest of the body.
As a result, facial hair tends to be thicker than scalp hair with a flatter shaped follicle, making it curlier – a distressing quality especially for males who experience razor-burn after shaving. Regular shaving itself has a tendency to irritant the skin causing dryness, redness, and sometimes a rough uneven skin surface. Scheduling a facial from time to time can do wonders in assisting your skin to heal much faster, adding hydration and moisture to targeted areas. Your therapist or barber, can also help advice you on suitable products for shaving, cleansing and skin protection that you can use at home to maintain healthy results.
When it comes to facial hair removal, shaving is the most preferred by the majority, however waxing and threading have been known to offer more advantages over shaving. The biggest drawback to waxing and threading is the discomfort, however when done properly, the sensation only lasts a few seconds and gradually reduces with experience. Here are some benefits of facial waxing and threading:
- It is quick and lasts about three to six weeks before the hair reappears.
- Hair that grows back after a facial wax tends to be lighter and less noticeable.
- It’s a great way to exfoliate your skin.
- It provides more control and precision when it comes to shape-ups.
- It leaves you with more time on your hands to do other things.
- It is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than shaving.
If you are considering a facial wax or threading, we recommend that you book this in before your facial for the best results. A good therapist or barber will normally recommend you to have the treatment in the same appointment so your skin can heal and recover even faster.
High testosterone levels in male skin generally causes male skin to produce more oil than female skin – this is an important factor to bare in mind when it comes to cleansing the skin. Use of suitable skin cleansers is recommended to prevent pores from clogging up which can lead to blackheads and pimples. We recommend having a professional facial once to twice a month where an extraction is included to remove blackheads and shrink the size of large pores. Extraction is achievable at home however doing it yourself can risk serious skin damage.
Having a facial is also a great way to destress and relax! Aside from pampering and relaxation, a facial can bring about many therapeutic and age-defying effects. Just as you keep up with a regular weight lifting regimen, facial massages stimulate your facial muscles to tone and keep them from sagging with age and stress. This generally helps to increase blood and oxygen supply around the skull flashing toxins away that sometimes lead to things like headaches and migraines. Tense facial muscles create more stress on your skin thereby causing more wrinkles to appear.
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