Skin Care Tips For Men

Treatments, facials and devices that help men get their best skin ever.

- Renée Batchelor

It used to be in the past that a man’s skincare routine — if it existed — would not be a thing of note. But today, with everyone from John Mayer to Pharrell Williams proudly sharing the skincare products they use, it’s no longer considered solely a woman’s prerogative to care for their skin. “Male skin is, on average, approximately 20 per cent thicker than female skin. It contains more collagen and has a tighter, firmer appearance. Men have more active sebaceous glands, and therefore more pores, than women. Both their sebaceous glands and their pores are larger than those of women, and so sebum production is double that of women. Thus, male skin is oilier and shinier than female skin,” says Dr. Karen Soh, the medical director of Privé Clinic.

“As a result, its pH is lower than that of female skin and it is prone to impurities and acne. Hence, moisturisers, anti-ageing products and clinical treatments for men should be light in texture and more forgiving. Rich and greasy products may not be well tolerated by skin sensitised by shaving,” adds Dr. Soh. While men’s skin has physiological difference to women’s skin — it is thicker and undergoes daily exfoliation, thanks to shaving — a lot of men’s skincare products are largely developed based on a preference for scents, lighter textures, and even simpler packaging.

IN-CLINIC TREATMENTS

According to Dr. Soh, most of her male patients in Singapore worry about oily skin and this is a problem that can actually affect the skin texture with age. “Men with acne and predominantly oily skin typically have larger pores as well. Skin architecture is also weakened, and this is why acne scars, enlarged pores, and skin laxity becomes more visible with age,” says Dr. Soh.