Men's skin care has come a long way from the days when your father would wash his face with a withered bar of soap and cover up shaving nicks with bits of toilet paper. Today's man is waking up to the benefits of high-tech grooming. More and more, men are making efforts in taking care of their health and overall appearance and this is reflected in their skin. Men's skin care is being refined for all of the issues that women have been targeting for so long. A modern, winning men's skin care regimen should be swift and simple to ensure that you'll actually follow it. 

Here are four tips to get you started: 

CLEANSE: If you do nothing else, cleansing is the single most important thing you can do for your face. It should be the basis of your skin care regimen, but that doesn't mean simply reaching for bar of soap. If used to cleanse the facial skin, regular body soaps can overcompensate and leave your skin very dry. Neglecting to wash away the excess oil and dirt can clog pores and leave the skin prone to breakouts. Cleansing your face morning and night will bring the best results for overall skin health. 

EXFOLIATE AND/OR SHAVE: Sometimes cleaning the skin with a simple face wash just isn't enough. That's where exfoliation should make an appear­ance in your skin routine. A good scrub or exfoliat­ing lotion should help smooth the skin and eliminate the dullness that results from normal pore clogging and dirt build-up. Exfoliation also softens hair follicles for a closer, less irritating shave and allows the skin to better absorb moisturizers. Shaving has hidden advantages. The exfoliation that takes place every time you shave can keep facial skin looking young and healthy. But if you shave improperly, you can cause razor burn or razor bumps. Razor bumps are caused by ingrown hairs, so look for a shaving cream that contains glycolic or salicylic acid. These mild exfoliating ingredients help to unclog pores. 

MOISTURIZE: Skin can get dry after showering and, over time, the aging process makes skin lose elasticity. Showering and shaving open up pores and allow precious water to escape, but a light moisturizer can be the fix. However, to treat skin that is beginning to show signs of age such as fine lines and dullness, consider a tretinoin or vitamin-A derivative topical cream. These enhance the natural production of collagen and elastic fibers in the skin as they treat discoloration, wrinkles, and the degeneration of elastic tissue. They're available only by prescription, so talk to your doctor. Also, pay attention to the skin around your eyes. The soft, thin layer of skin that surrounds the eye is especially prone to developing lines and wrinkles long before other parts of the body begin the aging process. Eye cream needs to be applied daily to the the skin covering the edge of the bone surrounding the eye. It will slowly absorb and spread to the fragile areas that need it most. 

PROTECT: The best anti-aging product you can use is sunscreen which both moisturizes your skin and prevents sun damage. Look for SPF 15 or higher. Do you have your sunscreen and sunglasses on and think your sun protection is sufficient? Think again. The ears, scalp and neck are still exposed to the harmful UV rays. You must also choose a different type of sunscreen - a hat. Sorry guys, but we aren't talking about baseballs caps. We recommend a wide-brimmed hat. We carry Tilley Hats at all three of our office locations. All Tilley Hats block 98% of harmful UVA/UVB radiation and deliver an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 50+, the maximum rating given. Wearing a UPF approved hat in order to protect yourself against sun rays is an excellent step in your skin care routine. Please call any of our three offices in the Tri-Cities for more information or to make an appointment to discuss your skin care regimen. 

Sources: 

Aguirre, C. (n.d.) The International Dermall Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2015, from http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/library/73_article_understanding_Male_Skin.html

Thomspon, Jr., D,& BassIII, MD, MPH, P. (n.d.) A Man's Guideto Skin Care. RetrievedMay 2, 2015, from http://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health/skin-care-for-men.aspx

For more information contact Dermatology Associates.