Male skin care: Shaving and moisturization needs

Abstract

Historically, most cosmetic and medical cosmetic research has been focused on the female consumer. Advancements in the development of grooming instruments as well as changing consumer habits and attitudes toward male cosmetic skin care needs support the need to develop a deeper understanding of male skin biology and how that can be used to improve the quality of life relative to societal interactions. Male skin biology has been found to have unique properties that are distinct from females and have a significant impact on the way males groom and maintain their overall appearance. Research to date has found that male skin has a different response profile to such environmental insults as UV, heat, and stress that is based not on just differences in cosmetic or dermatological product usage but also on underlying biological differences. These differences are discussed with the implications to a broader understanding of male facial skin care needs that spans from daily grooming practices to overall health status that impacts higher incidence rate of skin cancer among males. This highlights that male skin care has a holistic need to ensure proper grooming and sunscreen moisturizer usage.

The male beard hair and facial skin – challenges for shaving

“…Even though these differences are without apparent relevance in clinical dermatology, shaving‐induced skin irritation, microtrauma, or even nicks and cuts induced by shaving may take longer to repair, especially in facial skin subjected to daily shaving . This is speculation and should be subjected to rigorous studies, but it suggests that shaving can have a different impact on male skin compared to female skin because of differences in the response to skin wounding …”

Medidas Generales en Dermatología

“…43 Al finalizar, debe aplicarse un emoliente. 43,44 La aplicación de cosméticos y maquillaje en los adolescentes está permitida, pero deben ser libres de aceite, no comedogénicos y fáciles de retirar para evitar brotes de acné, 45 e hipoalergénicos para evitar dermatitis por contacto.…”

A pilot study evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of a comprehensive, hydrating topical antioxidant developed specifically for men

“…The basic structure and function of skin biology between the genders is similar with regard to biochemical and cellular processes as well as sensorial response. However, there are structural differences in skin thickness, the amount of collagen and rate of collagen loss, the amount of subcutaneous fat, and the rate in which facial aging occurs 7‐10 . Gender differences in facial skin anatomy and physiology as well as distinct preferences necessitate targeted and customized products developed specifically to address the unique needs of men 2…”

“…Estrogen provides favorable, protective benefits to skin, contributing to collagen synthesis and the production of elastic fibers and hyaluronic acid 8,11,12 . Estrogen has been shown to increase the water‐binding capacity of skin and modulate local inflammation, granulation, and re‐epithelialization of skin, 12 resulting in improved skin barrier integrity and wound healing capacity 9,12 . Furthermore, premenopausal females have greater subcutaneous fat compared to similarly aged males, providing protection from a thinning dermis.…”

“…Shaving exposes otherwise protected skin to ultraviolet radiation, strips and traumatizes skin causing irritation, razor burn, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. These routine insults to the skin barrier are compounded by slower wound healing rates and re‐epithelialization in comparison to women's skin, as wound healing is accelerated by estrogen and inhibited by 5α‐DHT 9,13,18 …”