Mommy DeLight
enlightened motherhood, among other things – thought-provoking things to think about… :)
Men, Boys, and their Skin; Guys and Skincare!
By Tara Templeton
It is becoming more common to see men getting treatments at the spa. From manicures, to hair coloring, to Botox and facials, some people seem surprised to see men making the effort to take care of their hair, skin and nails.
With the skin being our largest organ, and not differing much between men and women, it shouldn’t be a surprise that gender is becoming much less important when it comes to skin health. After being an esthetician for less than a year, I had already given over 7 men facials, and 3 of them have come back to me more than once. My most loyal client has been a 21 year old male whose mother makes his appointments for him!
I’ve had the good fortune to watch my brother, father, and male friends take charge of their skincare. It’s helped me to understand that men and women are quite similar when it comes to skincare, although most men don’t like to admit it. Most males I’ve worked on DO have a skincare regime, which they follow just as well as us women. The trend I’ve seen is this – a guy will wash his face at night or in the shower, and follow with some sort of treatment cream. Some even put sunscreen on every morning! I make sure to recommend a light sunscreen to every client I have, but men especially need reminding to wear the sun protection. So, I write down the name of the recommended sunscreen and tell them to go buy it immediately; they need to start wearing it because men get wrinkles too, and too much sun exposure is a major cause of aging, regardless of your gender!
Many boys going through puberty struggle with their skin. Breakouts, acne, excess oil, and dryness of the skin are really great ways to ruin a kid’s self-esteem, especially when the media pumps us full of unrealistic expectations for good looks and beauty. Little kids are relentless – if someone looks different, especially if they have marks all over their face, it’s a recipe for embarrassment and bullying. Even I was bullied as a middle-school kid with acne. Not surprisingly, my little brother also struggled with a bad case of acne from middle school until he turned 20. I remember seeing him scrub his face every night, apply strong treatment creams, and sleep with a headband on so his hair wouldn’t affect his skin. He would apply another treatment in the morning, followed by SPF. This went on for years! The poor kid had dry patches all over his face from the strong percentages of benzyl peroxide and whatever else was in his products. When I was 15, I began seeing an esthetician once a month at my dermatologist’s office. I decided that my 12 year old brother needed a facial, and my mother agreed. He went in, and came out traumatized! He didn’t get another facial until I switched estheticians and convinced him that she would be nicer to him (I’ve been seeing the same wonderful therapist for almost 10 years now!). Now, after seeing two dermatologists, two estheticians, and taking his skincare regime very seriously, I am glad to say that my sweet baby brother has beautiful skin! Like many people with acne, he does get a breakout every once in a while, but he sure knows how to treat it now!
So, guys, keep up your skincare regimes! Your skin will thank you, and you will age just as gracefully as anyone else… Stay handsome!
Mommy DeLight 
Great post Tara!!! You’re so right, men should start taking charge of their own skin care. I’d also like to mention that growing a beard can be great for a man’s skin, if it’s properly maintained with oil treatments, a soft bristle brush, a fine comb, and a good daily rinse. It blocks out the sun, keeps wrinkles away and it looks pretty cool too. From your other brother,
Tyler T.
Thank you Tyler! I hadn’t considered beards to be good for men’s skin, but now I’m doing some research and maybe an article!