5 reasons to have skin care routine for men

Okay guys, how many of us can say that we have consistently looked after our skin? How many of us can even say that we would know what is different about male skin or where to begin when it comes to skin care?

I've been guilty of this myself, even as I moved into my mid-thirties and continuously watched my wife execute a meticulous skin care routine with obsessive consistency (something she had been doing since her early twenties).

For too long I sat back with a deluded sense of smugness that I didn't need a routine. I'm a man after all and men don't have skin care routines. Or do they? Wait why does my wife never look a day older than 25 whilst I've started getting facial lines that look like they have been ironed in? And WTF are these bags under my eyes and random breakouts that keep making an appearance? Perhaps it's finally time to research some skin care tips for men.

Let's face it, whilst most of us joke about how our Y chromosome ensures we naturally age well, deep down we know that we need to make at least some basic effort to look after our skin.

Take a good look at all your guy friends - do they all look like they are aging well, or can you spot the one who is secretly looking after his skin properly?

Here are 5 reasons why you should start to follow a skin care routine for men:

 

5 Reasons For a Skin Care Routine

 

1. Your skin is your largest organ 

 

Scary when you think of it that way right? Your skin actually makes up 16% of your body and of course covers you entirely. Surely that itself deserves some recognition and commitment to its maintenance.

If you work hard on your health, fitness and physique you don't want to be covering it all up with damaged or unhealthy skin. Just think how much better you can look and feel if you preserve your skin with the same amount of passion as the prized classic car currently sat in your garage or those favourite pair of trainers you love so much that you never actually wear them through fear of soiling.

 

2. Skin protects and regulates the body

 

Your skin helps you in many ways beyond aesthetics. It plays a vital role in detecting hot and cold, regulating your body temperature and protecting your muscles, bones and internal organs from outside infection and disease.

Without your skin for protection, you would actually evaporate! Luckily, instead you have an amazing, flexible and waterproof barrier shielding you from the harmful substances that would otherwise invade. For more information about the bacteria, viruses and fungus that lives  on your skin, read our post on what is the skin microbiome.

Your skin has 3 layers:

1. The epidermis (outermost layer). This is your waterproof layer and is also responsible for creating your skin tone.
2. The dermis. This is where your hair follicles and sweat glands are. It's the blockage of these follicles that can lead to spots. Read more about that and how to prevent acne here
3. The hypodermis. This is predominantly made up of connective tissues and fat. It's actually home to most of the fat that people want to burn when managing their weight.

Here is a simple visual image of the 3 layers of skin to help you visualize it:

 

For each layer of skin to function properly and your skin overall to look healthy, you need to take good care of it. You can start with an easy 3 step skin care routine for men but make sure that you continue to boost your knowledge on skin care as a whole. You can do that via our skin care for men blog.

 

3. Damaged skin can hurt your confidence

 

Okay so most of us have a scar that we are pretty proud of and think makes us particularly macho. We're even proud of it though we lie through our teeth about how we got it. After all, participating in a selfless brawl to protect your family's honour sounds much better than falling into the coffee table whilst dancing to our favourite Spice Girls song.

'Manly' looking blemishes aside, it's generally more difficult to feel your most confident self when you have neglected your skin and it starts to show. Remember, male skin is just as vulnerable as our female counterparts. Feeling confident despite suffering from skin defects out of your control needs to be encouraged and celebrated, but putting yourself at a disadvantage unnecessarily through neglect needs to stop today. 

For a more detailed view on the potential emotional impact of skin problems, read this post on the emotional impact of skin problems. Unfortunately not all skin problems can be completely avoided, but you can reduce your risk dramatically with the proper care.

 

4. Skin cancer is the 5th most common type of cancer

 

I don't like dropping the 'C bomb' lightly, but we do need to wake up to the facts; most of us could do more to protect ourselves from this terrible disease. To put this into perspective, 100,000 people in the US are expected to be diagnosed with some type of skin cancer in 2020.

Unprotected sun exposure is by far the biggest cause so lets cut out the excuses and apply the necessary sun protection. It's for this reason that The Unknown is developing a signature mositurizer that contains broad spectrum SPF 30. If you are going to invest in products that nourish and protect your skin throughout the day, the inclusion of sun protection should be a priority.

Also be aware that skin cancer does not discriminate by race or skin colour. It's a dangerous myth that you don't need sun protection if you have darker skin. You may have more pigment to protect you, but you are by no means immune to skin cancer.

For more on this topic, visit our post on SPF, UVA rays and UVB rays explained.

 

5. Prevent problems before they happen

 

As with many things in life, prevention is the best form of defence and often much simpler, easier and cheaper than repair or a cure.

Want to prevent unnecessary time and money spent visiting the dermatologist or plastic surgeon 5/10/20 years from now? Then guess what, you need to start caring properly for your skin starting today.

You should view any money that you spend looking after your skin as an investment into your body and its future. An investment that is likely to give you a healthy return further down the line. By investing properly in your skin you will:

• Protect against environmental damage
• Reduce the risk of skin cancer
• Slow down the visible signs of ageing
• Have healthy, glowing skin that will make you look and feel good

 

I hope that reading this article has at the very least opened you up to consider starting or optimizing your skin care routine. Feel free to reach out to us via email or our comments box below with your questions and observations. Also don't forget to boost your knowledge by checking out our other posts in our skin care for men blog.