With the advent of social media, the pressure to look younger is ever-increasing. Men today are feeling the pressures that many women are already used to. Working later in life means competing with younger men in the workforce and the playing field. Trends in cosmetic procedures also reflect these changes. Men are heading to their doctor’s offices to get nipped, tucked, and polished before heading out for a second chance.

Fortunately, men do age more gracefully than women. Testosterone promotes a better foundation (bone density and muscle mass) to their faces from the start, so the skin has more support when things go south. Thicker, oily skin also makes recovery a bit faster for the man…which is great, since men generally cannot tolerate as much pain as women…but that’s what numbing cream is for…

First, a quick list of internal beauty habits everyone should have.

• Drink at least half your body weight in water if you’re sedentary; more if you exercise.
• Wash your face with a cleanser suitable for face skin (not Dial), immediately after workouts, and especially at night, ideally with a face brush.
• Exfoliate the upper face once a week; introduce retinoids twice a week to build collagen and speed up sloughing of skin. You naturally exfoliate by shaving, so be gentle with the lower half of your face.
• Apply SPF of at least 30, and reapply every hour while exposed. Despite your thicker skin, American men have a greater incidence of skin cancer than women
• Do not smoke, even second-hand. You’re just asking for a whole lot of badness, skin- and health-wise. Breathing oxygen is so much more helpful.
• Get enough quality sleep. It will help keep off the weight (control Leptin levels) and allows for your body to do its remodeling and regenerating. Guys need beauty sleep too!
• Exercise regularly. Past the age of 40, we lose approximately one percent of our muscle mass each year. Laxness of facial muscles and loss of muscle mass are just two factors that lead to facial sagging. Our facial bones continue to change over time, with some expanding, and others slowly breaking down or melting away in a process called retrusion. Exercise helps build bone and muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the better you survive cancer or a major illness. Plus it helps you chill out.

Even with the best preventive care, you may need a little assistance..

Concerns specific to the aging male…

• Angry 11’s or crows feet. Botulinum toxin (Botox Cosmetic, Xeomin, Dysport): this purified protein is injected into muscles to relax them. If anyone has asked you if you were mad at them, but you weren’t…this is for you. In just a few short days, you will look more relaxed, approachable, younger. The results last 3-4 months, and muscles atrophy as treatments progress, so you can say goodbye to the cro-magnon brow.
• Residual wrinkles. CO2 fractional laser: with three days of looking sunburned, this vaporizes columns of skin to stimulate collagen to fill wrinkles, thicken and tighten skin, lighten discolorations, and reduce acne scars. This can be used near the eyes to build collagen and strengthen and tighten the skin around the eyes, so it is great for dark circles from thin skin, and droopy upper lids. This laser may also be used to minimize the appearance of scars and stretch marks as well. It’s basically the iphone of cosmetic procedures. You should plan for a nice weekend out of the sun while recovering from this annual laser treatment.
• Large pores / rough skin. Microdermabrasion. In a word, this gateway procedure is sandblasting…that feels like a cat licking you. And, like sandblasting, it whittles down the superficial layers of dead skin to make wrinkles, acne scars, and pores less visible. Your face will feel like a baby’s butt after this quick procedure, and you will then have man-glow.
• Sunspots. Photofacials: this noninvasive procedure involves intense pulsed light that targets brown spots and blood vessels to make your skin one color, and a bit smoother. This monthly procedure has no down time, in that you may return to work immediately, but be religious with sunblock.
• Receding hairline. A great minimally-invasive way to stimulate hair growth is Platelet-Rich Plasma. One tube of blood is drawn, and spun down in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the platelets and plasma, which contains eight growth factors that do the magic. The serum is placed on the holes produced by the CO2 laser or with microneedling…it’s like applying fertilizer after aerating the lawn. It may also be directly injected into the skin. Rogaine and propecia also help, but come with side effects. Hair transplants usually begin in the thousands of dollars, and are appropriate in most men.
• Sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. When your foundation is collapsin, Dermal fillers (Belotero, Juvederm, Perlane, Radiesse, Restylane, Sculptra, Voluma) fill in shallow and deep wrinkles, restore volume that was lost from temples, cheeks, lips, and lift sunken undereyes. The results are instant and last 6 months to 2 years.
• Droopy eyelids. CO2 fractional laser can be used near the eyes to build collagen and strengthen and tighen the skin around the eyes. Pelleve utilizes radiofrequency to more superficially improve collagen in the area, has no down time, and the effects are more immediate. A series of monthly treatments is recommended with yearly touch-ups for optimal results. Blepharoplasty is a surgery that removes excess tissue and sometimes fat pads from the eye area. If the ptosis is severe enough, your insurance may cover the cost of this surgery.
• Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs) are usually present with obesity and are a result of testosterone being converted to estrogen. Get your hormones balanced, then address the cosmetic appearance with mesotherapy to dissolve the spot fat, truSculpt (sends signals to kill off fat cells), or liposuction.
• Jowls, double-chin. Mesotherapy can be used to dissolve spot fat. Liposuction is usually avoided above the jawline due to the salivary glands and nerves in the area. Skin Tightening with the IPL, or the CO2 fractional laser also help tighten the skin.
• Pseudofolliculitis (ingrown hairs from shaving) can be reduced by shaving in the direction of the hair growth to prevent driving bacteria under the hair follicle. Also, use a single blade or a blade covered with wire; shave every other day, if possible. Unless you feel compelled to grow out all your facial hairs and have a wild man experience, you may consider doing laser hair removal (at least on the neck) to reduce your chances of nicking yourself and creating lifelong scars.
• A related condition, pseudofolliculitis nuchae, occurs on the back of the neck, often along the posterior hairline, when curved hairs are cut short and allowed to grow back into the skin. Consider doing laser hair removal (at least on the neck) to reduce your chances of nicking yourself and creating lifelong scars. As for aftershave and moisturizer, you need to use both. All aftershave really does is returns the pores to a normal size; moisturizer keeps the skin from dehydrating.
• Other unwanted hair: Laser hair removal. Hairs grow back finer and slower, and eventually, don’t come back at all. Unless you feel compelled to grow out all your facial hairs and have a wild man experience, get your 6-10 monthly laser treatments while your hairs still have color. Other areas that you may consider…armpits (especially if you’re a runner, and for reduction of body odor), unibrow, ears, back
  Nose hairs. Surprisingly, waxing is not particularly painful. Tweezing them individually, however, is. Then, there are the nose hair clippers.
  Ear hairs. Tweezing or laser hair removal; electrolysis if your hairs are gray, white, blonde, or red.

Don’t forget medical-grade skin products to protect your investment. Retinoids stimulate collagen growth and skin turnover. Hydroquinone lightens brown spots. Sunblock prevents future damage and complications; find one that is oil-free and lightweight, so you don’t feel smothered. We recommend PCA Skin products…the Weightless Protection SPF 45 is superlight, non-greasy, and your skin does not feel smothered in the Texas heat.

This is just an introduction into the wide world of beauty. Schedule your consultation to determine your best options.