KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 – Men’s skin is different from women.
For one, men’s skin is thicker and produces more sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands).
Men have larger pores and spend more time outdoors, but luckily, most men are blessed with more collagen throughout their lifetime.
Skin and hair care are things that everyone should do regularly with good consistency.
Men’s skin and hair care is traditionally kept simple and straight forward for cultural reasons.
However, more and more men are well-groomed and look for healthier looking hair and skin.
Check your skin regularly for new spots or moles that start to itch, bleed or change colour, particularly if you have family members with skin cancer or you are over 50 years old.
UV (Ultraviolet) rays increase skin cancer risk apart from giving one pigmentation problems and more wrinkles.
UVA (ultraviolet A) is present even on cloudy days.
To keep the skin healthy, do sun protection.
This means stay in the shade whenever you can apart from wearing sunglasses, sun-protective clothing and sunscreen regularly.
For best protection, apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with high sun protection factor value generously to all exposed skin including ears, neck and feet.
It is recommended to reapply immediately after sweating or every two hours.
Use cleanser instead of soap for face and body wash daily particularly after sweating.
Foam cleansers might work fine for average men with thick sebum but for those with sensitive skin, gentler cleanser will be a better choice.
Moisturise the skin immediately after a shower when the skin is still damp to trap in the water.
For those who looks at reducing damage from UV radiation, cigarette smoking and industrial chemicals, consider adding antioxidant serum and retinol cream at least once a day into the skincare routine.
Most skin care products are actually suitable for both men and women, minus the added scents.
When it comes to shaving, it is best to wet the skin and hair to soften it first, use a moisturising shaving cream and shave in the direction of hair growth.
Do not stretch the skin or shave too close to the skin as you may risk getting ingrown hairs or folliculitis.
Also, regularly change the blade as a blunt blade is more likely to cause irritation and razor burns.
It is never too early to start taking good skin and hair care.
The journey of skincare is about self-love and self-compassion.
It is not new and we all know that good skin can have a profound effect on one’s self-image, relationships and work performance.
Having said that, everyone’s skin and hair is different.
See your dermatologist whenever you are in doubt of what is best for you.
The Men’s Health World Congress (MHWC), which was slated to take place at the Borneo Convention Centre in Sarawak in July has been postponed to next year from October 7 to 9 due to the developments of the Covid-19 situation.
“It has been a very difficult decision for the organising committee as we have assembled a team of world-class faculty members in this very exciting congress.
“However, your safety is of the utmost importance and in the best interests of everyone, we have decided to postpone the MHWC,” said the organiser in a statement.
The organiser also said the venue will remain unchanged.
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*Dr Ch'ng Chin Chwen is a consultant dermatologist registered with National Specialist Registry (NSR).
She graduated as a gold medallist from University Malaya in 2006, obtained membership of Royal Colleges of Physician of UK in 2010 and joined the dermatology team on the same year in University Malaya to continue her training in dermatology subspecialty. She completed Advanced Master in Dermatology in 2014. She then was appointed as University Malaya Dermatology Division head in the same year. She also did a visiting fellowship in cutaneous laser surgery at Mahidol University in 2017.
Dr Ch'ng has published articles in numerous international journals and is an expert reviewer for several reputable international dermatology journals. She has authored Short Notes in Dermatology, Dermatology 365, and has been invited to speak at numerous forums and workshops.
