Outperforming women in other areas of medicine, men wins when it comes to skin. Smooth, soft skin plays a small role in male sex appeal, so men save the seething and often useless energy that women spend in pursuit of eternal youth.
Men are more tolerant of some roughness of their skin, but they don’t like wrinkles, flaking, acne and bumps of all kinds in the same way as women. All the troubles described are surprisingly easily preventable; skin care requires less effort than muscle, bone, or cardiovascular care.
The average person thinks that the skin is just the epidermis, i.e. outer layer. The top of the two layers that make up the skin – the epidermis layer – marks the border between your own body and the outside world. The main function of the epidermis is protective. Its thickness is 1.5 mm on the palms and soles, a few tenths of a millimeter on the face and only 0.1 mm on the eyelids.
The epidermis is formed from one layer of living cells that make up its base. The cells filled with a coarse protein – keratin (which also forms nails and hair) – move from the inside out, die off, flatten and finally reach the surface. Contact with the environment leads to the erasure of many of these cells, but even surfaces protected from contact also constantly lose them. The normal lifetime of a normal epidermal cell is 4 to 6 weeks. The epidermis contains neither nerves nor blood vessels. All of its tissue, except for the basal layer, is dead. Hair, sebum and sweat pass through it, but they come from deeper glands and follicles.
Everything that happens to the epidermis, including inside it, is temporary. Injuries and burns heal without scars. Skin diseases do not leave marks, and any bumps and other defects removed by a doctor will not reappear in the same place.
Under the epidermis lies a layer of dermis, which is about 20-40 times thicker. This is where the glands are located and the hairs are born, fed by a rich blood flow. The basis of the dermis is collagen, a fibrous protein that also forms ligaments and tendons. Collagen is also called connective tissue because it unites most of the body’s structures and fills in the gaps between them. Healthy connective tissue is loose and pliable; aging, trauma and solar radiation make it stiff and shrink . You will remember this when you read about wrinkles. The connective tissue damage is irreversible and the healing process leads to scarring. Ointments, superficial scrapings and other methods of treating the epidermis do not affect the dermis.
CLEANLINESS AND SKIN
For unclear evolutionary reasons, the inhabitants of the East are distinguished by a faint body odor. They have always been convinced that whites smell strong and bad. The white race did not attach any importance to this until about the middle of the 19th century, when tap water became available everywhere. However, even after that, “well-mannered” people kept their hands and face clean for some time, but they rarely washed the whole body.
In matters of health, belief and practice usually go hand in hand. A century ago, bathing required several hours of intense preparatory work – it was necessary to chop wood, heat water over an open fire and fill a portable iron bath with it. This was a very tedious task, and unless many servants were kept in the house, it was common for everyone to take turns washing themselves in the same water.
Back in the late 19th century, Western doctors believed that bathing was harmful. Only the rich could afford regular bathing, and doctors have traditionally been convinced that whatever the rich do is an excess and luxury with no health benefits. Today, Americans bathe daily, which cannot be said about many Europeans who shock North American tourists’ sense of smell.
The fact that Americans wash so often without fear of damaging the skin is a testament to its toughness and roughness. Wash (except foreskin) has a relatively small value for the health of men. By washing away the visible dirt, a man does not become much more attractive. Soap and water damage the skin more than dirt.
HOW TO TAKE A BATH
While a daily bath or shower with a hard washcloth is damaging to the surface of the skin, most men never feel the effects.Nevertheless , the skin needs care, so check out the following tips.
To avoid unacceptable (and unacceptable) odors in society, wash only the armpits, feet and perineum with soap. Do not take a long bath or shower. Dry your skin by lightly patting dry with a towel. Women constantly use moisturizers after washing. While it doesn’t look masculine, it’s worth following their lead, as skin becomes drier with age and prone to itching and scratching. A man in his 60s should bathe or shower once or twice a week, washing the areas mentioned above daily with soap.
We wash our children too often. Children’s skin is very delicate and never oily, because sebum is not secreted until the age of 8. Wash babies up to 6 months old with soap once a week, wiping them with a wet sponge the rest of the day.
How to get rid of the smell
Sweat contains water, salt, glucose, and a few other simple chemical compounds – all odorless. The characteristic odor is caused by the action of bacteria living on the skin on sebum and dead surface cells, especially in the warmer zones – under the armpits, in the perineum and on the feet.
Body odor is not inevitable. Many men who wash these areas and change their underwear on a daily basis do not experience any problems and do not need deodorants. To find out if you also belong to this category, ask a person you trust. No one can smell their own smell (nor the smell of their own breath). Every doctor knows hundreds of patients with unpleasant body odor or breath. Such people are unquestionably not concerned with hygiene. On the other hand, dozens of other patients complain of a terrible odor or bad breath, although this is not the case. The belief that you smell is a serious mania, if not confirmed by others.
Using deodorants and antiperspirants. A deodorant is a type of scented liquid such as perfume or cologne. Similar substances have been used for centuries to give the body a pleasant scent. Sweat odor remover contains metal salts (usually aluminum chloride) that compress the pores of the skin and block the secretion of sweat. When buying such products, read the label carefully. The container, which says only “deodorant”, contains no sweat suppressants, so it will not prevent sweating.
If you prefer deodorants, only use them in the morning. A man using antiperspirants should wash sweating areas at night and apply it before bed. At night, the armpits hardly sweat, so the chemical has time to penetrate the skin. If this agent is applied in the morning when sweating begins , most of the chemical will be washed off by sweat.
A good sweat repellent should eliminate odor for a long time without causing irritation, which can be caused by metal salt on the skin over several years of use. Unfortunately, there are no ideal products of this kind.
Increased perspiration and heavy odors. For a man who sweats heavily in the armpits, palms, or feet, a doctor may prescribe a concentrated solution of aluminum chloride. For sweaty feet, I would also advise daily immersion of the feet in formalin solution (one teaspoon of standard formalin solution to 0.5 liters of cold water).
DRY SKIN
The skin is dry from a lack of moisture, not oil (sebum). The dead epidermis contains water, which is formed by the evaporation of natural fats. Dry skin mainly affects the hands (palms), forearms and lower legs. The epidermis of the face is so thin that the water contained in the dermis can keep it moist. A man who says his face is dry is likely suffering from seborrhea or sunburn.
Dry skin in most cases is caused by:
1. Age. Less sebum is produced over the years, so moisture evaporates from the pores faster.
2. Washing. Soap and other detergents wash away the protective layer of grease.
3. Low humidity. Air-conditioned air and central heating reduce indoor humidity so much that the skin dries even though there is enough natural fat. Do not use moisturizers on dry skin. First you need to replace the lost moisture and only then apply a protective coating. It is best to do this after washing when the skin is still damp. Even bath oils work best when applied directly to the skin. If you pour them into the bath, then most of them will remain there.
The best protective covers should be tight enough to completely prevent water evaporation. Lard (rendered pork fat) and other animal fats in this regard have proven themselves well for centuries. Fats like Vaseline are just as good (and don’t smell), but many people dislike them because of the oily feeling. Pure fats or oils provide the best protection for the skin, but produce the same sensation.
Chemists working with emulsifying agents opened path oils mixing with water for the production of lubricating liquid cream consistency, which is much more pleasant to use. A suspension of water in oil is called a lotion, and all modern cosmetic “conditioners” for the skin are based on it.
If you have very dry skin,
never wash your face with water, but use a dehydrated cleanser: apply it to your face, rub until lathering, then remove the lather with a soft cloth.
OILY SKIN
A layer of fat (sebum) is always present on normal skin. If your main problem is the sheer external effect of too oily skin, wash your face often. The soap washes away sebum. Avoid moisturizers, it is better to use astringents, usually containing alcohol. Apply them to the skin after washing – they remove oil and dehydrate the skin, sometimes tightening it temporarily. This causes a pleasant tingling sensation or tingling sensation that goes away afterwards.
HOW TO CARE FOR SKIN AND HAIR
Unlike washing your skin and face, washing your scalp vigorously is okay, as the scalp and hair get dirty very quickly. Washing your hair twice a week is enough, but even daily shampooing will not damage your normal scalp.
Wash your hair with the same soap as your body. If your hair looks good afterwards, don’t bother choosing and buying a shampoo. The advertisement warns us about a thin film that covers the hair after washing with soap, making it dull and sticky. This is true: soap reacts with minerals in hard water to form a film. However, it can always be washed off with an acidic rinse, vinegar or citric acid in the water. If this is too difficult for you, try a detergent. Almost all shampoos are detergents. Buy whatever you like, but keep in mind that the features listed on the label are nothing more than an exaggeration. Even special shampoos for dry, normal or oily skin are not much different from each other. People who were asked which shampoo is better could not point to any difference.
BEARD
Shaving removes a thin layer of the epidermis along with the bristles, but this does not harm, and the removed layer is quickly restored. A man can shave all his life without damaging the appearance and condition of his skin. On the other hand, a few minutes a day spent shaving, adding up over a lifetime, constitutes a significant amount of time that can be spent on more productive activities. A beard almost always adorns young men, and with the advent of gray hair it becomes even more attractive. Grooming takes less than a minute – trimming protruding hairs with scissors and quickly trimming the edges to maintain a neat look.
Before shaving, you should soften your hair as much as possible. Wet your beard and apply a shaving cream, preferably regular, rather than aerosol. Do this with your daily wash, shaving last. Shave in the direction of hair growth and do not pull the skin with your other hand. With a good razor, you can shave clean without going over the same area twice. Never forget the blade life. When you shave with a new blade, a simple touch of the skin already shaves the hair, then you have to drive it over the skin with more and more pressure. Use the razor until it shaves off all hair in the area in one pass.
After shave lotions smell good, but they are not necessary. The alcohol in them does not disinfect the skin or prevent infections, and a burn after using such a lotion means that you have removed too thick layer of the epidermis when shaving.
Electric razors work well for people with fine and light hair, and for those with curly hair and a tendency to grow after shaving, digging into the skin and leading to acne. You can try brushing and straightening the remaining bristles after shaving with a toothbrush, or straighten those hairs one at a time with a small hook. The radical solution to the problem is to let go of the beard.
HAIR IN THE NOSE AND EARS
These phenomena, like heavy breath and body odor, are considered highly unattractive. Buy a small razor designed specifically for the ears and small scissors to trim hair in your nostrils.
Acne and inflammation of sebaceous glands
Along with the guarantee against baldness and enlargement of the prostate, eunuchs also receive a guarantee that they will not have acne – this disease does not occur in the absence of male hormones.
Almost all adolescents have acne, and heredity plays a role. A child whose parents suffered from acne is 10 times more at risk than a child from people who are not. Acne affects both sexes, but the worst cases occur in men. After 20 years, acne mostly disappears, but sometimes it persists into adulthood. Some men notice their first acne after 20 years, after which they have to fight with them all their lives.
This disease is characteristic of the developed Western society.
People in poor countries are much less likely to suffer from acne, but not because their food is less chemical additives, sugar, fat and other unhealthy components – they just often lack the food itself. Fasting suppresses the activity of sex hormones that contribute to acne. That is why women with a lack (loss) of appetite on a nervous basis always have smooth skin and no menstruation.
THE REASONS
Acne is a disease of hair follicles containing, in addition to the hair root (bulb), the sebum-producing gland, which is the natural lubricant of the skin. You guessed it, they are on the face, neck, back, chest and shoulders.
The follicles are affected by male hormones. Boys secrete little sebum. With an increase in the level of male hormones at 8 years of age, the follicles increase and the secretion of sebum increases. Unfortunately, they are among the imperfect “parts” of the human body. The weakest point is the channel that brings hair and sebum to the surface. It is lined with the same epidermis that covers the entire surface of the skin, and these dead cells flake off from time to time. In the usual case, the scales are carried out with sebum, but with age (starting from early adulthood), the walls of the canal swell and dead cells get stuck and begin to accumulate in it. As a result, many pores become clogged. This is where all the troubles begin.
THREE SHAPES OF EELS
1. Actually acne (sebaceous plugs). A clogged pore looks like a small bump. This is eel. In everyday life, they are sometimes called “white- headed pimples” (the medical term is milium ) or “black- headed pimples” ( comedones ) – depending on the color. Often the follicles themselves are accidentally freed from the sebaceous plugs. In the past , a small tool, a grease plug extractor, has been widely used to suck them out of the pores. Today, some doctors use the tip of a scalpel to open up acne, but more often they prescribe ointments that do their job well enough. You cannot squeeze out eels. Sometimes this procedure succeeds, but more often the follicle is damaged , resulting in the next worse form of acne.
2. Papular and pustular acne. Sebum accumulates in the damaged follicle. As a result, the bacteria that live here begin to multiply. This is not harmful until the irritated or squeezed follicle bursts, releasing the accumulated bacterial material onto the surrounding epidermis and infecting it. A mild infection results in a protruding red (or cyanotic) bulge called a papule, but the most traditional red bulge with a white dot of pus in the center is a papule with a pustule in the center. Usually papules and pustules remain in the epidermis and heal without scarring within one to two weeks. Squeezing out pustules increases the risk of more widespread infection and the appearance of nodules and cysts.
3. Nodules, cysts, abscess and phlegmous acne, Some men suffer from too active sebaceous glands. Their damage leads to the formation of large nodules and cysts, which grow together into abscesses, abscesses, boils, affecting the dermis. Abscessed acne – it is softened and penetrated with the release of mucous -gnoynoy liquid large papular or papules -pustuleznye acne. Phlegmonous acne – soft, flattened, bright red painful formations up to 1 cm in diameter, when opened, a lot of pus is released. After all these varieties, scars remain.
MOST COMMON MYTHS ABOUT EELS
When you look at the facts, you will realize that poor hygiene cannot cause acne. The pores are clogged from the inside, not from dirt covering the outside of the skin. The black dot at the top of the pimple is not dirt, but the result of chemical changes in the fat plug. Keeping your skin clean is indisputably important, but scraping it fiercely will only increase the likelihood of acne from damaged hair follicles.
Oily skin also does not affect acne formation, although many believe the opposite. As long as the sebum flows freely to the surface, there will be no acne. The grease on the surface of the skin is not harmful, so washing it off with water or other means will not prevent acne. Alcohol-based surface dryers do not reduce fat production. Dermatologists insist that patients not use creams or moisturizers for the face, but this is suggested by common sense; There is no conclusive evidence that cosmetic emollients are associated with acne breakouts. Men who work with lubricants are more likely to suffer from acne, but this is more the result of irritants in industrial oils than of the oils themselves.
TREATMENT
Medicine has been successful in treating acne, and many men, with moderate effort, may not have it at all. If you have acne vulgaris, start treatment with benzoyl peroxide 5% – Foot – a powerful antibacterial agent
to kill bacteria in the follicle. It has been produced in the form of an ointment or gel for several decades.
Wash with regular soap, then dry your skin and apply the ointment to the affected areas. Do this twice a day. If irritation occurs, apply the ointment once a day; if irritation lubricate the skin, without washing, or try 2.5% – hydrochloric ointment. Effect of benzoyl peroxide is aimed at suppressing the bacteria, rather than the destruction of existing acne, so do not expect big changes in the appearance of visible. Look closely at the acne before starting treatment and forget about it for six weeks, and then look closely again at the affected skin. If you are not satisfied with the result, ask your doctor for a prescription for another remedy, such as tretinoin ( retinic acid, Retin-A). It is a vitamin A derivative, the best drug for preventing follicular clogging . The ointment (or gel) thinns the epidermis layer, accelerates peeling and reduces the possibility of dead surface cells getting stuck in the canal. As a result, the release of sebum from the pores is enhanced and the plugs in the form of white or black dots are pushed out.
When applied to the skin at night, Retin-A may cause inflammation in healthy skin. Some men can only tolerate it when consumed every other day, and sometimes (there are quite a few of them) they cannot use it at all. Acne disappears after a few weeks of treatment, in some patients – after 2 months. Skin treated with Retin- A becomes more sensitive to the sun, so visors or a wide brim hat should be worn.
Antibiotics Oral antibiotics can be an excellent means of controlling bacteria in the follicles, so the strong form of papules -pustuleznyh acne is better to start with them. Medications are often prescribed in mild forms, since both patients and doctors themselves are convinced that pills work better than ointments. In addition, some patients do not want to apply ointment twice a day.
Treatment begins with high doses of an antibiotic, usually tetracycline, which is the most popular treatment for acne. The medicine does not work on existing rashes, so it takes several weeks for improvement. Then the dose is gradually reduced. Therapy small doses satisfied nodlitelna , but side effects are rare.
Topical antibiotics – usually erythromycin or clindamycin in the form of an ointment – are weaker, but in combination with Retin- A, applied at night and keeping the follicles open, they are effective in the morning for most forms of acne. In this case, tablets are not needed.
Isotretinoin (” Accutane “). Until the 1980s, all acne treatments suppressed their occurrence only at the time of administration. Another vitamin A derivative (which doctors once prescribed for acne in super-high, toxic doses), Accutane poisons the sebaceous glands. They shrink permanently, resulting in decreased sebum production .
” Accutane ” usually works wonders with the worst form of acne – cystic. The four-month course slowly eradicates the nasty cysts and nodules, and improvement often continues after treatment is stopped . Approximately 30% of patients need a second course. ” Accutane ” primenyaets and for the treatment of persistent large papules -pustuleznyh acne.
Do not use ” Accutane ” for milder forms of the disease, because, drying and squeezing the sebaceous glands, it dries up the entire surface of the body. Almost every patient who receives it has cracked lips, the skin begins to peel and itch, eyes watery, sometimes nosebleeds and hair loss are observed. Side effects disappear at the end of treatment, and most patients agree to such discomfort, since the end result exceeds all their expectations.
Other treatments. In the past, dietary restrictions helped the sufferer allegedly control the disease, and doctors were given appropriate accusations when treatment did not work. There is no conclusive evidence that the appearance of acne depends on the food consumed. Researchers looking for new treatments will be grateful to anyone who can prove such a connection.
Many medicines sold over the counter at any pharmacy have a detrimental effect on the skin: they cause dryness, flaking, itching, etc. Their ingredients include alcohol, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and various powerful cleansers. The popular theory is that such aggressions on the skin should unblock clogged pores, but the sebaceous plugs are likely to break out on their own and not as a result of these agents.
Artificial ultraviolet radiation intensifies rashes, just like natural sunlight, and also contributes to the occurrence of skin cancer, so it is now used much less often than before.