Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. But is men’s skin really any different from women’s? There are in fact, sex-related differences in anatomy and physiology that have an impact on the differences in the skin, between genders.
Understanding sex-related differences help greatly towards developing treatment plans and skin regimes.
There are multiple categories that present differences, these include sebum levels, skin thickness, facial wrinkles and facial sagging.
Do Hormones Play a Role?
Androgen (testosterone) stimulation causes an increase in skin thickness. The higher amounts of androgen levels are the main contributor to why men’s skin thickness is 25% thicker than women’s.
Sebum production is different for both genders, sebum production is greater in males than females. A higher sebum production contributes to congestion, blocked pores and impaired barrier function.
Men are less prone to intrinsic ageing as they have more collagen density than women, male wrinkles are typically deep expression lines across the upper face.
Does Men’s Skin Age Differently to Women?
Men are more likely to age linearly from the age of 20, therefore showing subtle signs of ageing as the years go by. Whereas females are more likely to experience a vast decrease in collagen and elastin from their mid-30s into their 50s. Menopause also affects the decline in collagen and elastin production, therefore, women are more likely to feel as if their signs of ageing have appeared overnight. However facial sagging on the lower eyelids is more prominent in men.
So What Can Men Do to Keep Good Skin Health?
The skin is the largest organ of the body, it has multiple internal and external physical properties. Although there are differences between genders, the fundamental of skin health is the same.
Repairing, restoring, and protecting the skin barrier function is pivotal to any skin regime or treatment plan regardless of gender.
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