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In this episode of Skin Side Out, Dr. Zain, Heather, and Courtney talk about the evolving world of male skincare. They discuss the growing interest among men in skincare routines and the differences between male and female skin. The hosts highlight the importance of simplicity in male skincare routines, focusing on essentials like cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreen. The conversation also touches on the rise of male celebrities launching their own skincare lines and the benefits of these developments. Join the discussion to learn how men are increasingly embracing skincare and the impact on their overall well-being and confidence.
00:00 Introduction to Male Skincare
01:10 Differences Between Male and Female Skin
01:34 Simplifying Skincare Routines for Men
02:46 Men's Growing Interest in Aesthetic Treatments
04:09 Marketing and Products Targeted at Men
08:42 Celebrity Influence on Male Skincare
12:05 The Importance of Self-Care for Men
16:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Creators and Guests
Host
Host
What is Skinside Out?
Welcome to Skinside Out, where science meets beauty, the ultimate dermatology podcast! Dive deep into the fascinating world of skin health with expert insights, evidence-based discussions, and myth-busting truths. Each episode explores the medical, cosmetic, and surgical aspects of dermatology, while keeping you informed about trending skincare topics. Whether you’re a skincare enthusiast, medical professional, or just curious about how to achieve your best skin, Skinside Out is your go-to resource for staying informed and inspired.
30 Skinside Out - Male Skincare
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Default_2025-10-15_2: Welcome to Skin Side Out where Science Meets Beauty. I'm your host, Dr. Zain with Heather and Courtney. So today we're talking about male skincare. So Courtney, I wanna start off with you. What are your thoughts on this topic, man, expert? No, um, , it's, I think it's really refreshing to see a surge of men who want to take care of their skin.
Mm-hmm. Um, you know. Not to get too into like the society standards, but you know, for so long, women have, , been conditioned to [00:01:00] like look their best, feel their best. And it's really interesting to see men, um, feeling more connected to that and wanting to also look their best. Um, and like I said, I think it's been refreshing.
So, um, that being said, I do think it's important to understand that men's skin is different than women's skin. Mm-hmm. So they are treated a little bit differently. How are they different? , Usually there's more, more oil production. Mm-hmm. Um, there's also, you know, other things not from a skincare perspective mm-hmm.
But like Botox for example, the anatomy is different. You inject differently. Yeah. , And I don't think anybody really wants to do a, in, in-depth seven steps can carry routine, especially males. So it's nice to, um, kind of. Find ways to keep it simple, but also effective. Yeah, I think simplicity is key with men.
Mm-hmm. Um, me too. You just gotta tell 'em what to do. Yeah. We are simple creatures. We're not complicated. Um, [00:02:00] and, you know, most of my male patients want it to be just a few steps. Easy to follow. Um, it gets really complicated when you have like 10 steps in your skincare routine. I don't think that's practical with male patients.
So I really kind of hone in on the essentials. You need a cleanser, need a moisturizer, you need a sunscreen at the baseline. Mm-hmm. Then we can kind of add in some active, so I really like adding in a vitamin C serum. Retinol and then it depends on their goals and we can kind of go on, add on like an eye cream and you know, whatever their concerns are.
Um, we can always modify, but I find that a lot of my male patients, I mean they get overwhelmed very easily. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I would say I probably have about 30% of my client base is males. And compared to, you know, a few years back, I mean, I was probably at like a 10%, but I think more men are, um, doing facials. Mm-hmm. For sure. Mm-hmm. And I think that's such an easy way for [00:03:00] men to like, get their foot in the door about, um, how to learn about some of that stuff and, um, maybe what they might need further than facials, like microneedling, lasers, things like that.
But I do think that, um, men have gravitated. Towards, you know, services. Absolutely. And I think that, you know, in the past, what, like 20 years or so, you know, that whole metrosexual, um, kind of. You know, movement. Mm-hmm. Um, it's becoming much more mainstream. It's not taboo to talk about, you know, cosmetics and how to look your best.
And I'm really proud of most men to kind of embrace that and not be shy about it. Yeah. I just think of the, um, it Xeo men poster. They have one poster and it's. It's zeo man. And um, we used to have it in one of my, , bathrooms at work. And that man was like, he was a good looking man, but he was staring you down while you're like going to the bathroom.
You're like, okay. But it's just funny 'cause it was, oh, Courtney, you liked it, you know, it was a good poster. He was attractive. But yeah, it's just, [00:04:00] it's funny, like Xeo and I feel like was kind of like, it was one of the first times that they'd kind of like put forward like a, like towards men. Yeah. Like an ad towards men.
Yeah. And I know that, you know, some of the other aesthetic companies have also been gearing, , ads specifically towards men. Mm-hmm. And I think it's, it's really smart to, you know, go after that population. We know that women definitely are the majority in the aesthetic space, um, as consumers, but there's.
The other half of humanity Yeah. That you can be like focusing on. And it's a huge market that's, you know, often untapped. Yeah. I think there are a lot of, not a lot, but there are some men still that will come in and they have a concerning spot on their face and they're really just there because their wife or their girlfriend or their spouse or um, partner.
Made them the appointment. Yeah. But then I think there are a lot of people, and I think it's turning to be the majority of people or men that come in with those [00:05:00] concerns. It's more so they want that for themselves, and I think that's great. Yeah. Yeah. And I think for a while, you know, especially in like.
The cosmetic realm, especially, you know, toxin fillers, um, men thought, oh, I don't wanna look feminine. And, you know, going back to what you were saying about different anatomy, you know, how, um, how providers treat men with, uh, toxin filler again, is mean different. You know, women might want that kind of like, brow lift to have that more like foxy eye look.
But you're not gonna do that on a man. Yeah. I mean, man, a man's not gonna appreciate that kind of look or, you know, again, slimming up the jawline. Mm-hmm. Um, a woman might want that, that's a more feminine feature. There are techniques on, you know, to treat men that won't have those same, um, results that women are seeking.
I think there are some males just with kind of the broad, um, like sexuality and preferences. There are some people that do want that. Mm-hmm. Like foxy eyebrow, but, um, it's generally like. The classic way is to have that kind of deeper [00:06:00] broad, and that's why it's so important when you're with your patient to have a discussion.
Mm-hmm. About what their goals are. Yeah. You can't just assume that a man wants to look like, you know, your stereotypical like Hollywood, you know, star, like there's a huge spectrum gender fluidity. Like you really need to kind of have an idea of what they're looking for, especially in this day and age.
Yeah. Um, so in terms of skincare, like there are certain skincare lines that are geared towards men. Talk to me about that. How different are they from female skincare products? I think going back based on like the oil production, I think, um, you know. Number one and, and the simplicity. I think of the line like heels for example.
Mm-hmm. That's such like a hit amongst men. I know so many of my male patients who use that line. And I think it's a fair line. Um, it's nothing special in my opinion, but, um, I think a little bit of it honestly is marketing. Mm-hmm. Um, I think how, um, things are packaged, , can affect that. [00:07:00] But I think also, , just going back to.
How the skin is. I mean, a man's not gonna want something that's feels heavy on their skin. Um, whereas I think more females are kind of into that wanting to feel moisturized. Mm-hmm. Men don't like having like, stuff on their skin I've found. So. Yeah. Um, so I think how it's formulated sometimes can change.
I also like, I think one of my favorites is revision because mm-hmm You can actually layer them and mix them all together. Like you could literally pump. Your serum, your boosting, oh, I've actually never done that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And you mix it all together and you can put it on, or you can just, you know, put one layer on, put the other one on before it has time to absorb.
Yeah. And it'll still be just as effective. I like how they simplify things like in their DEJ line. Yeah. D-E-J-J-E-J and I. And actually often recommended to my male patients. I'm like. How can you screw that up? Yeah. Only they have like a few different things within it, which is nice for Yeah. It's the combination.
Mm-hmm. Keeps it easy. They still get the, you know, [00:08:00] ingredients that will help their skin. Yeah. Um, while not making it too complicated. Yeah. And it's funny 'cause even, um, sunscreen, like, I feel like, you know, 10 years ago you'd ask like guy like, oh, to you or sunscreen. No, like they thought of that as like a skincare product and not necessarily as like a skin health product or, you know, something that they really should be doing from like a health standpoint.
Yeah. Um, but now I feel like most men are pretty good about their sunscreen, which again is encouraging. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I always tell male patients that if you have to pick one skincare product, sunscreen, mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, that'll keep you looking young. It'll prevent skin cancer. It just has so many benefits.
So we've seen a lot of, um, female celebrities coming out with their own skincare lines. We're starting to see them with males as well. I know someone's been working with, is that a secret? No. Okay. I don't wanna out anyone here, but, um, you know, like for instance, like, uh, Dwayne Johnson, the [00:09:00] Rock. Yep. Um, he's got his skincare line, um, Papai and you know, we're probably gonna see more and more of these, um, celebrity male.
Um, skincare products, which will probably normalize, you know, skincare for men and make it more accessible and more comfortable for, you know, guys to really get on a good skincare regimen. So things are changing. Yeah, I think so. Um, I'm still waiting on you to bring the rock into our office though, hopefully.
Um, but yeah, and I think. Men probably feel better sometimes knowing that it's coming from another guy, you know? Yeah. It's, again, it's like you're not gonna, I don't know, you're gonna be more inclined to buy from a, a guy who has nice skin like the rock. Yeah, absolutely. And then I also find that as a dermatologist being a male, I find that my patients feel more comfortable talking to me about these kind of things.
Mm-hmm. Um, bro code, um, you know, rather than a female [00:10:00] provider. So they just are more open to talking about that. So maybe like, you know, they'd be open to seeing a female provider, like for their skin check and medical care. I mean, I do that as well, but you know, they, hey, like, you know, I thought about bro about Botox.
Um, I like that. Don't take that anyone. We're marketing that it's been out for like 20 years. But you know, they just kind of ask these questions, especially at the end of their visit. Yeah. Like, I'm trying to like get outta there. Yeah. But you know, I just kind of spend a little bit of time just to kinda explain some of these things.
And these are patients that are inquisitive. They wanna know, they wanna learn and they wanna look good. I mean, we are in a very visual, digital age. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, everything is on screens, you know, we're on social media, everyone wants to look good and, you know, not everyone wants to put a filter on everything.
Yeah, I read, um, some studies like that came out, you know, after, um, like 2020 COVID era just with, uh, zoom and how many people mm-hmm. Um, were, you know, spending so much time on Zoom that they were looking at themselves like all [00:11:00] day. Mm-hmm. And, um, specifically just the uptick in like men who, um, were, you know, visually seeing themselves and felt, okay, I need to do something.
So, mm-hmm. The zoom face. Mm-hmm. Um, it was a whole phenomenon and it really had a. Incredible spike in aesthetic interest, um, for men and women. Um, and, you know, it was an opportunity to really educate guys that there are things that you can do to make yourself look better mm-hmm. And feel better about yourself, and also kind of have that competitive edge, in markets and, you know, work environments that are, you know, cutthroat.
So well again, I mean, when you feel like you look good, you, you know. Kind of show it, you know, you are more inclined to maybe like. Ask things that you wouldn't normally ask or do things that you wouldn't normally do 'cause you have that confidence. Yeah. And so I think it's so important. I, you know, it's, I know we've seen it kind of like even with the hair transplants mm-hmm.
Um, you know, that kind of, um, elevation and the amount of people getting that done, or especially men doing that. And [00:12:00] I think it just kind of goes to show you that that trend is definitely kind of moving upwards. Yeah. And I am not shy about talking about, you know, cosmetic products and treatments that I've done.
I feel that makes men even more comfortable. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, to maybe dip their toes if they're interested. Um, you know, I've been, you know, doing skincare since my acne days, right? Because I was just always trying to like treat my acne and with over the counter stuff. And that kind of evolved into more sophisticated routine.
Um, you know, with more knowledge and then also with cosmetic treatments. You know, I've been doing that since residency. Like I started doing talks when I was like 26. Mm-hmm. Um, and haven't stopped. And, you know, I kind of embrace a lot of the technologies we have in my office. A lot of the services that we offer to our patients, I've done myself, um, or other staff members have done to me.
And I think this normalizing that process makes it more comfortable for men. To ask about these procedures? Yeah, and I don't know if you guys get this, but I would say [00:13:00] 99%, I would say probably almost, I would say every single one of my male patients, um, they'll ask the same question. Do you, do you see a lot of guy patients or like they wanna know I the only one.
Yeah. Am I the only one? I'm like, no. Like I, I see a lot of male patients, but it's, it's funny 'cause I'll ask that and I think they're just worried. Yeah. About. You know, how they'll be perceived or, you know, maybe if they can talk to their friends about it or, you know, um, a little bit of that. I think not to go too deep is tied to some toxic max masculinity, you know, and just, oh, you gotta be a man and you gotta, mm-hmm.
Yeah. You look gruff and rough and you just age and silver fight. You know? So I just, I think I'm, I'm glad we're cutting back on that. Yeah. Areas of, you know, conceived masculinity, like say in like these barber shops and other service oriented places for men, we are starting to see services that, you know, like they're adding in, like the hand wax, paraffin, dips, they're [00:14:00] doing, um, you know, other things, um, like cool.
Compresses and steam and all that stuff. So they're adding to that experience and you know, in regular mail, you know, kind of services. Mm-hmm. So it's interesting. Yeah, I mean that stuff feels good too. It does. You know, it's self-care. Right? It's self-care. Yeah. And I think that's healthy. Um, I feel like if you don't take care of yourself.
Um, you know, your health obviously suffers and you actually do look worse. Mm-hmm. I do. I mean, stress does kill. Yeah. There's a guy at my nail shop that gets his monthly pedicures, and I love that man. He just, he talk about self-care. He is like self-care king and Yeah, he goes in, he does his like, um, monthly, like pedicure and manicure and like, you know, he just does like the buffering and everything.
Mm-hmm. Um, but he's like, yeah, this is like the best like part of my month just coming in here and being pampered. Those is, I get to that as like, my girls like painting your nails. Yeah. I was like, he, yeah. I'll say he doesn't have kids, [00:15:00] but they actually have this like, uh, toy, um, spa kind of foot bath type of thing and like it turns on it like bubbles and turns like lights.
I am sure they love it. They love it, but it's like, makes it a huge mess. And yeah. But I do think that the times are changing and I do think that it's a good thing because it is bringing skin health to the forefront. And as you know, society embraces these changes. Um, I think that, you know, men will continue to.
Be more comfortable in the space, and I, I'd be interested to see what it's gonna be like in the next 15, 20 years. Mm-hmm. Like right now, what? It's like a, I don't know, like 90 10 split, right? Yeah. With female versus males. I think, um, in the aesthetic industry, I think it's gonna definitely change. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. I just, you know, I'm thinking back to like, um, you know, when I, when I visited Pompeii, they have all these like bathhouses and, you know, I just think back to like these, like, [00:16:00] um, like old, like Romans and whatnot. And I feel like back then even they like took their like, like self care. So, um, seriously, and I just remember like learning about all that and.
Somewhere along the way, like, I dunno, probably like World War I again. Yeah. The dark. We're just shipping men off to war. Like that's your job. Just go fight and come back. Like, yeah, don't, we're back into an enlightened air, I think. Yeah. So, yeah. I think it's like, yeah, for so long we like kind of got away from that.
Yeah. Well, I mean, I think that this was an interesting discussion. I feel like men. Looking for opportunities to learn and having information like this out there, um, can make them feel more confident in taking more ownership of their skin health. So I think it's a good thing. Mm-hmm. And, you know, it may also help them, you know, establish good medical care for getting skin checks.
Things like that. So there's a lot of benefits that can [00:17:00] come from this. Um, so do you guys have any, you know, parting words or conclusions? No. Girl wants to date a man with nasty fingernails or nasty skin. That's right. Take care of yourself. So, absolutely. Yeah. That'll, that'll help your dating prospects.
Yeah. And also don't smell. Yeah. Yeah. And by the way, girls will be impressed if you have a CeraVe cleanser in your bathroom. That's, I will never forget, I went on a date with a guy, um, years back and that was like, I was like, oh my gosh, he's got a CeraVe cleanser. He's got Aquaphor. Like, he knows what he's doing.
Oh, that was a big selling point. So, cool. Well, if we don't have any other, uh, comments, um, I think that if we. You know, have the opportunity, um, to kind of revisit this topic in the future. I think it'll be interesting to see how things have evolved. Mm-hmm. but until next time, skin side out, out
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