No matter what the color of your skin and regardless of your ethnic background, everybody’s skin is subjected to the same problems. And men are no different than women in that they can have: dry or oily skin, blackheads, ingrown hairs, and red irritated spots from shaving! And all men can get winkles. So whether it is dry or oily skin, blemishes or blackheads, wrinkles or skin discolorations, skin sensitivity or sun damage, the causes and treatments are generally the same for all men and women no matter what your skin type or ethnic background. The bottom line is all skin needs a gentle cleanser, effective exfoliant, state-of-the-art moisturizer (over dry areas), and a sunscreen rated SPF 15 or greater containing UVA-protecting ingredients of avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or Mexoryl SX (ecamsule).
The term “skin of color” refers to diverse skin types and complexions including people of African, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, Native American, Arabic and/or Mediterranean descent. And their numbers are growing. While most skin disease occur in all types and color of skin, certain skin problems are more common among those with darker skin tones. A surprising difference noted in the research it is the critical need to treat darker skin tones gently. When irritated, darker skin tones can stimulate hyperpigmentation causing patches of dark or grayish skin discolorations. Darkened areas of skin may take many months or years to fade. Treating your skin gently promotes normal collagen production and helps skin protect itself from environmental stressors. So anything you can do to treat your skin gently is a very good thing.
Skin color is determined by cells called melanocytes. Although the density of melanocytes is quite similar among all racial and ethnic groups, in more darkly pigmented individuals these cells produce more melanin, And Skin of Color is more sensitive and more prone to side effects as well- such as discoloration and scarring. The slightest bump, bruise, scrape, piercing, shaving or waxing, or trauma of any kind activates the melanocytes. Acne, cosmetic procedures, razor bumps, rubbing or scrubbing to get skin clean and sunburn also lead to trauma. .When skin is irritated it cannot protect itself from the environment, it causes collagen and elastin to break down, it hurts the skin's immune response, and can cause skin to become dry and flaky. When a dark spot or patch appears after injury or trauma to the skin, dermatologists call the reaction post- inflammatory hyper pigmentation.
Hyper pigmentation is a major problem in particular in individuals of African descent. Skin of color, ranging from the palest Asian tone to olive and the darkest of dark skin, is prone to darkening in certain areas. Having spots and patches that are darker than the surrounding skin can be distressing. In the Latino community, many consider visibly darker areas of skin disfiguring.
Acne is the most common skin disease in the general population as well as Men with Skin or Color. If acne or pimples are causing the discoloration, it is important to treat both the acne and dark spots. Without effective treatment for the acne or pimples, the dark spots normally continue to appear as the new lesions clear. This can result in long-lasting skin discoloration.
Because of the coil-like structure of their hair, black men are particularly susceptible to excruciating in-grown hair and razor bumps. Ingrown hairs in black men can often cause extreme pain, severe infection, and even scarring. They're also fairly tenacious little buggers, and harder to extract than ingrown hairs in men with straight hair and fairer complexions. Between 45% to 80% of black men experience ingrown hairs. (See Prevention Chart)
Although people with skin of color are better protected against skin cancer and premature wrinkling from sun exposure that doesn't automatically mean that men with darker skin are exempt from sun damage. On the contrary, without protection any man’s skin will fry. For all men, no matter what the color of their skin, skin cancer rates go up as their exposure to sunlight goes up.
This is the bane of many people's existences, regardless of race. But dry skin can make men with darker skin appear ashen. If you have dry skin and don't suffer from acne, try a top-quality moisturizer for your face and body. If you have dry skin that's complicated with acne look for a good moisturizer that is oil free.
Keltoid scars are common in skin of color because the skin often does not heal properly after trauma like cuts, surgical incisions or burns. Keltoid scars form as a wound is healing. The skin and connective tissue cells over-multiply and then project over the surface of the skin. Prevention is the key to alleviating scarring problems. Avoid body piercing and unnecessary surgeries.
Lots of guys have "dark circles" under their eyes. For Caucasians, dark circles are caused either by lack of sleep, allergies, or veins showing through the delicate skin that surrounds the orbital bone. For many dark-skinned males, the root cause is superficial pigmentation. Look also for eye creams that contain Shea Butter which is known to reduce skin discolorations, restore skin tone, and diminish fine lines.
I can not stress enough the importance of treating your skin gently As I said earlier, darkened areas of skin may take many months or years to fade. So you want to avoid or reduce post inflammatory hyper pigmentation by treating your skin as gently as possible by doing the following:
- Use only gentle skin care products including cleansers.
- Avoid picking, harsh scrubbing, and abrasive treatments.
- Use an effective BHA Product for treating Acne.
- Use a state-of-the-art moisturizer (over dry areas).
- Apply a sunscreen daily, rated SPF 15 or greater containing UVA-protecting ingredients of avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide.
- Avoid treatments, such as chemical peels and microdermabrasion, unless prescribed by a dermatologist.
- Apply hair oils and pomades carefully so that the oils do not touch the face and possibly cause acne.
