peter
11-17-2005, 01:03 AM
Here is yet another article that I found was very interesting. It discusses some of the myths about men's skin care and hair removal and how most of them can easily be treated by a dermatologist.
When you think about the problems men
have with their skin, hair and nails, male pattern baldness, razor burn and
bumps, unwanted tattoos, excess body hair, and fungus often spring to mind.
The bad news is that these are very common problems that almost all men, at
one time or another, will experience. The good news is that, despite the
myths associated with them, these problems can be successfully treated with
the help of a dermatologist.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) skin
academy, dermatologist Bruce E. Katz, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, debunked the common
misconceptions that abound about men's skin care.
"While many studies have shown that men prefer to avoid medical care, they
don't have to live with skin, hair and nail problems," said Dr. Katz. "Now,
more than ever before, dermatologists have a wide variety of tools at their
disposal to help men improve and maintain the health of their skin."
Myth: Your mother's father is to blame for your hair loss.
Fact: While it's generally accepted that the mother's side of the family
controls the destiny of men's hair, that's actually not the case. The
tendency can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side of the
family. There is no cure for hair loss, although medical treatments that
block the formation of testosterone in the hair follicle may help some people.
One treatment is minoxidil, a topical preparation that is applied to the scalp
twice a day, and the other is a daily pill containing finasteride. Hair
transplantation-moving some hair from hair-bearing portions (donor sites) of
the head to bald or thinning portions (recipient sites) is another option.
"A dermatologist can help you determine which treatment option will work
best for your particular hair loss problem," Dr. Katz said. "Some men prefer
a quicker but more invasive solution like hair transplantation, while others
want to stick to a slower but easier to use regimen of topical or oral
medications."
Myth: You can't do anything about razor bumps, ingrown hairs or shaving
irritation.
Fact: In a recent Academy poll, 97 percent of men reported that they
shave. Of those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving.
In men with a tendency toward razor bumps, ingrown hairs and similar
problems, the hairs are often cut too short during shaving and may curl back
into the skin rather than grow out. These ingrown hairs can cause pain,
unsightly red or darkened bumps and, in severe cases, scarring.
"In order minimize shaving-related problems, there are four key points to
shaving: get your beard thoroughly wet; shave in the direction that the hairs
lie; avoid repeating strokes; and keep the skin relaxed while shaving," Dr.
Katz said. "For men who have severe shaving problems, laser hair removal may
be an option."
Myth: Like it or not, tattoos are forever.
Fact: A dermatologist can remove a patient's tattoo using a laser with a
minimum of downtime. Lasers remove tattoos by targeting the tattoo pigment in
the skin and vaporizing it with a high-intensity light beam. Over the course
of several treatments, the tattoo will fade and eventually be removed without
scarring.
"While dark blue, red, some lighter blues and green ink respond well to
laser treatment, the best candidate for tattoo removal is someone with a fair
complexion and a black tattoo," said Dr. Katz.
Myth: Excess body hair is really hard to remove.
Fact: While many men find that they start to grow excess body hair as
they age, there are more ways to deal with it than ever before. Temporary
hair removal techniques include tweezing, shaving, depilatories and waxing.
For large areas, particularly the back and shoulders, these techniques may be
too laborious and laser hair removal may be the best option.
Laser hair removal is becoming more popular with men who want permanent
hair removal. Lasers work by targeting the pigment in the hair follicle and
injuring it so that the hair falls out and cannot grow back. Depending on the
size of the area treated, laser treatments may last anywhere from a few
minutes to a few hours.
"People with light skin and dark hair are the ideal candidates for laser
hair removal," Dr. Katz said. "But the use of new, longer wavelength lasers
and skin cooling devices have increased the safety of lasers for people with
darker skin types."
Myth: There is no cure for fungus.
Fact: Most men experience jock itch, athlete's foot or nail fungus at
some point in their lives. Jock itch and athlete's foot are caused by tinea
fungus, which thrives in a warm, moist skin environment. Both conditions
respond well to over-the-counter and prescription medications but can recur.
"It's important to treat both jock itch and athlete's foot immediately and
to be careful about spreading the fungus from one area of the body to another
by using the same damp towel," Dr. Katz said. "You can avoid tinea by keeping
the areas it targets dry and clean, wearing shower sandals in public bathing
areas and wearing loose fitting clothing."
Tinea fungus also can affect the nails, causing the end of the nail to
separate from the nail bed, the skin on which the nail rests. Fungus also may
build up under the nail plate and discolor the nail bed. Toenails are more
susceptible to fungal infections because they are confined in a warm, moist,
weight-bearing environment.
"There are a variety of effective treatments for nail fungus and a
dermatologist can help you find the best one for you," Dr. Katz said.
Myth: Real men don't use sunscreen.
Fact: According to the findings of a recent Academy poll, 65 percent of
the men responded that they used sunscreen when outdoors, but only five
percent used sunscreen daily.
"While it's great that most men know that it's important to use sunscreen
when they are going to be outside, it would be even better if they used it
daily," Dr. Katz said. "Not only does sunscreen protect against skin cancer,
it's the No. 1 thing that men can do to prevent aging skin."
When you think about the problems men
have with their skin, hair and nails, male pattern baldness, razor burn and
bumps, unwanted tattoos, excess body hair, and fungus often spring to mind.
The bad news is that these are very common problems that almost all men, at
one time or another, will experience. The good news is that, despite the
myths associated with them, these problems can be successfully treated with
the help of a dermatologist.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's (Academy) skin
academy, dermatologist Bruce E. Katz, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, debunked the common
misconceptions that abound about men's skin care.
"While many studies have shown that men prefer to avoid medical care, they
don't have to live with skin, hair and nail problems," said Dr. Katz. "Now,
more than ever before, dermatologists have a wide variety of tools at their
disposal to help men improve and maintain the health of their skin."
Myth: Your mother's father is to blame for your hair loss.
Fact: While it's generally accepted that the mother's side of the family
controls the destiny of men's hair, that's actually not the case. The
tendency can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side of the
family. There is no cure for hair loss, although medical treatments that
block the formation of testosterone in the hair follicle may help some people.
One treatment is minoxidil, a topical preparation that is applied to the scalp
twice a day, and the other is a daily pill containing finasteride. Hair
transplantation-moving some hair from hair-bearing portions (donor sites) of
the head to bald or thinning portions (recipient sites) is another option.
"A dermatologist can help you determine which treatment option will work
best for your particular hair loss problem," Dr. Katz said. "Some men prefer
a quicker but more invasive solution like hair transplantation, while others
want to stick to a slower but easier to use regimen of topical or oral
medications."
Myth: You can't do anything about razor bumps, ingrown hairs or shaving
irritation.
Fact: In a recent Academy poll, 97 percent of men reported that they
shave. Of those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving.
In men with a tendency toward razor bumps, ingrown hairs and similar
problems, the hairs are often cut too short during shaving and may curl back
into the skin rather than grow out. These ingrown hairs can cause pain,
unsightly red or darkened bumps and, in severe cases, scarring.
"In order minimize shaving-related problems, there are four key points to
shaving: get your beard thoroughly wet; shave in the direction that the hairs
lie; avoid repeating strokes; and keep the skin relaxed while shaving," Dr.
Katz said. "For men who have severe shaving problems, laser hair removal may
be an option."
Myth: Like it or not, tattoos are forever.
Fact: A dermatologist can remove a patient's tattoo using a laser with a
minimum of downtime. Lasers remove tattoos by targeting the tattoo pigment in
the skin and vaporizing it with a high-intensity light beam. Over the course
of several treatments, the tattoo will fade and eventually be removed without
scarring.
"While dark blue, red, some lighter blues and green ink respond well to
laser treatment, the best candidate for tattoo removal is someone with a fair
complexion and a black tattoo," said Dr. Katz.
Myth: Excess body hair is really hard to remove.
Fact: While many men find that they start to grow excess body hair as
they age, there are more ways to deal with it than ever before. Temporary
hair removal techniques include tweezing, shaving, depilatories and waxing.
For large areas, particularly the back and shoulders, these techniques may be
too laborious and laser hair removal may be the best option.
Laser hair removal is becoming more popular with men who want permanent
hair removal. Lasers work by targeting the pigment in the hair follicle and
injuring it so that the hair falls out and cannot grow back. Depending on the
size of the area treated, laser treatments may last anywhere from a few
minutes to a few hours.
"People with light skin and dark hair are the ideal candidates for laser
hair removal," Dr. Katz said. "But the use of new, longer wavelength lasers
and skin cooling devices have increased the safety of lasers for people with
darker skin types."
Myth: There is no cure for fungus.
Fact: Most men experience jock itch, athlete's foot or nail fungus at
some point in their lives. Jock itch and athlete's foot are caused by tinea
fungus, which thrives in a warm, moist skin environment. Both conditions
respond well to over-the-counter and prescription medications but can recur.
"It's important to treat both jock itch and athlete's foot immediately and
to be careful about spreading the fungus from one area of the body to another
by using the same damp towel," Dr. Katz said. "You can avoid tinea by keeping
the areas it targets dry and clean, wearing shower sandals in public bathing
areas and wearing loose fitting clothing."
Tinea fungus also can affect the nails, causing the end of the nail to
separate from the nail bed, the skin on which the nail rests. Fungus also may
build up under the nail plate and discolor the nail bed. Toenails are more
susceptible to fungal infections because they are confined in a warm, moist,
weight-bearing environment.
"There are a variety of effective treatments for nail fungus and a
dermatologist can help you find the best one for you," Dr. Katz said.
Myth: Real men don't use sunscreen.
Fact: According to the findings of a recent Academy poll, 65 percent of
the men responded that they used sunscreen when outdoors, but only five
percent used sunscreen daily.
"While it's great that most men know that it's important to use sunscreen
when they are going to be outside, it would be even better if they used it
daily," Dr. Katz said. "Not only does sunscreen protect against skin cancer,
it's the No. 1 thing that men can do to prevent aging skin."