Hair Loss to Shaving

From Hair Loss to Shaving: Dispelling the Myths of Men's Skin Care

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 2005, 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 hair 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 overthe-
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.”
The consumer poll on skin-related health behaviors and attitudes was a Webbased
poll fielded in September 2005 by the Segmentation Company, a Division
of Yankelovich, Inc., in collaboration with the Academy. A total of 1,112
respondents age 18 and over responded to the poll.
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology
(Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most
representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than
14,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the
diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and
nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in
dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier
skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-
DERM (3376) or
-from www.aad.org.