How does a man's skin differ from a woman's? {Skin Care}

[Source:askmen.com]

Last week, I spoke a bit about tips to shave. That made me thinking about how different is a man's skin as compared to that of a woman's? So, I shall share a bit about that today and hopefully, that should convince your better-halves and "boys" to take care of their skin. Technically speaking, there is not much of a structural difference in a man or woman's skin. But, there are some significant points to think about. 

Rough Skin

Men have really rough skin. Why? For one, they have 25% thicker skin than women (Source). The top layer of their skin is naturally thicker. Secondly, they have to shave everyday or on alternate days. That removes the lipids from the surface of their skin. Then, they have more facial hair and also suffer from ingrown hair because of improper shaving routine.

Having said that they have thicker skin, I would also add that their skin loses its thickness with age where as the thickness of a woman's skin remains constant till her menopause stage.

Oily Skin and Sebaceous Glands

You would be surprised to know that they have lesser number of sebaceous glands which produce sebum which makes the skin oily. But, their secretion of sebum is more than women and consequently, the skin of a man is 15% oilier than that of a woman. And, because of that reason, they are more prone to acne and blackheads. Also, their pore size is bigger than a woman counterpart. 

Exposure to Environment

Men are generally more exposed to the natural forces like sun, wind, rain, dirt and pollution and they do not really take care of their skin because of which their skin is more sensitive. And, their skin is more dirty and there is more chance that their pores can get blocked resulting in more acne and blackheads. 

Also, the amount of anti-oxidants in a man are far less than that of a woman so they are more likely to suffer from cancer. And, they are also not very devoted to sunscreen which increases the risk.

Collagen Density

So far, the above factors have been looking disadvantageous. so, let us talk a bit about why they still look younger as compared to a woman. That is because their collagen density is intrinsically much higher than that of a woman. Collagen maintains the elasticity in the skin and helps you look young. The age difference just by looks can go up to 15 years between a man and a woman of the same age (whoa!!! I am jealous). 

And, the loss of collagen is more in woman as compared to a man because of the menopause stage. Otherwise, per year, both men and women lose up to 1% of collagen every year (Source). 

Hydration Levels

Having said that regular shaving removes the lipids which hydrate the skin, a man's skin is naturally hydrated as compare to that of a woman. During puberty, hormonal changes in a main lead to secretion of sweat which contains lactic acid which is a natural humectant and makes the skin look more hydrated. As a rule, men sweat twice more than women. And, their natural ph balance is acidic due to the presence of lactic acid in the sweat as compared to a woman. 

Less prone to Pain

A man's skin has lesser nerve fibers and consequently, they feel less amount of pain as compared to a woman. So, don't let your men think they are too macho :D It's naturally endowed to them. And, still, we bear all the pain :(

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