It’s hard to believe that it is November! Two years ago this time we launched this adventure called VibrantSkin Dermatology and Laser. I’ve learned a lot and am so thankful to my tiny but mighty staff as well as all of our wonderful patients for helping us successfully reach our two year anniversary.
With November being Men’s Health Awareness Month, I thought I’d focus on something for the guys so here are 5 tips for men. For the ladies reading this, please pass along these tidbits to a man you know and love:
Watch your back.
Melanoma in men is most commonly found on the back. Because men don’t see this area, the presence of a melanoma here can be a surprise. Use a mirror to check your back and be a friend (or loved one) and help men out by taking a look for anything suspicious. See this blog for more on what to look out for on skin.
“Brotox”—I mean Botox!
Some might be surprised to learn that men respond wonderfully to Botox for facial lines. NFL Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders, is one of the famous men who enjoys the benefits of getting Botox and I treat a number of men with this nearly magical neuromodulator as well as related ones (e.g., Xeomin). The most common areas I treat in men are the forehead and frown lines.
Jock itch? Check your feet.
Fungus in the groin area often manifests as an itchy scaly rash. Fungi can be found virtually anywhere—infection can be acquired from other people, plants, or animals. I encourage patients to wear flip flops in public gym and pool showers where fungi may be hanging out waiting to thrive on feet. What many don’t realize is that after fungi jump on the feet they often catch a ride when feet go through underwear and set up residence in the groin since many fungi love moist dark areas. Over-the-counter terbinafine cream twice daily often works great to kills fungus in both of these areas (feet and groin). So if fungus is on the groin, check and treat the feet too in order to reduce risk of re-infection. Socks and underwear need to be washed in hot water to kills fungus, and if shoes (e.g., sneakers) are sweaty and smelly, they often need to be tossed or at least coated inside with anti-fungal foot powder. If toenails are involved, that generally requires a trip to a board-certified dermatologist for prescription treatment.
Love handles? CoolSculpt them!
One of the most common areas I treat in men is love handles. In fact, I’ve treated them on my own man! Men have a higher incidence of visceral (surrounding organs) compared to subcutaneous (under skin) fat on the belly, and areas of visceral fat cannot be treated with CoolSculpting as it does not work on that type of fat. However, I’ve yet to see a love handle that could not be treated. (In some circumstances, liposuction and/or abdominoplasty [i.e., tummy tuck] are a better option and I refer in such cases.) Most love handles will respond nicely to the non-invasive minimal downtime option of CoolSculpting. Be sure to register for and attend our upcoming CoolEvent for the chance to win a free session (up to 2 cycles) of CoolSculpting.
Balding? I can help!
Many guys consider balding a natural, inevitable, and unpreventable part of getting older. But the fact is there are numerous treatments that I utilize to help my patients keep their hair. Male patterned hair loss (male androgenetic alopecia) is the most common type in men and is due to binding of testosterone to receptors on the scalp, which causes shrinkage and eventual disappearance of hairs. From topical to oral to injected treatments, I have a wide assortment of options to reverse nature’s course for those not wishing to embrace the loss. And if your hair loss is to the extent that even treatments such as microneedling and hair growth factor serum aren’t the best options for you, I refer to excellent hair transplant surgeons to help achieve natural and long-lasting hair growth. For anyone who has seen my husband, you should know that I offered to treat him years ago but he likes the bald look and shaves his head daily. I think it suits him well too, but he knows I’m here if he ever changes his mind. 😉
I hope these tips are helpful! Have a wonderful November and Thanksgiving!
Kesha Buster, MD FAAD
(board-certified dermatologist)