GROOMING
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108
IN STYLE
"More men are concerned
about wrinkles and age lines
and are seeking help to stop
the process or at least make it
look better," reports Farmington
Hills dermatologist Dr. Jon Blum.
Blum finds that more male
patients are asking for
specialized treatments to
enhance their skin. The first
treatment is collagen injections
in which syringes filled with
collagen are injected directly in
the wrinkles and age lines to
smooth them away. The collagen
used today is derived from cow
hides providing a protein similar
to the body's collagen so that it
accepts the collagen as its own.
Patients are tested for allergy to
the collagen before treatment
begins.
Therapy involves two or four
sessions and can cost anywhere
from $200 to $1000. The
collagen is injected in the upper
layers of the skin supplementing
the body's collagen and
effectively filling certain facial
lines such as smile lines and
crow's feet. However, because
the injected collagen is a natural
protein, it breaks down like the
body's collagen, and the
benefits are temporary as it is
absorbed by the skin within
three months to two years.
Touch-up treatments are then
required and may cost another
$200 to $500.
The second treatment is using
Retin-A, a prescription drug,
sold for years as a cream to
combat acne, and now used to
smooth wrinkles, lighten age
spots and give a healthy glow to
damaged skin.
"The drug removes only
superficial wrinkles, not deep
lines," explains Blum. "It
stimulates blood vessel growth
and the production of collagen
in underlying skin cells, but it
can also cause excessive
dryness and redness so men
have to be careful."
Blum reminds us that
exposure to the sun is the
number-one facial enemy of all.
"The sun's ultraviolet rays
cause damage to the skin,
aging it before its time. Athletic
men who spent lots of time
outdoors as children, and now
play tennis, golf, swim, run or
go boating, may be in big
trouble. In fact, as more men
work at becoming physically fit
and spend increasing time
outdoors, they're risking damage
from sun exposure and should
be protecting their skin with
sunscreens, moisturizers and
lotions."
Men's interest in how they
look and how to look better has
also led to a growing number
using the services of facialists.
Men are asking for
collagen and Retin-A
treatments.
Kitty Wagner, of Kitty Wagner's
Facial Salon and Spa in
Farmington Hills, reports that the
number of men coming in for
facials in her salon has
dramatically increased every
year for the last five or six years.
"They range in age from 14
to 74 years old," she explains.
"Often„ their first treatment is a
gift from a girlfriend or wife. And
then they make appointments
on a regular basis, especially
the men that are 30 to 55. They
want to look good because they
see the job market as youth
oriented. And since the trend is
a natural look — not macho
they're getting treatments for
their skin and learning how to
take better care of it
themselves."
Wagner says that men are
now using many of the services
which were once for women
only. For example, fair-haired
men are having their eye lashes
tinted darker to make their eyes