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Why Men Need to Take Skin Care Seriously: The Risks of Melanoma and the Power of SPF

According to the American Cancer Society, twice as many men will die this year from melanomas than women.

That’s shocking, right?

Here’s another statistic: Ultraviolet sun exposure causes 86% of melanomas.

And using SPF daily reduces melanoma risk by 50%.

Now one more statistic for you: Fewer than 30% of men regularly practice skin care.

Are you shocked at this last one? Of course, you’re not!

We accept that men don’t take care of their skin, but we’re shocked to learn they die from melanomas.

Men’s Health Week arrives on June 10th, so I thought this was a perfect time to contemplate this aspect of their health.

Most people assume that Medical Spas are only for women, but thankfully more and more men are starting to wake up to the benefits of self care in this space. My male clients come to me for Botox, and to laser away those little red veins (men have more blood vessels on their face than women,) but the main thing I send them away with is clear instructions to protect their epidermis from the sun!

Here’s the unfortunate news – studies have shown that men resist these practical, and life-saving regimens because it’s considered feminine. Advertising is overwhelmingly aimed at women, and marketing messages perpetuate stereotypically female gender norms.

Even as I browsed male-specific skincare lines, I was shocked to read descriptions for products that promised to protect “delicate skin.”

Because of this kind of messaging, men are not only less likely to notice it, they will also find it irrelevant to them as it is completely at odds with their sense of masculinity.

Marketing promotes sunscreens as protectors of delicate skin and as promoters of beauty ideals. Unfortunately, neither of these things would cause a man to see sunscreen as a doctor recommended source of environmental protection against a known carcinogen.

But here’s the thing:

You don’t get skin cancer because you have “girlie skin,” you get skin cancer because UV rays damage the DNA in your skin cells. Healthy DNA instructs your skin cells how to function. Damaged DNA, not so much. Poor instructions lead to poor function, causing cells to grow out of control, which can quickly lead to cancer. This can happen to any kind of skin: black, white, Asian, female and male.

We often talk about the detrimental impact that advertising and marketing messages can have on women. The impossibly slim and symmetrical images are brutal for our self-esteem. But skincare messaging can be such an impediment to the goal of getting men to adopt an SPF regimen that it can literally cost lives.

This month, I encourage all of us to support our men in practicing a daily skincare habit.

Let’s not think of it as a ritual designed to protect, or beautify your delicate skin. Let’s think of it as a practice to shield your DNA from crippling UV attacks that might ultimately save your life!