As a male in his mid-50’s, I am on a mission at Believe Image… to let men know it is ok to care about how we look as we age and to want to do something about it!
Did you know the skin on men’s faces ages at about 1/2 the rate of women’s? This is likely due to good old testosterone and thicker skin. Because of this, we get a pass early and I think it is part of why men really don’t think about it as much. That is, until one day we look in the mirror and whoa, we look older.
At that point, you could go out and buy a sports car to overcompensate, or you could face up and get some treatments. The good news is, it’s never too late. There are a lot of options out there, and the fact that we are behind is actually a positive, because we can do them later with good results. And, if you are smarter than me, you start them early and try to slow aging in the first place.
What treatments you ask? Read on!
Botox
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin. This is injected in tiny amounts to relax muscles and therefore improve wrinkles. There are actually several other brands including Xeomin and Dysport and they are all great. However, you can’t beat Botox for the play on words…
“Brotox” is injecting these medications in men with the consideration that sometimes we need different doses of medication than women.
“BoCox” or “Priapus Toxin” is injecting these medications into the penis to improve erectile dysfunction and resting size… who knew?! If you want to know more, here is a link: https://priapustoxin.com
Or you could do “Brocox” and help your face and your ED on the same day!
Skincare Products
Slower aging probably lets us get away with using inferior products for a while, but to prevent signs of aging or improve them, you really need medical grade skin care. Do you need mens specific products? Maybe, maybe not. It really depends on your skin. But everyone benefits from great products that are chosen based on your specific needs and the sooner you start these the better.
Microneedling
If I could get everyone to do one procedure, this is it. While creating micro trauma to the skin with a tiny needling device so it will heal back stronger sounds odd, most people have the same thoughts after they try it… amazing! It has broad uses and works for aging, scars, acne, age spots, etc… and it has been around a long time and has been shown to be safe and effective. What’s more, we have new serums that we use along with the treatment that speed up and enhance the healing process.
LED Light Therapy
I get it, some people have an aversion to needles of any kind. This NASA developed technology uses specific wave lengths of light to help acne and improve skin quality. It can also be helpful for hair loss and musculoskeletal injuries. And, it is completely non-invasive and involves just sitting under a light for 30 minutes… easy!
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF)
Completely natural and very versatile and effective, this is a great procedure for men. Basically we take some blood, put it in a centrifuge, separate away the red blood cells, and pull off the good stuff that is left. Then we inject it back into the body.
Platelets contain growth factors and proteins that can stimulate tissue repair, collagen production, and overall regeneration. These effects are used for skin rejuvenation, hair restoration, and musculoskeletal treatments. The fact that it is autologous (comes from your own body) makes it very safe.
Hair Restoration
To be honest, hair loss can be a very difficult problem. However, this is a situation where using a combination of some or all of the above treatments can give hair regrowth a chance. If your hair is thinning, consider trying some of these before it gets past the point of no return.
Of course there are more options out there, but this is a start. I hope this inspires you to try something new and stay looking younger longer. Give us a call today!
Sincerely,
Darren West, MD
