I have already written about the difference between men's and women's skin. Because men have more sebaceous glands their skin is more oily than that of women's. Alongside this men have more collagen, elastin and sebum/hair follicles which "support" the skin. This makes men's skin also slightly thicker (as if we didn't already know that…:-)). Because the framework of the man's skin is stronger, wrinkles and sagging skin take longer to appear. Not fair but true!

Greater damage by the sun

Nevertheless men have a big disadvantage. They run around three times more risk of getting skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma) than women. It has always been thought that this higher risk is caused due to men being in the sun more often and protecting themselves less well. It seems though that there is another factor that has come into play! In fact, research now shows that the damage, resulting from exposure to a certain amount of sunlight, is greater in men than in women (abstract). Despite the fact that men don't burn as quickly!

Anti-oxidants in male mice

The University of Ohio was curious about the reason for this difference and has carried out more extensive research into this. This month they revealed that male mice are found to have less naturally occurring anti-oxidants (catalase) in their skin than the females. And this may now also be, just as in humans, the reason for the higher incidence of skin cancer in men. An interesting finding; it could mean that daily use of a cream with anti-oxidants and/or a sun filter is far more important for your husband's skin than for yours! Now you know exactly what to give him for Christmas….

Regards Jetske.

(Dr. Jetske Ultee-Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology)

You can read here the news article 'lower antioxidant level might explain higher skin cancer rate in males'.

You can also read the blogs:
'women and men's cosmetics; spot the difference',
'special skincare for men?',
'anti-oxidants in cosmetic products',
'do anti-oxidants really work in a cream?',
'anti-wrinkle creams' and
'getting older'.