An Expert Guide To Treating Acne in Men

As June is the Acne Awareness month, here's a dermatologist-approved skincare guide to deal with adult acne in men

- Sukriti Shahi

Fretting over that one pimple I get once in a month (thank my stars), I often wonder how my partner is unbothered about his skin or that pimple spot he couldn't get rid of for a decade? While he could be an exception-due credit to the changing representation in media-acne is not seen as a teenage or women skin issue anymore. Taking some of the recent anti-acne product TVCS as reference, it is, at least, established that men, regardless of their age, may have to deal with pesky breakouts. However, there's still a long way to go.

Grooming is often presumed as a woman domain and while we talk about changing narrative in media, most of the marketing of anti-acne products are focused on women, unless it comes from a brand or range specifically designed for men. Does that mean lesser men deal with skin issues, specifically acne, as compared to women? "In my practice, I see fewer men than women seeking treatment for adult acne. But statistically speaking, more women get acne than men in their adult years so that makes sense," says Dr Kiran Sethi, author of Skin Sense and founder of Isya Aesthetics. On the other hand, according to experts, there has been a positive change in the number of men seeking acne treatment. "Fortunately, times have changed, and a positive awareness is now present that men require skincare and need to get acne treated. Currently I see about 3-4 out of 10 acne patients are males who come for treatment," adds Dr Madhuri Agarwal, celebrity dermatologist and founder of Yavana Aesthetics Clinic. She further explains that at times their lifestyle and work profile make it difficult to use multiple products. Well, this explains my partner's disinterest in knowing the causes behind his skin issues and following a proper routine for it.