Blog

The anti-aging market has long been considered a booming business, and the past few years have seen a notable shift in how aging is viewed. The hot topic for many of my clients is melanin, or pigmentation as a mark of age.

Of course, fine lines and wrinkle are the old standbys of anti-aging vocabulary, and they continue to be of concert to clients worldwide. However, current research indicates that uneven skin coloring – specifically, the blotches and dark spots on the face, décolleté and hands, which is the classic indicator of UV exposure and hormonal shifts – now matches or even surpasses concerns about skin smoothness and texture.

DO ASK- DO TELL

As a skin care professional, I use my skill to address pigmentation in the context it deserves; as a factual part of the client’s scientific and chemical composition.

The color of skin as an innate aspect of physiology is hereditary. With our society being an increasingly mix of ethnicities, observation alone does not tell us professionals enough. Make sure your skin care professional takes time to know how you respond to sun exposure, and your habits for using SPF.

Appearance can often be deceiving; especially as the years pass, sun exposure and other environmental facts may alter the appearance of the skin. When working with pigmentation, there are always underlying components that may counter-indicate specific treatment. To get a baseline reading, look at the Fitzpatrick and Lacer Ethnicity Scale below.

Choosing ingredients and products

Knowing as much as possible about our clients means that we will be best – equipped to create a treatment that is safe, as well as successful. It is an irony that deeply pigmented skin often seems to age more gracefully than fair skin-but darker skin is prone to forming pigmentation reaction including post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), or even raised scarring, such as keloids. A common example of PIH is the formation of darkened razor bumps or pseudofolliculitis along the beard-line in men with deeply pigmented skin.

At Mens Waxing, we design a brightening treatment that is carefully aligned with the tolerance and reactiveness of our client’s skin. When addressing hyperpigmentation concerns, it is essential that we advised our clients that there is no instant gratification and “overnight results” from a lifetime of sun damage or other pigmentation-related conditions. We speak candidly and explain that small steps will produce effective results!