Thursday, October 15, 2009

Women are difficult; Men are easy

Now, before I get some angry comments from all the ladies out there, let me clarify. I am talking about men's approach to the care of their skin.


When a male client comes to see me for a facial it is usually to address a specific concern that they (or the women in their lives) have, whether it be acne, wrinkles, sun damage, redness, etc. They see a problem that needs to be fixed. Therefore, when I present them with a solution, i.e. a simple skincare routine, they tend to follow it, no questions asked. See, easy.


Working with my female clients tends to be a little more involved. Most women are very skeptical of any new product I set in front of them. I don't really blame them. I mean, everyday women are bombarded with advertising for the latest and greatest skin care product promising to keep us young forever. Most of this is a bunch of hooey (yes, I just used the word hooey) so it is no wonder women get a little skittish. We buy tons of products, just to have them sit on our shelves collecting dust, or we use the same products we have been using since we were teenagers. Either way you can miss out on the great advances in skin care!


This is why it is so important to not only find an esthetician you trust, but also become very educated on ingredients, labels, claims, etc. You also have to be in tune with your skin and what is considered normal. Is it normal for your face to swell up like a tomato? No. Is it normal to maybe have a breakout, tingling, a little redness when starting a completely new skin care routine? Maybe. It depends on the product, what you were using before, your stress level, etc.


Think of it this way. If you sat on the couch for a year and then one day decided to get up off the couch and do an hour long kickboxing workout your body would not be too happy. Especially the next day. Yes, the exercise is good for you, but your body needs time to adjust to the change. Your skin works in the same way. You have to give your products a chance to work. In many cases it can take 3 months or more for the skin to change. This is another reason why (most) men are easy. Once they get on a routine, they are consistent and they stick it out.


This is the main reason why I get better results with my male clients! Many women give up too soon!


Say you have been working out consistently for 3 months and your body has changed, but the results have slowed. What do you do now? Well any good trainer will tell you that you have to switch up your routine to keep your body challenged. Your skin is no different. It adapts just like the rest of your body, so sometimes you need to give it a little boost. Many of my male clients will implement a change readily (as long as it doesn't involve too many steps!). This is where my female clients get freaked. You think I was telling them to give up their first born child! Once women get attached to a product it can be very difficult to get them to change.


Repeat after me: Change is good.


Embrace it! You may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!


Remember, you are not married to your products. It is not considered cheating if you try a new product. There are no attorneys or divorce settlements to work out. Your products will not resent you or call you names. I promise. If they do, I think that you have slightly bigger problems that the right skin care regime!


Until next time!