Aesthetic treatments for men in Dubai: what men ask for, and what is different

Skin care for men and women: what is different about men's skin

On average, men's skin is thicker, makes more oil, holds more water and loses more of it through the surface, and has more blood flow and more pigment; hair growth, the beard included, is more active. The male face is larger and squarer, with less fat beneath the skin of the inner cheek. Men also tend to protect their skin from the sun less, their lines tend to be deeper, in a pattern of their own, with more change around the eyes, and they are more prone to hair loss.

None of this calls for different treatments; it changes the details: the dose of an anti-wrinkle injection, where filler goes, how a laser works around a beard.

A good men's skin care routine: tips on cleansing, shaving, moisturiser and sunscreen

• Cleanse once a day and after exercise, with a gentle facial cleanser and lukewarm water rather than bar soap, which can dry the skin.
• Shave with the skin and hair wet, a moisturising shaving cream and strokes in the direction of hair growth; rinse the blade after each stroke and change it every five to seven shaves. If you get razor bumps, try a single- or double-blade razor, without pulling the skin taut.
• Moisturise straight after washing or shaving, while the skin is still damp.
• Sunscreen every morning: broad-spectrum, water-resistant, SPF 30 or more, on the face, ears, neck and any thinning scalp, reapplied every two hours outdoors. Gels suit oily skin and hairy areas.
• For oily or acne-prone skin, products labelled oil-free or non-comedogenic; for sensitive skin, mild, fragrance-free ones.
• Check your skin for spots or moles that are new, changing, itching or bleeding, and have them looked at.

Razor bumps, ingrown hairs and laser hair removal for men

Razor bumps, the ingrown hairs of the beard and neck, are where laser hair removal often starts for men, along with the back, shoulders and chest. Fewer hairs mean fewer growing inwards: in a small study of people with razor bumps on the neck and skin types IV to VI, five weekly sessions with a 1064 nm laser reduced the bumps by about 90% on photographs a month later, an effect the authors called temporary, so touch-ups are usual.

excel HR uses that 1064 nm wavelength for darker and tanned skin. A course is usually six to eight sessions, with a reduction showing after two or three; it is long-term rather than the loss of every hair, so decide on the shape of a beard line first. A few hours of mild redness around the follicles is usual; less often there are darker or lighter patches, more likely after sun. On the face and neck, laser can occasionally stimulate more hair instead of less, which its maker notes is more likely in people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or South Asian heritage; adjusting the settings helps prevent it.

Skin care for men with an oily face, open pores, blackheads, acne or acne scars

Thicker, oilier skin often means congestion first, so the HydraFacial is often where we start: a vortex of water and suction loosens dead skin and lifts oil and debris out of the pores, usually once a month, with usually no downtime beyond an hour or so of pinkness. Heleo4 LED light can help calm red, inflamed breakouts over a course, and for enlarged pores and pitted acne scars, Sylfirm X radiofrequency microneedling builds collagen beneath them over three to five sessions.

Acne on the back or chest, deep and painful spots, and acne that began with anabolic steroids are for a doctor first, and often need prescription treatment; our acne care is for the face. Kateryna Petliuk, our Head of Non-Invasive Cosmetology, specialises in acne and skin restoration.

Anti-wrinkle injections for men: forehead, frown lines and crow's feet

Men's facial muscles are, on average, larger, so the dose follows the strength and pattern of each man's muscles rather than a set formula. The research on men is thinner: in a review of 17 trials, about one participant in nine was a man, and the one study that looked at dosing in men found that higher doses than are usual for women worked better; across the trials, men had no more side effects than women. The aim is the same for everyone: softer lines and a face that still moves like yours.

The effect builds over about two weeks, when the doctor reviews it, and usually lasts three to four months. Downtime is usually little or none; small bruises and a passing headache are common, and less often a brow or an eyelid droops for a few weeks. At CREAMÉ, anti-wrinkle injections are the focus of Dr. Olga Ibrakova, and Dr. Daria Banina treats the upper face, full face and neck; both are doctors in cosmetology.

Filler for men: jawline, chin, cheeks and under the eyes

The gel and the steps are the same; the aim differs. An expert consensus notes that a man's face looks balanced with a well-defined jawline, and that too much volume in the mid-cheek can make it look more feminine, so a man's plan tends to keep the cheeks modest and may favour definition along the jaw and chin. Under the eyes, the doctor first checks that the shadow is a true hollow, not bags or pigment.

Hyaluronic-acid filler shows on the day, under some swelling that usually settles within a week; it is judged at two to four weeks, and it can be dissolved. Biostimulators build collagen gradually over two to three months, keeping the line of the jaw without rounding the face, and skin boosters work on hydration and radiance, not shape. Bruising is common with all three; rarely, filler blocks a blood vessel, which needs treatment straight away. Dr. Daria Banina's focus is lips and facial contouring, the jawline included, and Dr. Olga Ibrakova also contours with filler.

A softer jawline or neck: HIFU and radiofrequency for men

When the concern is loosening rather than lost volume, such as a softened jawline, early jowls, lax skin under the chin or a looser neck, Ultraformer MPT, focused ultrasound (HIFU), can firm and lift a little from the deeper layers, and Volnewmer, radiofrequency, suits earlier, milder laxity. Usually one session, with the change building over two to three months. Downtime is usually none; redness, mild swelling or tenderness for a few days are common, less often numbness or a facial muscle temporarily weakened, and rarely burns. Neither replaces surgery for marked laxity, and we say so.

Pigmentation, redness, thinning hair and leg veins in men

Men get melasma too, with the same features and triggers; in studies of men, sun exposure and outdoor work were two major risk factors. Rosacea is more common in women but can be more severe in men, and a thickening nose, more common in men, needs a specialist; we will say so. Broadband light, used for spots and redness, can reduce hair growth, so the doctor takes care around a beard you want to keep.

Thinning at the temples or the crown is how pattern hair loss usually starts in men, though low iron or a thyroid problem can look much the same, so it starts with a trichology assessment with Dr. Olga Seredina, a doctor in trichology and cosmetology. Varicose veins are common in men too: in the Edinburgh Vein Study of adults aged 18 to 64, 40% of men and 32% of women had them. Visible veins and heavy legs start with Dr. Marat Takoev, a doctor in phlebology, who checks how the veins are working first.

Choosing a men's skin care clinic in Dubai: the first visit and the cost

Look for a clinic where a doctor examines you before suggesting anything, injectables are given by a licensed doctor, the plan starts small, and you are told plainly when the answer is less, or nothing yet. A first visit covers what bothers you, your health and medicines, and a look at your skin and face, with photographs in the same light each time.

For recovery after training, cryotherapy and the Iyashi Dôme are wellness sessions, offered for how they feel rather than as treatment. If you are trying for a baby, mention it before heat sessions: in one small study of ten men, regular sauna sessions disrupted sperm production, which recovered after they stopped.

We don't publish prices: the cost depends on the treatment, the area and the number of sessions, not on whether you are a man or a woman, and you know the full plan and its cost before you start.