LENA BLOG

Yes, even dogs can get folliculitis. Folliculitis is a persistent infection caused by either bacteria or possibly a fungus within the hair follicle. It occurs due to shaving , long-term irritation , or even restrictive or tight clothing . Folliculitis should not be confused with pseudofolliculitis barbae , otherwise known as ingrown hair . This happens due to hair curling back down into the follicle wall instead of coming up out onto the skin’s surface, which is the reason pseudofolliculitis barbae tends to occur more often with African-American males or any men with curly hair. Believe it or not, there is a condition called hot tub folliculitis or pseudomonas folliculitis . Like standard folliculitis, it is a bacterial infection within the hair follicle, but as the name implies, it is contracted by sitting in a hot tub! Usually the infection is located where the water meets the skin; around the neck, upper arms, and upper back areas. I actually know several client...

I have a lovely male client who comes in every month for a facial. First I have to say that the fact he comes in regularly wins brownie points in my book. I’ve said many times that facials are genderless treatments. Similar to haircuts or massages, facials are good for the male of the species—not just the ladies. On his last visit, I was remarking about the improvement I saw in his skin, no doubt partly due to the fact he was no longer using a loofah on his face. Yes, on his initial visit when doing his intake form, I found out he was using a loofah sponge and water to exfoliate his face. I told him I was glad he was no longer using the “Tarzan Method” of exfoliation and it was definitely helping his skin . Sometimes (usually?) men tend to use a more, let ’ s say, practical, bare bones approach to things. Your s kin needs to be sloughed off , so you use a hard, stiff loofah sponge. Why not, it ’ ll get the job done, right? I ’ ll tell you why not: Using a loofah or any...

A head without hair is truly a neglected and Forgotten Place. I’m not going to tell you to exfoliate and moisturize this area, gentlemen (although those are not bad ideas). But it is extremely important to keep the sun off the top of your head . This is true whether you are shaving that area; perhaps you’re follicly challenged; or you are just losing or have lost the hair up top. You are literally a target for skin cancer if you don’t take precautions against sun exposure. The best and most obvious protection would be a hat. But if you can’t, don’t, or won’t wear one, applying sunscreen to your bald head would be wise. There are companies that have spray-on sunscreens, making it easy to get protection on those places where your hair might be thinning or absent. My strongest recommendation is to not fool around when it comes to the sun because in the end, the sun will win. For more information, see: Sunscreen: Toss it out! SUNSCREENS: The WHAT & WHY plus the importan...

I  ♥  George Clooney—couldn't resist! My husband has a full beard. I was wondering what he needs to do, if anything, to keep the skin underneath healthy. Is it better for the skin to be covered with hair or clean-shaven? My husband’s skin underneath his beard is beginning to itch, and it’s driving him (and me) crazy! What is causing this, and how can he remedy it? Deciding to have facial hair or not is purely personal preference. And although having a beard may seem easier on your skin than being clean-shaven, the skin underneath does go through its own hardship. The hair inhibits some of the skin’s natural exfoliation, whether it be from shaving or just having that skin rubbed or touched throughout the day. Since the hair is in essence shielding any activity in the covered area, this skin needs exfoliation . It will keep the skin from itching and flaking as sometimes happens underneath a beard. Since exfoliating underneath facial hair really cannot be done ...

The following is one profile of how some of you take care of your skin. I know this is a generalization, but it is based on seeing male clients over the years, listening to stories about my female clients’ husbands, and asking men wherever I go how they take care of their skin. I know there are those of you (more and more) who are conscientious about your skin and who really do have good skin care habits. The following is not a profile of you , but of “the others.” You almost always use soap . And you use the same soap on your face as you do on your body—whatever is within reach in the shower. This can include deodorant soaps , which by the way, are working to inhibit the sweat glands from producing. How can this be good for your face? After washing with soap in the shower, you usually shave . Next you use aftershave . Many times these products contain alcohol . Sometimes you slap on a moisturizer (any one will do), and you’re off. That’s it—simple, easy, done. ...