Dear Editor,
The idea that men care less about their skin than women is a stereotype that has persisted for some time. Historically, societal norms and gender roles have often dictated that men should prioritize traits like toughness, stoicism, and practicality over self-care and grooming. Skincare has been traditionally associated with femininity, leading to the perception that it is not as important for men (1, 2).
However, this perception is changing, with evolving societal attitudes towards gender roles and expressions, increased awareness and education, and a growing emphasis on self-care and wellness in contemporary culture (3, 4). Self-reported dermatological concerns encompass a wide range of issues that individuals perceive and report regarding their skin health and appearance. Data on dermatological concerns and impact on self-confidence in men are lacking, and most studies have been conducted in one centre or country. Our objective was to conduct the first international study to assess the relation between skin type/sensitivity and self-reported dermatological concerns in men and their impact on self-confidence.
The survey, conducted between February 2022 and June 2023, involved males ≥ 18 years from the USA (n = 761), France (n = 346), Brazil (n = 515), India (n = 856), China (n = 648), Mexico (n = 672), Japan (n = 118), South Africa (n = 668), and Indonesia (n = 554). In each country, proportional quota sampling was used based on the distribution of the population according to age, sex, environment (large cities, towns, and rural areas), and income, in order to guarantee national representativeness of the sample. Participants were contacted by mail to complete a structured digital questionnaire. Questions included sociodemographic data, skin type, presence/absence of skin sensitivity, presence/absence of 9 dermatological concerns (Table I), and lack or not of self-confidence. The questionnaire for data collection was designed in English by a scientific committee that includes expert dermatologists and public health specialists. Once created, the questionnaire was administered to a small sample to ensure that the questions were properly understood. It was then translated into each language by native speakers living in the country concerned. To ensure linguistic similarity and cultural coherence between different language versions, the translations produced by native speakers were then back-translated in English.
Table I.
Proportion of individuals with the 10 studied dermatological concerns and those with lack of self-confidence with respect to the skin type, presence/absence of skin sensitivity, and age
| Factor |
Global population |
Skin lack of firmness |
Skin feeling tight |
Skin wrinkles |
Skin tired looking |
Skin pimple breakouts |
Skin redness |
Skin loss of elasticity |
Skin getting thinner |
Skin dark spots |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Sensitive skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 2,215 | 43.1% | 230 | 10.4% | 217 | 9.8% | 328 | 14.8% | 497 | 22.4% | 544 | 24.6% | 254 | 11.5% | 134 | 6.0% | 80 | 3.6% | 323 | 14.6% |
| No | 2,923 | 56.9% | 313 | 10.7% | 215 | 7.4% | 572 | 19.6% | 647 | 22.1% | 498 | 17.0% | 150 | 5.1% | 177 | 6.1% | 79 | 2.7% | 401 | 13.7% |
| Type of skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Very dry/dry | 1,055 | 20.5% | 113 | 10.7% | 104 | 9.9% | 217 | 20.6% | 238 | 22.6% | 122 | 11.6% | 77 | 7.3% | 51 | 4.8% | 32 | 3.0% | 143 | 13.6% |
| Mixed | 1,779 | 34.6% | 185 | 10.4% | 176 | 9.9% | 310 | 17.4% | 418 | 23.5% | 407 | 22.9% | 153 | 8.6% | 133 | 7.5% | 63 | 3.5% | 276 | 15.5% |
| Oily/very oily | 1,308 | 25.5% | 127 | 9.7% | 77 | 5.9% | 192 | 14.7% | 297 | 22.7% | 382 | 29.2% | 112 | 8.6% | 70 | 5.4% | 30 | 2.3% | 204 | 15.6% |
| < 40 years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensitive skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 1,370 | 46.6% | 110 | 8.0% | 126 | 9.2% | 113 | 8.2% | 294 | 21.5% | 430 | 31.4% | 155 | 11.3% | 54 | 3.9% | 41 | 3.0% | 201 | 14.7% |
| No | 1,570 | 53.4% | 112 | 7.1% | 101 | 6.4% | 128 | 8.2% | 294 | 18.7% | 361 | 23.0% | 81 | 5.2% | 57 | 3.6% | 19 | 1.2% | 204 | 13.0% |
| Type of skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Very dry/dry | 589 | 20.0% | 49 | 8.3% | 49 | 8.3% | 52 | 8.8% | 107 | 18.2% | 96 | 16.3% | 32 | 5.4% | 17 | 2.9% | 13 | 2.2% | 71 | 12.1% |
| Mixed | 1,063 | 36.2% | 77 | 7.2% | 94 | 8.8% | 98 | 9.2% | 229 | 21.5% | 308 | 29.0% | 93 | 8.7% | 49 | 4.6% | 24 | 2.3% | 160 | 15.1% |
| Oily/very oily | 778 | 26.5% | 48 | 6.2% | 45 | 5.8% | 56 | 7.2% | 161 | 20.7% | 287 | 36.9% | 76 | 9.8% | 32 | 4.1% | 14 | 1.8% | 125 | 16.1% |
| 40 years and above | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensitive skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 845 | 38.4% | 120 | 14.2% | 91 | 10.8% | 215 | 25.4% | 203 | 24.0% | 114 | 13.5% | 99 | 11.7% | 80 | 9.5% | 39 | 4.6% | 122 | 14.4% |
| No | 1,353 | 61.6% | 201 | 14.9% | 114 | 8.4% | 444 | 32.8% | 353 | 26.1% | 137 | 10.1% | 69 | 5.1% | 120 | 8.9% | 60 | 4.4% | 197 | 14.6% |
| Type of skin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Very dry/dry | 466 | 21.2% | 64 | 13.7% | 55 | 11.8% | 165 | 35.4% | 131 | 28.1% | 26 | 5.6% | 45 | 9.7% | 34 | 7.3% | 19 | 4.1% | 72 | 15.5% |
| Mixed | 716 | 32.6% | 108 | 15.1% | 82 | 11.5% | 212 | 29.6% | 189 | 26.4% | 99 | 13.8% | 60 | 8.4% | 84 | 11.7% | 39 | 5.4% | 116 | 16.2% |
| Oily/very oily | 530 | 24.1% | 79 | 14.9% | 32 | 6.0% | 136 | 25.7% | 136 | 25.7% | 95 | 17.9% | 36 | 6.8% | 38 | 7.2% | 16 | 3.0% | 79 | 14.9% |
In total, 5,138 men were involved (mean age 39.67 ± 12.76 years). Table I indicates the proportion of individuals with the 9 studied dermatological concerns and those with lack of self-confidence with respect to the skin type, presence/absence of skin sensitivity, and age. Table II presents the logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analysis to determine risk factors for lack of self-confidence.
Table II.
Logistic regression with univariate and multivariate analysis to determine risk factors for lack of self-confidence
| Factor | Univariate | Multivariate |
|---|---|---|
| Skin sensitivity | 1.34(1.20;1.50), p-value 0.000000472 | 1.275(1.133;1.435), p-value 0.000096 |
| Dry skin | 1.60(1.39;1.83), p-value 0.0000000000197 | 1.820(1.514;2.188), p-value 0.000096 |
| Skin lack of firmness | 1.01(0.84;1.22), p-value 0.895 | 1.018(0.838;1.236), p-value 0.86 |
| Skin feeling tight | 0.92(0.75;1.14), p-value 0.456 | 0.903(0.732;1.114), p-value 0.34 |
| Skin wrinkles | 0.87(0.74;1.01), p-value 0.06 | 0.887(0.752;1.047), p-value 0.155 |
| Skin looking tired | 1.21(1.06;1.38), p-value 0.00538 | 1.261(1.093;1.455), p-value 0.0015 |
| Pimple breakouts/blemishes | 1.08(0.94;1.24), p-value 0.307 | 1.018(0.878;1.181), p-value 0.809 |
| Skin redness | 1.03(0.83;1.27), p-value 0.808 | 1.016(0.816;1.265), p-value 0.886 |
| Skin loss of elasticity | 1.31(1.04;1.65), p-value 0.022 | 1.435(1.120;1.838), p-value 0.0042 |
| Skin getting thinner/weakened | 1.17(0.85;1.61), p-value 0.345 | 1.182(0.845;1.653), p-value 0.328 |
| Dark spots | 1.20(1.02;1.41), p-value 0.026 | 1.232(1.044;1.455), p-value 0.013 |
Understanding dermatological issues prevalent across diverse skin types is essential for devising successful skincare approaches and tackling skin-related problems effectively.
In general, men with skin sensitivity express more dermatological concerns than those without. Furthermore, they are significantly more likely to express lack of self-confidence. Surprisingly, those ≥ 40 years with skin sensitivity tend to express lack of confidence more than those < 40 years. Moreover, almost half of men with very dry/dry skin and more than a third of those with oily/very oily skin also express a lack of self-confidence. Multivariate analysis shows that the risk factors for lack of self-confidence are: dry skin, loss of elasticity, skin sensitivity, skin looking tired, and dark spots. Conversely, dry skin, lack of firmness, skin tightness, wrinkles, pimple breakouts/blemishes, redness, and weakened skin do not seem to be significantly associated with lack of self-confidence.
Men commonly experience cosmetic issues such as acne resulting in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, pigmentary disorders like freckles, melasma, and solar lentigo, as well as wrinkles and skin laxity (5, 6). However, wrinkles do not seem to be associated with lack of self-confidence.
Presently, men are subjected to heightened beauty standards and expectations for youthful looks, which can significantly impact their self-confidence, interpersonal relationships, and professional achievements (5, 6). This trend is evident in the growing interest in men’s skincare items and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Recognizing the pivotal role of skin in aesthetics, men are increasingly conscious of the advantages offered in the facilitation of healthy, youthful skin, targeting issues such as hyperpigmentation, rough texture, and dryness – by both preventing and reversing them.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors acknowledge the technical support of Aurelie Abric, Cecilia Trehin, and Thierry Lageat.
Funding Statement
Funding This project was funded by L’Oréal Research and Innovation.
Conflict of interest
FF, Aurelie Maudet, MB-V, AIL, CD, DA ,and LL are employees of L’Oréal. CT is sub-contracted for data analysis and writing. CS has no conflict of interest.
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