Extractions

“Men generally just want to take better care of their skin and have less maintenance to do at home, resulting in more regular facials,” New York City-based facialist and esthetician Jolie De Feis tells StyleCaster of what she’s noticing among her male clients. “As much as everyone hates extractions, I have male clients who have finally come around to understanding that they’re sometimes necessary and worth the temporary discomfort for clear pores.”

While you can make an appointment with Jolie De Feis at Practise on Walker Street, I understand that not everyone has time (or the funds) for frequent facials. If that applies to you, try and book facials at least every six weeks or every quarter (that include extractions—which is the removal of blackheads, whiteheads, and other blemishes), and prioritize keeping your pores unclogged during the time in between. You can do this by keeping up with a proper skincare routine that includes cleansing twice a day and exfoliating two times a week.

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Sephora $35

Caudalie Deep Exfoliating Cleanser

$38 Sephora

Youth To The People Kombucha + 10% AHA Liquid Exfoliant

$42 Sephora

Light Therapy

“We’re hopefully going to see more light therapy. Adding in light therapy devices are one of the easiest ways to improve your skin with very little discomfort and effort. You’re able to give yourself back potentially years on your skin,” DeZarate tells StyleCaster. Dr. Azza Halim, a board-certified anesthesiologist, who also specializes in aesthetic medicine, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine, echoed similar sentiments sharing that LED treatments are a great non-surgical way to improve the look and feel of skin.

If you’re like, “Um, what the hell is light therapy anyway?” Well, it’s a non-invasive treatment that you can have done at a spa or at home that uses specific wavelengths of light to treat skin conditions. It can help with texture, acne, wrinkles, and scars.

I personally have been using Qure Skincare’s Q-Rejuvalight Pro LED Light Therapy Mask since September 2024. I apply it to clean, dry skin for 5 to 10 minutes before going in with my serums. The mask has significantly calmed down the redness/inflammation I get around my nose.

Qure Skincare Q-Rejuvalight Pro LED Light Therapy Mask

$379 Qure

$360  Amazon

Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

$169 Ulta

Visispec IR + LED Handheld Facial Massager

$70 Revolve

Sunscreen

The key to great skin is prevention and protection, so you know that means sunscreen! “Start with the basics. Cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF. Once that habit is established, you can add in a gentle retinol product at night and an antioxidant serum in the morning. Don’t bother with anything you can’t commit to using consistently, and don’t go straight for the strong stuff thinking it will get you faster results,” De Feis tells StyleCaster.

In addition to shielding your skin from harmful UV-rays, sunscreen prevents premature aging, improves or reduces the risk of hyperpigmentation, and moisturizes the skin.

Jack Black Oil-Free Sun Guard Sunscreen Water Resistant SPF 45

$24 Sephora

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Men’s SPF 20 Moisturizer

$52 Kiehl’s

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Stick SPF 40

$32 Supergoop

Powder

“The easiest way to start integrating makeup into men’s lives is to use powder to take down shine,” DeZerate explains. “It should be a translucent powder at first while you’re getting used to the amount of coverage that it provides. Once you’re used to how powder sits on your skin, the next item would be to bring in a concealer to hide any pimples or imperfections that really stand out to you.”

If you’re new to the powder game, ease in with a product that controls shine for oily skin or adds a little moisture/glow for dry or combination skin.

Neutrogena Shine Control Mattifying Face Powder

$15 Target

Supergoop! 100% Mineral (Re)setting Powder

$35 Sephora

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Versatile Powder

$38 Sephora

TMJ Facials

“The beauty treatments that I see men doing a lot more are skin lifting facials and TMJ facials. This is one of those things that I take special care to focus on with clients. Everyone clenches their jaws different times in their lives and [its easy to] forget to take the time to stretch their jaws and relieve that tension,” DeZarate tells StyleCaster.

TMJ facials help alleviate pain and discomfort related to Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder, which can manifest as facial pain, headaches, and jaw clicking. This particular facial targets the muscles around the jaw. In addition to soothing aches or pains, TMJ facials can improve skin tone, promote lymph drainage, reduce stress, and reduce puffiness/inflammation.

Like with any treatment, finding the time or resources to keep up with appointments can be daunting, but luckily there are tools that can help you achieve similar results at home. Take a roller, for example. Rollers are great for relieving TMJ pain, headaches, and sinus congestion. They can also help with contouring. To use, gently bite down on your back teeth, place the roller under your cheekbone and press inwards and roll down on the border of your jaw.

Sacheu Dual-Sided Stainless Steel Beauty Roller

$35 Ulta

FaceGym Face Ball Tension Release Tool

$33 Sephora

Skin Gym Microcurrent Wand

$99 Revolve

Clean Cut or Clean Shave

“I think we are gravitating back towards a more clean cut look,” celebrity hairstylist Mia Santiago, who works her magic on the manes of Mariska Hargitay, Ed Sheeran, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, tells StyleCaster. “More manicured and polished. Preppy vibes. Low maintenance cuts are easy to manage!”

Whether a clean look means a completely shaven face, a buzz cut, or a sleek fade, it’s important to maintain the polished glow with the right products. I’m talking hair oils, beard pomades, trimmers, and shaving creams.

Jack Black Beard Lube® Conditioning Shave

$18 Sephora

OUAI Hair Oil

$30 Sephora

Kiehl’s Ultimate Razor Burn & Bump Relief

$26 Kiehl’s