IDHOSPITAL

The global beauty scene has been unmistakably transformed by the surge of Korean beauty standards, revolutionising not just the landscape of products and routines but also the very ethos of skincare and surgery. For years now many industry experts have been advising that the latest trends in cosmetics and grooming are coming from East Asia. This phenomenon has transcended borders and genders, leading to a noticeable shift in the perception of men’s fashion and grooming. Today, an effective skincare routine is no longer viewed as merely optional but as an integral part of contemporary male grooming. Do you have skin? Then you should be caring for it. Here are some top kbeauty tips for men.

This post aims to unveil effective Korean beauty tips specifically tailored for men, aiming to empower them to achieve not just clearer, but healthier and more vibrant skin.

Core Points of Korean Beauty

At the heart of Korean beauty lies an unwavering focus on skin clarity and health, championing a clear and radiant complexion as the foundation of beauty. Unlike the often reactive Western approach, Korean beauty standards advocate for a preventive strategy—addressing skin concerns before they manifest. This philosophy extends beyond mere topical treatments to encompass a holistic approach, emphasising the importance of diet, hydration, and sleep in maintaining optimal skin health. Through this, Korean beauty teaches that skincare is not just a routine, but a lifestyle.

Basic Skincare Routine for Men

The cornerstone of Korean skincare, irrespective of gender, is a structured routine that caters to different needs and skin types. Korea can be seen as much more progressive when it comes to the promotion and acceptance of male-focused aesthetic treatments. You may have heard at some points in the 2010s about how Korean skincare is complicated with a ton of stepsHere’s a simplified breakdown:

• Cleansing: The first, non-negotiable step, essential for removing impurities and preparing the skin for subsequent products. Double cleansing is considered important for people who wear makeup, use sunscreen, work with the elements or live in an area of high air pollution. To double cleanse you first use an oil/balm cleanser to wash your face, followed by a water/foam cleanser. It may seem a little redundant to wash your face twice with two different products, but thanks to the hydrophobic properties of the oil molecules it will give a deeper cleaning effect than one product alone can achieve. This can help prevent breakouts, oily skin and blackheads.
• Exfoliating: Implemented a couple of times a week, it aids in removing dead skin cells, promoting a smoother and clearer complexion. You can exfoliate with a face scrub, but experts recommend chemical exfoliants as they can apply more evenly over the skin and be less rough on the healthy skin cells.
• Toning: Tones the skin and helps in better absorption of other skincare products. Especially for people with dryer skin, a hydrating toner can help avoid a ‘stretched’ or tight feeling after washing your face.
• Moisturising: Essential for all skin types, it hydrates and locks in moisture, maintaining the skin’s natural barrier.
• Sun Protection: Perhaps the most crucial step, it prevents damage from harmful UV rays and avoids premature ageing caused by sunlight. Some still think that sunscreen is only for the beach in warm weather, but it actually needs to be worn every day to protect your skin from direct sun rays that can age you beyond your years. The secret is to remember to put it on the hands and neck as well as the face.
  

Read about ID Hospital’s in-house medical skincare products

Advanced Skincare

For those ready to elevate their routine, incorporating serums, essences, and targeted treatments can address specific skin concerns:

• Serums and Essences: These are concentrated formulas that can target a specific skin concern like dryness, redness, sensitivity or hyperpigmentation. They should be used before moisturising.
• Eye Creams: Dedicated treatments can protect and to some extent rejuvenate the delicate skin around the eyes. Good eye creams are formulated specifically for that delicate skin area. It’s important to know that eye creams can’t help with deep eye wrinkles, eye bags, hollowness or dark circles. For these, you can read about clinical treatments or men’s cosmetic surgery below
• Acne and Blemish Treatment: For occasional acne, pimple patches are a great tool for getting rid of them fast. Wearing them is like putting the spot in a vacuum so that no other germs can touch it. High quality pimple patches can put off the red discoloration and are medicated with ingredients to promote quick turnaround and healing.
• Beard and Facial Hair Grooming: Of course, a large proportion of men shave, and even guys with facial hair have to do some kind of touch-ups to keep themselves groomed. But if you are a man who shaves the whole or the majority of their facial hair like most men here in Korea, you know that shaving is sometimes harsh and rough on the skin, leaving it feeling uncomfortable. It’s a good thing to look at products specifically designed to be used on this area if shaving does leave you with that reaction.
• Cosmetic Clinics: For the heavy-duty skincare concerns like rosacea, persistent acne, acne scarring, broken capillaries, moderate wrinkles, severe hyperpigmentation, dark undereyes and scars, clinics are the place to look for a solution. The latest generation of lasers, facials and injections can work wonders on problems that ten or twenty years ago we would have been told were impossible to change. Although many treatments can take several sessions to show their full effect. It’s worth investigating cosmetic dermatology clinics if you have curiosity about any of these procedures.
  

Basic Introduction to Men’s Cosmetics

Moving beyond skincare, the Korean beauty industry also offers a range of cosmetics designed for men:

• Concealers and Tinted Moisturisers / Tinted Suncreens: Provide a natural look while covering imperfections. Literally anyone can look better with the proper applications of these products. Concealers are used best in moderation on just areas of discoloration whereas tinted cosmetics can have an application over the full face.
• Colour Correctors: Tackle issues like redness or sallowness. Colour correctors can look incredibly natural, but there’s skill used in their application. Basically it works on colour theory by using complementary colours to balance out blemishes and discolouration. Green colour corrector can be used to cover a red spot or broken capillaries, peach / orange can be used to balance dark circles, etc. However if you choose to play this dangerous game and aren’t a professional makeup artist, it’s best to start with an extremely small amount of colour.
• Brow Styling: The right brows can make everything look right. They can enhance facial features, create proportion and balance, create better facial symmetry and alter the resting expression of your face. A basic brow razor and the moderate use of an eyebrow pencil are all you need.
• Lip Balms: Keeps your lips from chapping. On days where you’re looking washed out or lifeless, adding a tinted lip balm brings colour back onto your face and helps you look more awake and prepared.
  

Basic Overview of Men’s Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Cosmetic procedures, once considered taboo for men, have gained acceptance as part of the Korean beauty boom. With high technical ability at low prices available to them, many Korean guys aren’t shy about going under the knife:

In Korea, the most popular surgeries for men are eyelid and nose surgeries. Classic East Asian Double Eyelid Surgery creates an artificial crease in the eyelid to make the eyes appear larger. But eye surgeries have now advanced to treat a wide variety of concerns like eyelid asymmetry, eye-ageing and bags under the lower eyelid, you can even widen your eyes while maintaining your monolids.

How does your nose look now? How would you like it to look? There’s a surgery for that. We’re beyond the days of just removing nasal humps. You can adjust your bridge, tip, nostrils to get the nose that’s right for your face shape.

And speaking of face shape, have you ever envied those models with perfectly defined jawlines? Or perhaps your chin is a little recessed. Facial contouring surgeries are a trademark of the Korean plastic surgery industry, and our hospital was the first ever hospital dedicated to facial bone surgeries in Korea. There are also procedures that are only for men such as male abdominal slimming / fat removal or treatment for gynecomastia (enlarged breast tissue in men) which can severely impact a man’s confidence.

Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Skin

Lastly, true beauty stems from within, and lifestyle choices significantly impact skin health. Diet, nutrition, activity level, hydration and sleep all impact your face and body significantly over time, and undoing behavioural patterns and bad habits can take even longer to reverse a change. If you’re young now, try your best now to develop a lifestyle that promotes health while also working for you. For older men, you have a greater challenge ahead. But, like beauty, remember that fitness doesn’t have an age.

By integrating kbeauty habits and lifestyle tips into their regimen, men anywhere can embark on a journey towards not only enhanced aesthetic appeal but also improved overall well-being.