Nearly 70 per cent of men in the 35-plus bracket in the GCC fall in the “aged” category as far as their facial skin is concerned, a medical symposium in Dubai has highlighted.

The forum, recently co-organised by Seagull in collaboration with Institute Arnaud in Dubai, attributed this early aging of skin to “bad” lifestyle triggered by lack of awareness of the importance of maintaining a young image through better appearance, disease free status and fitness.

The symposium revealed that the UAE in particular and the wider GCC region has an aging population. According to recent statistics, the population in the 60-plus category is expected to increase to 15 million by 2050.

Speakers stressed that anti-aging measures were being adopted in “bits and pieces” in the Gulf, and highlighted the need for ensuring that aging people are treated effectively to delay signs of aging.

The symposium noted that UAE clinics were paving the way for invasive and non-invasive therapies for anti-aging treatments covering appearance, diseases and fitness. Appearance treatments include facial and skin rejuvenation, hair care and body shaping which is in very high demand in the UAE making the country a top destination for Gulf patients for these treatments.

“In Saudi Arabia, the number of people aged over 65 is expected to increase sevenfold over the next 25 years,” said Ratiba Ayad of Seagull.

“We need to enhance research on ageing factors peculiar to men in the UAE vis a vis men from other parts of the world, so that we supply the right preventive solutions to patients here and maximize the response to these techniques by addressing their real needs through right diagnosis.”

She added that the UAE is playing a key role at the regional level in harnessing anti-aging techniques for local as well as GCC patients.

Sonya Roblin, Institute Arnaud, which developed the OLIGOJI 35, an anti-aging solution for men launched recently in the UAE, said: “Physiologically, male and female skin does not have any major differences. However, male skin does differ in some specific ways, including skin density, hydration and tone.”

She emphasised that male skin is 25 per cent denser than female skin, which makes it less sensitive and more resistant. She said that men have oilier skin due to androgens, male hormones that generate more sebum secretions and causes more dilated pores and blackhead. When men’s skin does begin to age it has more pronounced wrinkles than women’s does.

Ayad said that male skin is under daily attack from shaving, which removes part of the skin’s protective hydrolipidic film. For men, the desire to hold onto one’s youthful skin forever begins around the age of 35, she added.

The symposium highlighted the new men’s skincare line called OLIGOJI35, an anti-aging, energizing booster which combines Goji berries - powerful antioxidants - with the strength of trace elements.

Roblin added: “The Goji berry is an edible fruit originating from the Tibetan high plains, from a shrub in the Himalayas which grows at altitudes of over 3,000 meters. This berry has been used for several millennia by Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan and Indian tribals for its unrivalled benefits.” – TradeArabia News Service