When you think about the problems men have with their skin, hair and nails, a few things spring to mind: male-pattern baldness, razor burn and bumps, unwanted tattoos, excess body hair and fungus.

The bad news is that these are very common problems that almost all men, at one time or another, will experience. The good news is that, despite the myths associated with them, these problems can be successfully treated with the help of a dermatologist.

Dr. Bruce Katz, a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, debunked the common misconceptions that abound about men's skin care.

Myth: Your mother's father is to blame for your hair loss.

Fact: While it's generally accepted that the mother's side of the family controls the destiny of men's hair, that's actually not the case. The tendency can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side of the family.

There is no cure for hair loss, although medical treatments that block the formation of testosterone in the hair follicle may help some people. One treatment is minoxidil, a topical preparation that is applied to the scalp twice a day, and the other is a daily pill containing finasteride. Hair transplantation -- moving some hair from hair-bearing portions of the head to bald or thinning portions -- is another option.

Myth: You can't do anything about razor bumps, ingrown hairs or shaving irritation.

Fact: In a recent poll conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology, 97 percent of men reported that they shave. Of those, 78 percent said that their skin gets irritated from shaving.

In men with a tendency toward razor bumps, ingrown hairs and similar problems, the hairs are often cut too short during shaving and may curl back into the skin rather than grow out. These ingrown hairs can cause pain, unsightly red or darkened bumps and, in severe cases, scarring.

"In order minimize shaving-related problems, there are four key points to shaving: Get your beard thoroughly wet; shave in the direction that the hairs lie; avoid repeating strokes; and keep the skin relaxed while shaving," Katz said in a news release. "For men who have severe shaving problems, laser hair removal may be an option."

Myth: Like it or not, tattoos are forever.

Fact: A dermatologist can remove a patient's tattoo using a laser with a minimum of downtime. Lasers remove tattoos by targeting the tattoo pigment in the skin and vaporizing it with a high-intensity light beam. Over the course of several treatments, the tattoo will fade and eventually be removed without scarring.

"While dark blue, red, some lighter blues and green ink respond well to laser treatment, the best candidate for tattoo removal is someone with a fair complexion and a black tattoo," Katz said.

Myth: Excess body hair is really hard to remove.

Fact: While many men find that they start to grow excess body hair as they age, there are more ways to deal with it than ever before. Temporary hair removal techniques include tweezing, shaving, depilatories and waxing. For large areas, particularly the back and shoulders, these techniques may be too laborious and laser hair removal may be the best option.

Laser hair removal is becoming more popular with men who want permanent hair removal. Lasers work by targeting the pigment in the hair follicle and injuring it so that the hair falls out and cannot grow back. Depending on the size of the area treated, laser treatments may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

"People with light skin and dark hair are the ideal candidates for laser hair removal," Katz said. "But the use of new, longer wavelength lasers and skin-cooling devices have increased the safety of lasers for people with darker skin types."

Myth: There is no cure for fungus.

Fact: Most men experience jock itch, athlete's foot or nail fungus at some point in their lives. Jock itch and athlete's foot are caused by tinea fungus, which thrives in a warm, moist skin environment. Both conditions respond well to over-the-counter and prescription medications but can recur.

"It's important to treat both jock itch and athlete's foot immediately and to be careful about spreading the fungus from one area of the body to another by using the same damp towel," Katz said. "You can avoid tinea by keeping the areas it targets dry and clean, wearing shower sandals in public bathing areas and wearing loose-fitting clothing."

Tinea fungus also can affect the nails, causing the end of the nail to separate from the nail bed, the skin on which the nail rests. Fungus also may build up under the nail plate and discolor the nail bed. Toenails are more susceptible to fungal infections because they are confined in a warm, moist, weight-bearing environment.

"There are a variety of effective treatments for nail fungus, and a dermatologist can help you find the best one for you," Katz said.

Myth: Real men don't use sunscreen.

Fact: According to the findings of a recent Academy poll, 65 percent of the men responded that they used sunscreen when outdoors, but only 5 percent used sunscreen daily.

"While it's great that most men know that it's important to use sunscreen when they are going to be outside, it would be even better if they used it daily," Katz said. "Not only does sunscreen protect against skin cancer, it's the No. 1 thing that men can do to prevent aging skin."

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