How to: Look younger in 8 steps

It is not that big of a deal is it? I mean sooner or later, we all wake up, look in the mirror and see someone who looks like you, just older. Often it can start with the discovery of stubborn and coarse grey hairs around the sides of the head. Or maybe it’s a handful of not quite massive, but also not quite fine lines stretching across a once smooth forehead. Either way, the unstoppable march of time beats on, and it is sure to show somewhere on your person. The good news is that the vanity industry (especially for men) is booming and there are many services and products available today to help keep your skin and hair looking at least semi-fresh should you not be ready to accept the unfortunate consequences of getting old.

Get a hair cut:

As hairs start growing from seemingly all over, it is important that you keep your style neat and tidy as you get older. Long shaggy styles that you sported as a young man will just look scruffy and slightly desperate. If you’re going bald, you have options. You can spend the cash in hopes of restoring your hair via a transplant but that is a costly option. Embracing your dome is probably the best option, get your barber to trim it super short, or shave your head clean. A ponytail, especially if you’re balding, will make you look older, not hipper. If you want to cover your grays, choose a colour close to your natural shade.

Tame the body hair:

Nothing says “old man” like crazy eyebrows, ear hair, and a bushy back. Have your barber tame your brows, ears, and nose hair. Or you can do it yourself with at-home trimmers. Keep your back and chest fur from peeking out of the top of your shirt by shaving, waxing, using a depilatory (a cream that removes hair), or through laser treatments.

Pay attention to your facial hair:

Most of the time, a closely shaved man looks younger than a guy with a beard and mustache. That said, there are no rules, just keep it well-groomed. If you decide it’s time to cover your gray, use a dye that’s meant for men’s facial hair. A solid beard tone will look fake.

Save Your Face:

If you have ever weighed the merits of moisturising your skin, wear a pair of leather shoes for a few months without conditioning them and see what happens. Over time, cracks, deep crevices and general wear will age that tough and tanned cowhide. Your much less resilient skin needs regular protection and care to keep it looking fresh. Not every guy’s skin is the same though. Some men have extremely oily skin: others are as dry as the Sahara desert. Whichever category you find yourself in, there are moisturisers that if added to your morning routine, will help prevent your skin from showing telltale signs of age.

Green People Organics have a fantastic anti-aging range and you can actually find a face scrub and cooling moisturiser in Aprils subscription Box from Me My Suit & Tie.

Have Healthy Habits:

If you want to look good on the outside, you gotta take care of the inside. You can’t act like you did in your 20s. You know the rules: Get plenty of rest, eat right, drink water, don’t smoke, leave the booze at the bar, and try to get some exercise most days.

Get your teeth sorted:

A bright smile can make you look and feel like a million bucks. Guys who brush and floss regularly can up the wattage with a whitening toothpaste. At-home bleaching strips or trays also work. You can also go to the dentist for a treatment. For a big change if your choppers are stained, damaged, or crooked ask about veneers. These porcelain shells cover the front side of your teeth.

Dress the Part:

Many men become less interested in their style the older they get. This is ironic because what you wear can be one of the easiest ways to take the years off… or (if not done right) add them on.  Don’t give up on your style and remember the trick is always to focus on fit. Don’t try to dress like a teenager, lest you end up looking like Billy Bob Thorton. Understand that as your hair and skin start to change colour, the colours that didn’t look good on you a few years ago may look great on you now.  Equally, wearing a black suit can be stylish but an all black ensemble can make the facial lines and dark circles around the eyes even more pronounced. Darker colours may be slimming but if not broken up can also make you look older than you really are.

Wearing brighter colours can convey a sense of youth and vibrancy.  ACCESSORIES are a great way to add splashes of colour to even a formal outfit. You don’t have to cover yourself in rainbow colours but a colourful tie or eye catching pocket square to a muted outfit can change the effect it has on an observer.

Me My Suit & Tie subscription service is a great way to keep your accessory collection fresh and current.

When all else fails:

Is it time to get a little work done? A doctor can inject something called a filler just below the surface of your skin to plump it up. Or you can try a Botox shot. It weakens muscles, which softens wrinkles. Common places to get it are on your forehead and around your eyes. Laser skin resurfacing can zap shallow to medium-deep wrinkles.