It's a long-running stereotype that plagues the female of the species: Why do men age better than women? A survey of 2,000 Brits earlier in the year revealed that 1 in 4 women were worried they looked 'significantly' older than their spouses, as 59% of men admitted they thought they were ageing better than their partners.
While women are undoubtedly more aware of the ageing process and what it means for their skin, hair and body, men seemingly age with very little concern, and in some cases (in total opposite to the majority of women) believe they get more attractive as they get older.
I witness this struggle first hand as a woman. I'm only 28 (I appreciate hardly ancient) but I already look in the mirror everyday and see the first signs of ageing staring back at me. A few faint laughter lines around my eyes, a bit of cellulite on the back of my thighs from a decade of eating chips with gay abandon; I'm OK-ish with those new quirks. Then my partner walks into the bathroom. About to turn 35, his face has the usual creases you'd expect around the forehead, his eyes are a little deeper set, and he has the hint of grey hair poking through his dark locks- yet I'm jealous. For a man in his mid-thirties he looks great; healthy, mature, and above all, confident. I think the C word has a lot to do with processing our ageing looks.
While I worry about things most people would probably barely notice, he's happy with his lot. And I'm absolutely sure it's the relaxed attitude towards ageing that makes men look better to us women-folk. You only have to look at celebrities like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp who, despite being around the 50 mark, are looking better than ever. Their faces are lived in, of course, but they smoulder. The type of confidence that can only come from age and being comfortable in your own skin.
The main difference between men and women is arguably just fear. Most women admit they are scared of looking older, and some will do almost anything in their power to keep the classic signs of ageing at bay. That's not to say there aren't examples of older females who look and feel fabulous as they age (how about actress Helen Mirren who, in spite of being in her late 60s, looks incredibly youthful and sassy) but the majority of women feel happier if they're at least trying to fight the signs of ageing.
Maybe this is because women have always been much more aware of the ageing process and subsequently have made provisions that men just don't deem important. Thanks to the media, women have been force fed the effects that things like too much exposure to the sun, smoking cigarettes and a rubbish diet can have on their appearance on the whole, so perhaps taking action to fight the signs of ageing just comes more naturally?
At The Cosmetic Surgery Guide, I am frequently asked for the secret to youthful, plump skin. "I want to look young again!" is something I hear on a daily basis, and it's very rarely from men. This isn't to say male interest in skincare or cosmetic surgery is rare, it's just that they're usually a little less vocal about it. Maybe therein lays part of the secret: Men do worry about the effects of ageing deep down, they just spend less time thinking about it than women.
Unfortunately girls, we are more prone to earlier facial ageing than our male counterparts, and we also have more body parts which gravity can (cruelly) take over, but what can be done as we start getting older to help keep youth on our side? Of course there are various kinds of invasive surgery- facial nip/tucks are nothing new- but there are also numerous collagen-rich cosmeceuticals on the market which can help tighten and plump skin on the face, and even skin rejuvenating treatments using high-tech lasers to slow down the clock.
Of course, it would be wonderful if we could all just live happily, watching ourselves mature and change naturally, but for the many women (and men, I do speak to them too despite appearances) out there who want to maintain their looks and slow the results of the ageing process, there are a range of treatments you can try, at varying levels on invasiveness, cost and downtime. You can learn more about them by visiting www.thecosmeticsurgeryguide.org.