6 Common Sense Reasons Why Men Look Older Than They Are

Sure, photo apps can alter the way you look, but even the best of Instagram photographers can’t change how you look and feel in person.

As an expert in anti-aging and aesthetics, I am here to tell you about the 6 common sense factors you can control to look and feel your best at your age. After all, how you live your life will be the major determinant of how you look and how you feel.

There are six critical factors that are under our control affecting our appearance: poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking, lack of mental stimulation, and sleep deprivation. Controlling or eliminating these six factors all-together may reduce the need for age-reversing treatments later.

YOUR DIET IS IMPORTANT

The majority of every meal should be plant-based. However, this is not the case for most of us in the Western World. The China Study is one of the most comprehensive studies ever done on the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. This study found that places where people tend to eat mostly plants and fewer animal products have a lower risk for heart disease and cancer. The key point is that places where people ate both the fewest animal proteins and animal fats had the lowest risk for heart disease and cancer. If you are interested in eating a more whole plant-based diet, explore meal plans from the Mediterranean style diet. This diet has wide-ranging food selections and primarily fresh plant-based diet.

LACK OF EXERCISE

Exercise, at the cellular level, has been shown to protect and keep our insides and skin looking and feeling younger. As we age, our cells tend to shorten, causing us to look older. Fortunately, a proper exercise routine can reverse this, helping us to maintain the length of our cells and in turn our natural youthful appearance. In spite of knowing this, many of us complain that we cannot find the time to exercise in our schedules. However, exercise does not have to be time-consuming. HIIT, high-intensity interval training, with short duration sessions of cardiovascular or strength training, are effective and non-time consuming. These exercises can be done at home and with minimal equipment.

SMOKING AFFECTS OUR ENTIRE BODY

Smoking affects both our inner and outer body. On the inside, it negatively affects every organ system, shortening our lives. On the outside, it affects our appearance by wrinkling the skin and causing us to look older than we are.

TOO MUCH DRINKING ADDS YEARS

The studies that hyped one glass of red wine per day as beneficial, are now starting to come into question. Alcohol is linked to higher occurrences of prostate and colon cancers, and drinking adds years to your appearance.

LACK OF MENTAL STIMULATION

People who do not engage in daily mental challenges are more susceptible to early dementia and depression. Early retirement is a risk factor for these conditions. But if you do retire, keep busy and your mind and body will thank you. The key to healthy longevity is engaging your brain daily for a higher purpose.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS A COMMON PROBLEM

Lack of sleep links to multiple health problems including heart disease, weight gain, and depression. Sleep deprivation is an all too common problem. Many people now use apps that track sleep patterns. However, you do not need an app to get enough sleep. You may want to consider going to sleep when you are tired and waking naturally each morning.

Men, there are a multitude of options to help you look younger. Once an option just for women, injectables such as Fillers and Botox even hormone maintenance, are available for men. When done by an expert, no one will ever even know you had anything done. In addition to these lifestyle interventions, it is important to adjust your lifestyle to control the six factors.