Home Health Common Signs of Aging in Men and How to Combat Them

Common Signs of Aging in Men and How to Combat Them

Aging may be a sign of maturity, but some changes to our appearance can leave us feeling more disheveled than distinguished. We all want to look and feel younger than our years; you only have to look at the U.S. 80-billion-dollar anti-aging industry for proof of our reluctance to age.

You don’t have to pay out on expensive creams or go under the knife to shave years off your appearance, however. Luckily, there are simple things you can do every day to help keep yourself looking sprightly. Here are three of the most common signs of aging in men and how to combat them.

Hair Loss

Genetic hair loss conditions aside, it’s common for men to lose some of all of their hair as they get older. Like most things, hair loss is also affected by diet, which is why experts recommend foods that are rich in B vitamins, like animal products like meat, fish, and dairy, and avoiding those with too much vitamin A (beef liver, carrots, and sweet potato, to name a few). However, when it comes to hair loss, diet is not the whole answer.

Although some medications can help you hang on to healthy hair follicles, age-related hair loss is irreversible. If you’re bothered by your hair loss, you can undergo a modern hair transplant treatment called FUE (Follicular Unit Transplantation), which essentially moves healthy hair follicles from one part of your body to another.

Weight Gain

Weight gain is a common side effect of getting older, and scientists think it has to do with evolutionary survival mechanisms as well as changes in diet and lifestyle. Whatever the cause, we all need to watch our weight and make sure we’re getting enough exercise, no matter what our age. However, due to an increased risk of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure as you age, a healthy lifestyle becomes more important than ever as you enter the next phase in your life.

To avoid gaining too much weight, try to reduce your intake of white carbohydrates and sugars and focus on eating whole grains with lots of fruits and vegetables. You should also think about cutting processed meats out of your diet, or at least limit them to reduce your risk of heart disease. Of course, no one’s expecting you to follow the perfect diet every single day, but as long as you stay on track 80 percent of the time, you should avoid becoming overweight and help your body to stave off diseases.

Wrinkles

There is an endless number of “miracle” anti-aging creams on the market these days, some of them more effective than others. However, the best way to look after your skin is to eat well, exercise often, and avoid prolonged sun exposure. It comes down to diet again, as eating the right foods will help improve your skin tone, ward off unwanted weight gain and keep your skin looking smooth and healthy.