Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a famous Swedish Soccer player, recently tweeted that he was the new Benjamin Button in town.
For those who don’t know, the Benjamin Button Syndrome is a rare case where infants grow backward. What Zlatan was trying to put across was that at 38 years, where most soccer players would’ve hanged their boots already, he was at his prime – scoring more goals than ever in his career.
Well, I can’t teach you how to train and score goals like Zlatan, but I can give you tips on how to look younger like him – younger with progressive age.
Zlatan is only one of the many examples. Other celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo, Brad Pitt, and Nicolas Cage astound us with how they manage to maintain their looks at their current ages.
What’s their secret? What do they use?
Here are 10 ways for men to impede aging and keep your skin looking young.
‘Forever Young,’ Jay Z would say.
Begin With Skincare
The first thing to notice about a person is their skin. A man’s youth and attractiveness are judged largely on their skin’s tone and evenness of their complexion. Yes, that’s right. Not Gucci shoes, Armani suits, or Rolex watch – but the skin.
How do you take some years off your face?
Stay out of the sun. If you’re going to be in the sun for long periods, wear sunscreen. Over-exposing yourself to the sun can cause age spots and wrinkles to appear.
Secondly, moisturize. Daily use of moisturizer and a gentle cleanser will make you look younger. Dry skin exaggerates the signs of aging both on your body and face.
Lastly, drink lots of water. Six to eight glasses of water each day are enough to keep your skin hydrated. The result is a better skin tone and a youthful appearance.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
I get it – sometimes you need to work late at night to finish that pending assignment. That’s okay, but what happens the next day. Do you wake up at the usual time, or do you compensate for the lost sleep?
A good night’s sleep plays an important role in making you look young. A study carried out by the University Hospitals Case Medical Center showed that people who didn’t get enough sleep exhibited signs of aging. They were characterized by wrinkles, fine lines, reduced skin elasticity, and uneven pigmentation.
Sleeping allows your body to repair and regenerate itself in a number of ways. During this time, your inflammation and cortisol levels are reduced, cells are produced, and growth hormones are busy at work.
But what time should be spent between the sheets for a refreshed and vibrant look? Anywhere between seven to nine hours is okay.
Eye Creams Matter
While eye creams might not work miracles, they’ll do an immense job in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
When purchasing eye creams, look for those with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides as their ingredients. Hyaluronic acid, on top of being a moisturizing agent, will reduce your wrinkles up to 40%.
Ingredients such as bark extract and caffeine will also help reduce puffiness and detoxify the eyes, making them appear brighter.
Retinoids are a Secret Ingredient
Retinoids are Vitamin A derivatives that help reduces the appearance of fine lines, brown spots, and wrinkles. They do so by increasing cell turnover and boosting collagen production.
Retinoids are excellent alternatives to modern creams and serums, which can be very potent. Those with sensitive skin can testify how they become red, flaky, and dry once they use these creams.
Retinoids are a distant cousin to retinol. They are less strong but equally effective.
They are also gentler on the skin and are sold OTC in concentrations of 0.05 to 1%.
Use retinol products sparingly at first, and increase with time. Allow your skin to adjust and familiarize itself with the ingredient. Start with a pea-sized amount daily, then increase the use every week, provided that your skin doesn’t react adversely.
Avoid Bad Habits
Smoking, drinking, sugar – all these seem cool and fun until it downs on you that age is catching up. And all you’re left with is cancer, stroke, and heart diseases every now and then. Cigarettes will also prematurely age your skin, breaking down the collagen and elasticity needed to maintain your looks.
Booze does the same but goes further ahead to dehydrate your body and dilate blood vessels.
So, if you’re serious about maintaining your looks, you have to say goodbye to these habits, or at least limit their intake. Two drinks a day should be the maximum you go. Cigarettes, on the other hand, are a big no!
No one said this would be easy, just one step a day.
Don’t Forget About Fashion
The fact that you’re getting old doesn’t imply that you should dress anyhow. No, try to keep up with the current trends. But as you do so, stick to your lane. Dress decently and attractively for your age.
You might like: 20 Men’s Fashion Mistakes You Know Nothing About
What do I mean– if you’re middle-aged, then going for the 18-year-olds trend would be ridiculous.
Lose the extra jewelry; we’re past that. Don’t get too carried away with oversized watches, bracelets, and rings. Less jewelry is more appropriate when a man gets older.
Wear fit-in clothes, not too tight or baggy. Don’t overdress or color-clash.
Poor Posture is Bad for You
Poor posture looks bad on guys, no matter how much you try to justify it.
But it becomes more difficult to stand up straight with age. Your cartilages begin to stiffen and shrink. While this process is unstoppable, there are things you can do to delay its effects.
Exercise more to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and cores. Exercises like squats, Romanian deadlifts, and planks target the muscles responsible for keeping you correctly aligned. ‘Also, lifting weights thrice a week helps reduce the effects of muscle wasting due to age,’ claims Junior Brown, a personal gym trainer in NYC.
But there are more benefits to exercising. Aerobic exercises are good for the heart. The heart is good for the brain, and looking young is all about mentality.
Men who are fit appear younger than their fat and flabby counterparts. It still amazes me that putting on extra pounds can age a person significantly.
Refined Sugar is a Big No!
Refined sugar is known to lead to high cholesterol, obesity, and heart diseases. But there are more reasons to think twice before consuming it.
Refined sugars such as fructose and glucose, will make you age faster than normal, a new study showed. How do they do this?
Refined sugar is normally found in sauces, processed foods, and carbonated drinks. The sugar present in these substances leads to a process known as glycation, where collagen fibers get tangled and become difficult to repair.
This leads to wrinkles, age spots, and lines appearing early in life.
It’s a difficult choice, but you’ll have to choose between your youth or sweet tooth.
Tame Your Beard
You don’t need anyone pointing out to you that facial hair ages a man. That’s why in our teens, we could fantasize all day about having beards to earn that respect.
But when you hit your thirties and forties, you begin shaving more and more often. It’s as if you’re trying to go back to your teens. Gray strands of beards sell out your age. And if you want to conceal that, and maintain your youthful look, taming your beards is the way forward.
With age, we men tend to lose definition in our jawlines and cheeks. A neatly groomed beard will go a long way to solve this. The short style is the best, especially if you have gray strands. This also goes for your nose hair and eyebrows.
Arm yourself with the proper tools to keep all facial hair in check.
Oh, and A Balanced Diet!
As I close the chapter, eat healthily. A typical Mediterranean diet would do the trick – fish, chicken, fruits, and vegetables with moderate levels of carbs. Protein is important in building your muscles, especially if you’re working out.
Conclusion
Many people make looking young seem impossible when it actually isn’t. It’s all about losing our toxic habits. Excess smoking and drinking, high sugar intake, over-exposure to the sun, and insufficient sleep, among others, are some of the habits that we have to do away with.
That’s the first step. You’ll also have to take care of your skin. Wear sunscreen, use moisturizers, and don’t forget about eye creams and retinoids. When all these are done, exercise. Keep your muscles strong. Perform squats and planks.
Finally, keep up with fashion trends. Trim your beards and look good. I don’t see why ladies shouldn’t be looking your way.
