Who ages faster

Who ages faster? Men or Women.

While it’s a fact that women statistically live longer than men worldwide, which of us looks younger while doing all the ageing.

Whether it’s the link between cancer mortality rates and that beloved Y chromosome, or the way men handle stress. Statistically men die an average 5 years earlier than women no matter which country you live in, so clearly there are differences between the two sexes that can show difference. Especially with all the extra effort women invest into beauty and youth, it would seem only fair that this makes women less likely to age next to their male counterparts.

Sadly living longer doesn’t always translate to ageing gracefully after a rough look at the stats, women are more likely to show their age quicker than men.

While women are more likely do invest in cosmetic treatments and a good skincare regime which can rewind the years but up to a decade, these aren’t denting too much to the global average.

Of course there are many factors contributing to the way your body shows ageing, including genetics, stress, lifestyle factors etc and they are too complex for a short blog post. But we can give it a quick run through the basic factors.

For now, let’s look at why that Y chromosome is so beneficial.

Hormones:

Testosterone actually encourages the development of thicker skin and by at least 25 percent more. Regarding oestrogen, having the fluctuating and drastic hormone changes does take effect on the skin elasticity whereas men generally keep a consistently decreasing hormonal level.

Collagen:

Regardless of age, men have a higher density of collagen within their skin than women. This is why women appear to age faster than men of the same age. It’s even been said that women are visually about 15 years older than men of the same age in terms of collagen maintenance. The reason we don’t always notice this big difference is thanks to the effort women put into their skin. Sun protection in moisturisers, beauty treatments, cosmetic procedures and countless other beauty routines women engage in.

Both camps lose about 1 percent of collagen after their 30th birthday, but obviously menopause exacerbates this more dramatically.

Hydrate to dominate:

Men obviously are perspiration champions thanks to their higher body temperatures. They also have higher levels of Lactic acid (a natural humectant) in their sweat which makes their pH lower than female sweat. All of this leads to a better level of tissue hydration.

Body Hair:

It’s no doubt men generally have a higher amount of body hair (all that investment into hair removal apparently has extra cost ladies!). Body hair protects skin from outside elements and maintains hydration. Men with beards are especially fortunate.

All facts considered there are so many elements to consider before we start blaming/thanking our gender when the aim is eternal youth.

Genetics, a fantastic skin care program, excellent nutrition, maintaining balanced hormones as well as a healthy lifestyle without too many excessive and crazy habits (cork that bottle!) Even your BMI and your stress levels play a role in. Even cosmetic work can factor in how we age.

Sadly as Australians we have a disadvantage purely from the amount of sun exposure we experience daily.

In the end, both men and women will age. That’s inevitable. Dryer skin, sagging skin folds, more obvious expression lines, deeper wrinkles, eyelid puffiness and underlying bone atrophy leaving skin with noticeable ptosis (sagging).

Thank the beauty gods there are countless procedures which can help deter the inevitable ageing on our skin. Even procedures that can visibly rewind the clock by a decade. Prevention is always important though.

If you would like to talk to us at M1 about reducing signs of ageing, book in for your free consultation to see how we can help you.