We all have ways of working out how old people are when we meet them. Many times, we do it subconsciously a few seconds into our first brief encounter with them. By the time they have walked off, we have in our minds, an impression of how old we think they are.
Now, if it is so easy for people to guess our age from the evidence of merely our appearance, it stands to reason then, that it is possible to present ourselves as whatever age we choose to. Of course, this does not apply to us until we've reached the age where we could be judged as ‘older.' However, with a few precision tweaking here and there, we'll find that our appearance age has nothing to do with our old we actually are.
Here are valuable tips (for both men and women) to help you to stave off that ‘certain age' appearance until you're well into your sixties. Here's to presenting your appearance age, at least 10 years younger than your actual years.
The first tell-tale signs of aging
If we know what the first signs of aging are, we are more likely to succeed in turning back the aging tick-tocking. In order to look younger, the areas we need to first tackle are as follows:
- Skin - face and neck
- Hair
- Wardrobe -shoes and clothes
- Teeth
- Weight
- Outlook
How to make your skin look young
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Wrinkles are one of the first signs of ageing. Keeping wrinkles under control, is keeping your appearance age tightly under wraps. I've been a catwalk and photographic model for longer than I've had any other job, and I can tell you that expensive creams hardly ever work if other conditions are neglected. All of the ground work for good skin comes from within, as other than an expensive face-lift (which we're not even going to discuss) there is no ointment, balm or cream, which can truly ‘turn back the clock.'
Quit smoking, do not drink in excess, cut back on foundation, (I do not, and have never owned any foundation. It gets put on me when I'm working, but then I wash it off straight after) and most of all, sweat.
Yes, do things that make you sweat. No cleanser can get deep into your pores, dig out the impurities and wash them away from your skin. Sweating comes from the inside out, it gets through every nick and cranny of those tiny little holes on the skin of your face and sweeps away impurities like a hungry tide, leaving the healthy glow otherwise known as ‘youth.'
Remember that whatever you do for your face, also do for your neck. There is no point in having young skin on your face with a neck that looks like an old strangled chicken. Young skin on your face (and body) gives the impression of at least five years younger than your actual age.
It is also important to take care of your eye-brows. This part is so detailed that I have to cover it in a separate article.
Men:
Shaving greying stubble off your face decreases appearance age instantly. If you have any white hairs on your chest, neck, or eyebrows, nip these out as soon as they raise their course, frizzy heads. Grey body hair gives an impression of impending sterility, loud snores, and mid-life crises (though in actual fact, it certainly isn't any of these things). Don't forget that moisturiser is not only for women.
Use your hair to keep you looking young
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Don't go for the chopped look as soon as you turn 40. Your appearance age makes a quick nose dive to the floor the minute your cut tresses do. On the flip side, don't keep long greying hair just because ‘it's still so nice and thick.' Go for a trendy style that suits your face and make sure that it's long enough to put into a pony tail (no matter how tiny) when you're having a bad hair day. A sensible Alice band will work wonders for dull hair that you just didn't have time to sort out.
It is important to hydrate and treat your hair regularly. (I pick up cheap treatment packs from my supermarket), so hair care doesn't have to be expensive at all. A good cut and style twice a year, suits me just fine.
Whatever you do, don't go crazy with hair colours, this just shows bad taste and makes your face look old and outdated. Teenagers with brightly coloured hair, look ‘cool.' Older women just look like ancient rebels desperate to squeeze that last drop of youth out of what remains of their lives. Electric hair colours just make them look much older - mutton-dressed-as-lamb material. Trying too hard increases the appearance age!
