The hair may be thinning and the six-pack hidden under rolls of fat, however older men are happier about their looks than those half their age. Some three in four men – 75 percent – aged over 65 say they feel confident about their body and faces. This compares to just over half – 56 percent – of those aged 16-24. Older men appear to be happy in their skin, however wrinkly, perhaps empowered by the likes of Pierce Brosnan, aged 64, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, both 56, and Rod Stewart, 72. Interestingly, images of the ageing stars letting it all hang out on the beach have not been subject to the same level of body shaming many women have to put up with. By contrast, young men are being held to higher standards set by the ripped hunks of ITV’s Love Island, Zac Efron, boy bands like One Direction and Premier League footballers. The research by retail analysts Mintel found 71per cent of men aged 65 and over felt they look good for their age. Whether that is accurate or a remarkable effort of self-delusion only the women in their lives will be able to tell. A multi-billion pound industry has developed around skin care products for women designed to hold back ageing process, however men appear to embrace their wrinkles. Mintel found almost four in five – 78 percent – of men agree that it is acceptable to have some wrinkles. And some 68 percent agree that skin ageing is a natural process that can’t be stopped. This relaxed attitude to ageing does not mean men do not care about how they look and are happy to wander around looking like a scruff. In an era of the selfie, Instagram and Snapchat, it seems young men are particularly paranoid about their looks. Mintel said, “True to the ‘so vain’ words of Carly Simon, some two in five men say they check themselves in the mirror throughout the day, rising to 65 percent of those aged 16-24. What’s more, almost one in five men enjoy taking selfies, rising to 35 percent of 16-24s. And while 25-34-year-old men are most likely to say they like posting pictures of themselves on social media at 39 percent, some 13per cent of those aged 45-54 are not averse to uploading the odd image too.” Associate Director for Beauty & Personal Care at Mintel, Roshida Khanom, said, “Today’s older men are brimming with self-confidence, with high proportions thinking that they look good for their age and feeling confident about the way they look. Following role models such as Pierce Brosnan, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, Britain’s older men are adopting a relaxed attitude towards ageing with the majority of men agreeing that ageing is acceptable, and that skin ageing is a natural process. As many as half of men believe that a healthy diet is enough to maintain the appearance of skin and 39 percent feel that skincare products contain unnecessary chemicals.” As a result, Mintel said sales of skin care products for men are expected to fall this year. Khanom said, “Whilst advertising in the women’s facial skincare category often features photo-shopping to optimise the appearance of skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, such images may not appeal to men. Allowing skin to look aged but healthy may instead have greater resonance.’ Mintel said the rise of the hipster and their beard has created an opportunity for personal care product manufacturers. It said, “More than half of males agree that it is fashionable to have a beard. Usage of beard products has risen from 18 percent in 2016 to 23 percent in 2017 and almost two in five men say they pay more attention to their facial hair than their facial skin. The beard trend may have evolved to a more flexible approach with men shaping their facial hair rather than sporting full beards or opting for a clean shave.” Published in Daily Times, July 30th , 2017.