Why do men look older? The answer has to do with three triggers

According to a recent study published in the Chinese Journal of Dermatology, men appear older than women. The results showed that before 40 years old, the aging of Chinese men was mainly related to the sagging of nasolabial groove and lower face. After the age of 40, men's foreheads wrinkle more than women's, making them look older. The main reason for the difference is hormone-regulated influence. Men's skin has more blood vessels, thicker, darker, firmer, greasier, larger pores, and higher water loss through the epidermis. What's more, women are apparently more maintenance conscious than men and use skin care products such as hydration, moisturizing and sunscreen every day.

The researchers photographed 220 male and 218 female volunteers of different ages and trained experts to clinically grade five facial aging features of male and female volunteers of different ages based on the Asian Skin Aging Map, including four wrinkles -- forehead, crow's feet, nasolabial and puppet lines. And one of the most relaxed features of the face - drooping. Then 80 participants aged between 20 and 60 were asked to rate the age of the photos and answer the question of how old the person in the photo looked. The results found that the men generally looked much older than their actual age, while the women looked younger, with 33 men deemed to be at least 10 years older than their actual age.

Chang Jianmin, chief physician of the dermatology department of Beijing Hospital, told the Global Times Health client that men's skin looks rougher and older than women's due to strong secretion of sebaceous glands due to the secretion of male hormones. The facial skin is greasier, with larger pores and more moisture loss. In addition, there are three other factors that can cause men to look older.

One is environmental factors, namely exposure to sunlight. Male outdoor activities are relatively more than female, and skin aging is directly related to sunlight exposure, long-term acceptance of ultraviolet radiation has cumulative effect, not only make people's skin blackened, but also make people's skin dry, rough, wrinkle area increased, furrow lines deepened. Some people also develop symptoms of actinic keratosis, such as skin tumors, or scaly spots, which in severe cases can lead to skin cancer.

The second is living habits. Smoking, drinking, overeating and staying up late playing video games are more common in men, which can increase the burden on the body and accelerate skin aging. For example, tobacco contains nicotine, tar and other substances will have an adverse effect on the facial capillary circulation, so that the skin condition is worse; There are many harmful substances in smoke, which can cause abnormal contraction of skin capillaries, leading to skin aging. Alcohol will make sebum secretion too much, affect the body metabolism, resulting in telangiectasia, accelerate aging. Excessive eating without control will make the skin "oil" exuberant, excessive keratinization, such as high salt food, will lead to the increase of sodium ions in the body and skin cells lack of water, the skin will grow wrinkles. In addition, many men eat a lot of dinner or have high frequency of socializing, and eat big fish, spit, and drink late at night, so that their skin can not rest. At the same time, many adverse factors work together to accelerate skin aging.

Third, psychological factors, resulting in skin aging. On the one hand, men are more likely to bottle up negative emotions, which can disrupt skin stability, hormones and skin cells. Others frown habitually, and the Sichuan lines on their foreheads and forehead wrinkles will become darker, making them look older and more depressed. Men, on the other hand, are generally less conscious of skin care and rarely wear sunscreen or a hat or umbrella when outdoors. In daily life, I did not use skin care products, and my skin was in a state of water shortage for a long time. Chang suggested that men and women should be the same when it comes to skin care. Skin is the largest organ of the human body. From the perspective of health, men should also pay attention to skin care, correctly understand the influence of ultraviolet rays on skin aging, cultivate the awareness of sun protection, and actively adjust bad life habits. ​​​​