Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. ~ Author Unknown How true! But then, that's life - full of ugly truths! After a certain age, the body ceases to take care of itself and the evidence of this can be seen most clearly in the changes that the integumentary system undergoes. An inevitable change, debilitation to be specific, in the quality of the skin, hair and nails is nothing but an external manifestation of the body's losing battle against the joint conspiracy of nature and time! Entering middle age is a rude awakening for men and the blow is harder on them than women. You see, since the dawn of creation, women have been conscious about the way they look, making efforts to maintain their hair and skin in glowing health despite being burdened by hundreds of tasks on any given day. Caring for her looks is something very natural for a woman - it begins during the early years of her being when she, unbeknownst to her conscious psyche, starts aping her mother's beautification efforts (remember when you used to put on your mom's lipstick and stick your tiny feet in her high heels as a child?). This continues throughout her living years and this just makes her transition into middle age smoother than men - at least physically, if not emotionally! It's just the reverse for men, though. Mentally they still feel the same as they did on their 21st year but the ravages of time settle in all too unexpectedly and drastically once they roll over the wrong side of 40..... perhaps that's the only way nature could come up with, to make them realize that it's time they grew up - the fact that most still don't is a different matter altogether (no offense, guys, but it's true!)! Anyway, let's focus on the titular subject and get down to tackling the issue of skin care for men over 50. Taking Care of Skin Post Middle Age for Men Post 35, the chief enemies of your skin that can totally ruin the way you look (thereby, sabotaging your chances with the opposite sex) are wrinkles, blemishes and ugly pigmentation, sagging and roughness. If you take a closer look at these issues, you'll realize that most of these can be repaired and even reversed to a considerable extent by making a few diet and lifestyle modifications. For others, there are always skin care products! Now, let's take a look at what can be done to make you look at least 10 years younger by taking care of the aforementioned skin issues. Lose the Sugar Coating.....There's a Bitter Pill Inside! If your food preferences and diet has been dictated by your sweet tooth, it's time you got it extracted. Studies have proven time and again that too much sugar, especially the refined and simple carb variants, cause the skin to look dull and your chances of getting wrinkles increases threefold! This is because all that unnecessary sugar binds with the proteins and this completely alters the protein structure that is necessary to keep the skin firm, elastic and glowing (well repaired). If you've been ignoring all those less is more when it comes to sugar suggestions all these years, it's still not too late. Do your body a huge favor and cut down your sugar intake by half! Besides gaining fabulous skin, you would lose some significant pounds from your convex midriff! Get All that Blood Rushing Again! Improved circulation shows in the form of radiant skin, shiny hair and healthy, unmarked nails. If you haven't been regular at the gym all these years, you can start with the more gradual yoga and pilates exercises to mobilize all parts of your body and get better circulation. You can also enroll for aerobic exercises and dance classes. Issues such as skin discoloration, dull appearance and dryness often occur due to poor blood circulation. So, put the music on and get moving! Embrace Nature and All Things Natural! Include as much fresh and natural stuff in your diet as you can and stay away from processed and preserved food as far as possible. Drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies - let nature take over and inundate your body with natural vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Eat lots of natural protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and calcium sources such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, fish oil, soy, dairy, fish, lean meat and seafood. Your inner wellness will show on the outside in the form of healthier, firmer skin. Choose Skin Care Products Wisely 50s is the age when your skin needs all the help it can get, especially if you've been taking your looks for granted all these years. A lot of products are available these days that are specifically meant for mature and aging skin. Opt for mild cleansing products and intensive, vitamin enriched moisturizers to keep your skin well-hydrated and supple. Exfoliate at least twice a week to get rid of dead skin and to unclog pores. Since pores on the skin, especially on the face, get bigger with age, it becomes all the more important to scrub regularly to let it breathe. You can use anti-wrinkle creams and anti-aging solutions to get rid of unwanted wrinkles and age spots on the skin. Under eye creams will help smooth out fine lines and creases under and around the eyes. The Standard Fare Beauty regimen for men over 50 would also include all the usual cleansing-toning-shaving-moisturizing stuff; just make sure the products you use at 50 would be slightly different from those you used when 25, based upon the ingredients. If you check the ingredients on specialized skin care products for mature or aging skin, you'll notice certain differences from those in their generic counterparts. All's Not Sunny Under the Sun! As your skin matures, it loses its capability to repair damage at the same rate as it did when you were in your teens. This just means that you need to take extra care to protect skin from the ravages of the environment. The harsh rays of the sun may have just caused temporary tanning of your skin in your earlier years but once you've crossed 40, those same rays can cause a lot more than just a harmless accumulation of melanin. Sunburns, heat rashes and blemishes are just a few examples, not to mention skin cancer! Ergo, be generous with slathering on that sunscreen lotion all over your exposed body parts every time you go out in the sun, even if it is for a couple of minutes. When selecting products to reduce hyperpigmentation, make sure you consult a dermatologist beforehand as products for skin care for men with dark skin differ from those of men with lighter skin when it comes to removing marks, scars, melasma and abnormal pigmentation. Choosing the wrong product will either make the marks lighter than the surrounding skin tone or will not treat the pigmentation issue effectively enough. Avoid alcohol-based toiletries and cosmetic products completely as they can cause the area of application to darken permanently. Cut out on caffeine and alcohol to avoid getting ugly, puffy bags under your eyes. Get a body massage and a mild, preferably herbal facial treatment at least once every month to feel rejuvenated and relaxed. Give your body sufficient amounts of rest and do not push yourself to perform rigorous workouts that are too taxing on your body. The idea is to keep your body running and maintained, not to punish it. I would like to wrap up this session on skin care for men over 50 by sharing one more, very profound, philosophy regarding looking great in your 50's with you - realize that you're growing in years and take it in your stride. That way, you'll be ready to make changes in your wellness routine and lifestyle to suit the beauty needs of your years without feeling negative about it! You know what aging with dignity is all about? It's when you make efforts to look fit and great at 50 and feel good about it too!