Quotes and jokes are in endless supply when it comes to describing the difference in the ageing process between men and women, but does ageing really affect men and women differently?

Longevity

Women outliving men on average is a worldwide trend. According to research, life expectancy for females is 4.8 years longer than for males.

Hormones

Both men and women experience some sexual changes with age, but in different ways:

    • For women, menopause happens around the age of 50. This is when a woman stops menstruating and the ovaries stop producing the hormone estrogen. The common symptoms or side-effects are hot flashes, fatigue, vaginal dryness and lower libido.
    • For men, ageing is more gradual, with testosterone levels declining slowly over time. Lowered testosterone could result in erectile dysfunction, reduced libido and even changes in sleep patterns, although men can still reproduce and create sperm well into old age.

Skin

It’s clear that the beauty industry targets women more with sun protection products and anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle creams and serums due to societal pressures to stay young. According to research, the male skin is less susceptible to the signs of ageing. Men’s testosterone levels actually help thicken their skin. Men also have more collagen density, a slightly rougher texture and more natural moisture to their skin because they typically sweat more and have more lactic acid in their sweat.

Weight

The middle-age spread is a real struggle for both sexes, but men and women tend to gain weight differently. Men usually gain weight until their mid-50s when their weight starts to drop off again — often due to drops in testosterone which can no longer sustain muscle. Women, on the other hand, typically gain weight for an extra decade, until 65, when they start to lose weight too, often due to muscle loss.

Hair loss

Both men and women will lose some hair with age, depending on hormones and genetics, but pattern baldness affects more men than women. It’s estimated that half of all men show some hair loss by the time they reach 50. Though rare, women can also have pattern baldness, but generally they experience thinning or finer hair.

Health and happiness

After 50, men and women begin to go down separate roads in terms of happiness and wellbeing. Men show lower compliance of coping with changes than women. In fact, after 50, women’s rate of depression, anxiety and suicide drop and along with their older age comes a highly developed set of coping skills and courage to pursue new endeavors.

 

Sources

 

www.cdc.gov/nchs
www.huffingtonpost.co.za
www.medicaldaily.com/aging-differences