‘We should age gracefully – I’m proud of my wrinkles!’

I recently read a survey that said an increasing number of men are turning to cosmetic procedures to change their looks – with nose jobs, Botox and hair transplants on the rise [Reality star Jeremy Mcconnell shared a picture of himself after a hair and beard transplant procedure last week]. It’s a tough time to be a man in today’s society – there’s more pressure than ever to look good. I think social media has made that worse by presenting images of what we’re supposed to look like, and that’s made people obsessed with their appearance.

I don’t like to judge anyone – we all have our own struggles – so if someone wants to have their nose made smaller, or thinks that having a full head of hair is going to make them happier, then I encourage it. But more importantly, we must let people know that they’re loved and accepted as they are. There needs to be less of a focus on our appearance.

Personally, I can’t ever see myself getting anything done. Have you seen my face? It’s like a bag of spanners! I’ve earnt every crease and wrinkle, and I’m literally covered in scars, but they all come from life experiences and tell a story. I’m proud of them. We should encourage each other to embrace our looks and to age gracefully.