THE hair may be thinning and the six-pack hidden under a layer of fat but older men are happier about their looks than those a fraction of their age.
Three quarters of men over 65 say they feel confident about their body and face.
This compares to just over half of those aged 16 to 24, a survey found.
Older men have perhaps been influenced by the likes of Pierce Brosnan, 64, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, both 56. By contrast, young men are being held to standards set by the muscular hunks of ITV's Love Island, boy bands such as One Direction, and Premier League footballers.
Analysts suggested that some young men seem paranoid about their looks. Around 65 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 said they check themselves in the mirror throughout the day.
Some 71 per cent of over-65s said they felt they looked good for their age, the research by retail analysts Mintel found. And nearly four in five of all men agreed it is acceptable to have a few wrinkles.
Roshida Khanom, associate director of beauty and personal care at Mintel, 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.'
Khanom added: 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.'
But Mintel also said that 25 to 34-year-olds were most likely to say they enjoy posting pictures of themselves on social media, at 39 per cent, compared to 13 per cent of those aged 45 to 54.
Just less than a fifth of all men said they enjoy taking selfies.
s.poulterdailymail.co.uk
© Daily Mail