My anti-ageing guide to look THIS good in your 60s

When Helen Fielding, creator of Bridget Jones, declared she wanted Mad About The Boy to 'smash the idea that there's a sexual sell-by date for women', viagra 2 hours before all of us in our midlife years stood up to applaud. But how to translate such an admirable idea into reality?

If you're in your 50s and feeling your age, the idea of being, shall we say, raring to go, let alone with a man half your age, may seem risible.

But there are plenty of highly effective treatments to give your face, body and libido back their va-va-voom, from the perfectly cheap and easy to those that require a little more commitment and time.

 'No woman should feel like her 'sell-by date' has passed because she's hit 50!' agrees Dr Shirin Lakhani, an aesthetic physician and one of the UK's leading experts in women's intimate health and wellness.

'There are so many ways to stay confident, comfortable, and in control of your body.' Indeed, the pursuit of better sex in midlife and beyond is something of a boom industry.

'Women are living longer, healthier lives, and they don't want to feel like intimacy is something that fades away with age. 

Many women come in because they have noticed changes - loss of sensation, vaginal dryness, or discomfort - that are affecting their confidence and pleasure.

'Some are in long-term relationships and want to reignite intimacy. Others are newly dating post-divorce or menopause and want to feel their best. 




There are plenty of highly effective treatments to give your face, body and libido back their va-va-voom, from the perfectly cheap and easy to those that require a little more commitment and time, says Alice Hart-Davis (pictured)

A lot come primarily for health issues, but the knock-on effect of treating those things is often a better, more enjoyable sex life.'

But it's not just your nether regions! Head-to-toe, we can all benefit from a bit of skilled, de-ageing attention to make us feel more confident. So where do you start?

As a top aesthetic and beauty expert, and the founder of The Tweakments Guide - the go-to website for trusted advice on non-surgical cosmetic procedures - I'm here to help. I'm now nearly 62 and started having procedures and tweakments at 40 so, over the years, I've tried almost every one there is and know exactly where to go for the best in the business.

This is my ultimate guide to the most effective treatments and skincare to help you look and feel your best over 50 - and, yes, prolong your 'sexual sell-by date' too...

Halting hair loss
There are many factors involved in hair loss, including genetic, nutritional, stress and hormonal imbalances, but by the time we hit menopause, most of us are losing hair in one way or another. I found I had what practitioners call 'the hormonal Vs' - receding patches on my temples - even though the rest of my hair is holding up well.

Start with a blood test at your GP surgery to check if you are low in iron or vitamin D, both of which have a role in hair growth, says consultant Kelly Morrell (scalpconfidential.co.uk).

She then offers bespoke advice: maybe a DNA test like Trichotest to establish whether you will respond to the drug Minoxidil - which reduces hair fall, but doesn't work for everyone - or specialised treatments including the Calecim Advanced Hair System (from £350), where you apply a growth factor serum at home using a microneedle stamp to stimulate follicles into action.

I've tried it and it's not comfortable, but it certainly works, and once I saw new baby hairs growing in my 'hormonal V' patches, I had plenty of incentive to keep going.

Or try the trichologists at Philip Kingsley (philipkingsley.co.uk) who are brilliant at personalised advice.

Restore your skin
'Skin is our body's largest organ and hence a huge consideration in ageing well,' says Dr Paris Acharya, the aesthetic specialist who runs The Ardour Clinic in Marylebone.