Do you have a Facebook profile? Or are you on Twitter, Bebo or LinkedIn? If you are, chances are you also have a profile pic up there too. But be honest – how old is that pic?

According to a new survey by Lab Series For Men,  the average male profile pic is actually over 18 months old! I must admit that even mine was a wee bit out of date until I read the survey and felt so ashamed I had to change it.

So why are we so reluctant to post up-to-date snaps? Well, the survey reveals that too – apparently almost half (45%) of us are also concerned about our looks fading (think wrinkles, grey hair, man boobs)!

Now, I appreciate this concern (now I’m in my forties I have it myself) but there are plenty of things you can do to look better on your profile pic, other than employing a little Photoshop here and there.

For starters, it pays to pay attention to the little details that can let you down (nasal/ear hair, errant eyebrows etc); even out skin tone with a product like Nickel’s Perfector; hide spots and blemishes with a little concealer and give skin a lift with a anti-fatigue product like Biotherm Homme’s High Recharge. Even simple steps like using a face scrub or mask can help show you in the best light. And if you’re worried about the odd grey hair you can sort that out in an instant with a little Just For Men. There’s even a dye for those tell-tale grey bits in your beard if you have facial hair (I tried this a while ago and it works a treat).

So my message is simple – if you’re worried about how old you look in that profile pic don’t just haul something out from 1992 and cheat –  have a go at improving your mush as it is in 2010!

Lee, Mankind Grooming Ed (43 and looking good on it, even if black & white photography does help!)